Citing Holocaust, Shas ministers to boycott German-made cars

[zgrams at zgrams.zundelsite.org]

-- 


10/09/2007

Citing Holocaust, Shas ministers to boycott German-made cars

By Haaretz Service

Shas Minister Itzhak Cohen said Monday that his party's ministers 
would be boycotting new German-made cars offered to members of the 
cabinet.

The government recently announced that its ministers would part with 
their Swedish Volvos after German car makers Skoda and Audi won the 
tender to provide the officials with new cars.

In response, Cohen is calling on all government ministers to refuse 
to drive German cars out of respect for the Holocaust and in light of 
what he said was a new wave of people who deny the Holocaust took 
place.

After World War II ended in 1945 and the State of Israel was founded 
in 1948, it was common for Israelis to boycott German goods. However, 
as time as passed since the Holocaust and ties between the two 
countries developed, the phenomenon has faded.

Cohen repeatedly insisted during an Israel Radio interview that the 
move is "very emotional and very symbolic," and not a denunciation of 
all German-made products. He emphasized that Shas had no interest in 
the private matters of ministers, but rather sought to make a public 
statement with the boycott.

"On private matters, we don't get involved. Everyone in their home 
can do what they want."

"Especially today, as Holocaust deniers are multiplying, we're the 
ones who need to commemorate the Holocaust. And if, by this act, we 
bring about public discourse on the issue, then we reached our goal," 
he continued.

In the interview with Israel Radio, Cohen recalled public figures who 
adopted the policy against German goods, including "important men 
like Rabbi [Yisrael] Lau who never spent a night on German soil, or 
[former MK] Shevah Weiss didn't receive German representatives."