UN chief condemns neo-Nazis, politicians ‘who exploit fear’

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday condemned the recent white supremacist rally in the United States as well as “political figures who exploit fear to win votes.”

Speaking at the end of a three-day visit to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the UN chief hit out at xenophobia and racism.

“The internet and social media are filled with hate speech and anti-Semitic imagery. And we hear on the streets of democratic societies the repeat of some of the most vile Nazi chants and charges.

“Just a few weeks ago ‘blood and soil,’ or ‘the Jews will not replace us,'” Guterres continued, referring to slogans chanted at the white supremacist rally earlier this month in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“Today anti-Semitism, along with racism, xenophobia, anti-Muslim hatred and other forms of intolerance are being triggered by populism and by political figures who exploit fear to win votes,” he added in a speech in Tel Aviv.

Although Guterres did not mention any politicians by name, on Monday he condemned US President Donald Trump’s remarks that “both sides” bore responsibility for the violent rally, which critics said was equating the white supremacist demonstrators with the counter-protesters.

“I think [Trump] was not sufficiently aware of how tragic this is,” he told Channel 2 in an interview. “I think he went into this kind of political thing to please part of his electorate. But this is a matter of fundamental values.”

Guterres also strongly condemned the anti-Semtic and Nazi chants at the Charlottesville rally during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum on Monday, warning that anti-Semitism is “alive and well.”

Throughout his trip, Guterres strongly condemned anti-Semitism, telling President Reuven Rivlin on Monday that calls for Israel’s destruction are a “form of modern anti-Semitism.”

“I do believe that in particular when you mention those who call for the destruction of the State of Israel that that is a form of modern anti-Semitism,” Guterres said at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.

The secretary general also mentioned his trip to Yad Vashem during his meeting with Rivlin and noted his home country Portugal’s own history of anti-Semitism in the 16th century.

“Yad Vashem is there to remind us that we need to be in the first line in fighting against antisemitism, but first of all fighting against all other forms of bigotry, be it racism, xenophobia, even anti-Muslim hatred, to promote understanding and to promote dialogue,” he said.