Critics slammed CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour for comparing the Trump administration with the tragic Kristallnacht, “Night of Broken Glass” – a pogrom against Jews and a prelude to the Holocaust.
On her segment in the CNN International show, Amanpour, the chief international correspondent, compared Kristallnacht’s tragic history with the Trump administration. The segment that was aired in Europe, the US, Asia, and the Middle East, sparked outrage and criticism from prominent individuals worldwide.
The tragic “Kristallnacht” that Amanpour made reference to was a sensitive part of history. It was a night of horror where violent riots led by Nazis stormed Australia and Germany.
.@BillOReilly calls out @camanpour for invoking "Kristallnacht" and comparing the Trump Administration to Hitler's Germany.
"Ms. Amanpour wouldn't know the truth if it wrapped itself along with her scarf around her neck!" pic.twitter.com/SRcFZ7rSRU
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) November 17, 2020
Kristallnacht, also known as the “Night of Broken Glass,” was a time were Jewish homes and businesses were vandalized and burned, synagogues were attacked, and thousands of Jews were sent to concentration camps. This tragic night marked the start of the Holocaust that claimed millions of lives.
In her CNN segment, Amanpour stated, “the Kristallnacht serves as the Nazi’s warning shot to the bow of our human civilization that led to the genocide and, in that tower of burning books, it led to an attack on fact, knowledge, history, and proof.”
She then added a remark saying, “After four years of a modern-day assault on those same values by Donald Trump, the Biden-Harris team pledges a return to normal.”
Footages of the tragic Kristallnacht were even playing in the background while Amanpour is making said comments.
Although the remarks were made in connection with Kristallnacht’s 82nd anniversary, these comments were not taken lightly by her viewers. Following the airing of the said segment, Amanpour and CNN were slammed with condemnation from prominent people.
This included Omer Yankelevich, the Israeli Minister of Diaspora Affairs. According to the Jerusalem Post, Yankelevich demanded an apology from CNN.
The Israeli Minister was quoted saying, “Using the memory of the Holocaust for cheap headlines of a political agenda is concerning and distorts the historical and moral truth.”
Moreover, Yankelevich also stated that CNN should support the global effort to fight antisemitism instead of fueling it.
In addition to this, Anat Sultan-Dadon, the Israeli Consul-General in Atlanta, also sent a letter to the CNN executive vice president, Rick Davis. Sultan-Dadon expressed his outrage on how the chief international correspondent compared the Holocaust for political means in the said letter.
Moreover, the former Israeli consul-general in New York, Danny Dayan, also expressed outrage, calling Amanpour’s statement a “foolish comparison.” He took it on Twitter and wrote, “the foolish comparison Amanpour made between Kristallnacht and Trump must bring about her immediate dismissal from CNN. There is no immunity for Holocaust deniers.”
DESPICABLE! @camanpour & @CNN must immediately apologize for trivializing the Holocaust & the tragic genocide of millions of Jews.
They must also apologize for slandering the most pro-Israel President in history as they themselves make an anti-democratic political enemies list. https://t.co/T6sh02kY2E— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) November 14, 2020
On the other hand, Kayleigh McEnany, White House Press Secretary, also condemned CNN and Amanpour for making such remarks, stating that said act is “despicable.”
The White House Press Secretary also demanded an apology from Amanpour for “trivializing the Holocaust,” a sensitive and tragic event in history.
Social media users also expressed criticism towards the CNN chief news correspondent. One Twitter user posted, “Amanpour distorted the Holocaust for political purposes. What an incredibly unprofessional and sick thing to do.”
After receiving multiple criticism and outrage, the CNN chief international correspondent then issued an apology.
Last Monday, in her segment, Amanpour stated that she should not have “juxtaposed Trump’s attack on history, facts, knowledge, and truth with the Nazi Kristallnacht’s attack.”
She further stated, “Hitler and his evils stand alone, of course, in history. I regret any pain my statement may have caused. My point was to say how democracy can potentially slip away and how we must always zealously guard our democratic values.”
Despite being stormed by criticism, CNN had yet made any comments concerning this.
