BICOM

Israeli politicians have reacted to the violence in Charlottesville, with many criticising the US President for comparing the attendees of a neo-Nazi rally with the anti-racist counter protest.

In a statement addressed to the US Jewish community, President Reuven Rivlin expressed his “support and solidarity,” adding that “the very idea that in our time we would see a Nazi flag – perhaps the most vicious symbol of antisemitism – paraded in the streets of the world’s greatest democracy, and Israel’s most cherished and greatest ally is almost beyond belief”.

After condemning white supremacists on Monday, on Tuesday US President Donald Trump said that “there are two sides to a story” and “both sides were to blame” for the violence carried out by far-right extremists at the “unite the right” rally in Charlottesville on Friday.

Chairman of Yesh Atid Yair Lapid refuted this interpretation of events, saying: “There aren’t two sides… When neo-Nazis march in Charlottesville and scream slogans against Jews and in support of white supremacy, the condemnation has to be unambiguous. They represent hate and evil. Anyone who believes in the human spirit must stand against them without fear.”

Senior Zionist Union MK Tzipi Livni also rejected Trump’s statement, saying: “When it comes to racism, antisemitism and Nazism, there are never two equal sides. There’s good and there’s evil. Period.”

Members of the KKK and other white nationalist groups gathered in Charlottesville on Friday to protest the city’s plans to take down a statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee, brandishing swastikas and chanting “Jews will not replace us”. A counter protest the next day resulted in violent clashes between the two groups. Thirty-two-year-old Heather Heyer was killed and 26 others injured when a car was driven into a crowd of protesters, and two Virginia state troopers were also killed when their helicopter crashed as they responded to the violent clashes.

Education and Diaspora Affairs Minister Naftali Bennett was the first Israeli politician to comment on the incident, saying on Sunday that “the leaders of the US must condemn and denounce the displays of antisemitism seen over the past few days”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was criticised for failing to respond swiftly to events in Charlottesville, only publicly commenting three days after the death of Heather Heyer. On Tuesday Netanyahu said on Twitter he was “outraged by expressions of antisemitism, neo-Nazism and racism. Everyone should oppose this hatred”.