Recently, the IDF discovered an Arabic translation of Adolf Hitler’s iconic book, “Mein Kampf,” in a children’s room of a house in Gaza. In an interview with the BBC, President Isaac Herzog shared the discovery that Hamas terrorists had used the room as a base of operations. The IDF confirmed the find, saying that the terrorists had written in the book and marked relevant parts.
According to the IDF, the discovery of a copy of Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” in a Hamas safe house is more proof that the organization shares Hitler’s ideology, which they say led to the genocide of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. The book’s rediscovery sheds unsettling light on Hamas’s frightening ties to Nazi anti-Semitism.
During World War II, Hitler had a meeting with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, a figure Palestinians consider one of the founders of Palestinian nationality. On November 28, 1941, al-Husseini met with Hitler in Berlin, revealing his adoration for the Nazi leader and their shared anti-Jewish views. Due to Hitler’s empathetic approach toward the Palestinian cause, al-Husseini transmitted this respect to the Nazi leader.
In turn, Hitler stated that Germany would wage an unyielding struggle against the Jews and would not support the creation of a Jewish national home in Palestine. This historical perspective highlights the long history of anti-Semitism that links specific groups to Hitler’s bigotry.
More broadly, the finding in Gaza has raised new questions about whether or not Palestinian territories are glorifying Nazi accomplices. Several schools in Gaza and the Judea and Samaria Area have reportedly been given the names of Nazi sympathizers, according to reports. Additionally, Palestinian Media Watch has documented instances where the Fatah organization, led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, uploaded covers of anti-Semitic children’s books from Nazi Germany on social media.
Questions regarding the promotion of anti-Semitic ideology by some groups in the region are prompted by the discovery of “Mein Kampf” in a Hamas terrorist facility. The findings of the IDF show how crucial it is to acknowledge and denounce such ties if we want to live in a world free of hatred and extremism.