If you spent any time on Twitter Monday morning you may have noticed that Holocaust was trending after several accounts started comparing a proposed US vaccine passport to Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jews.
The official Twitter account of the Kentucky Libertarian party kicked the controversy off.
Are the vaccine passports going to be yellow, shaped like a star, and sewn on our clothes?
— Libertarian Party of Kentucky (@lpky) March 29, 2021
Other accounts soon picked up on the analogy, including Richard Grenell, who serves on the U.S. Holocaust Museum board.
Yes. It’s a slippery slope between distorting the Holocaust and full-on denying it. Not a good look for someone on the board of the US Holocaust Museum. https://t.co/UBud9DfE3i
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) March 30, 2021
The American Jewish Committee quickly released a statement condemning the comparison.
Disagreeing with policies is acceptable. Using offensive Holocaust imagery to push a political agenda is not.
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) March 30, 2021
There's no comparison between COVID-19 vaccination passports and the persecution of Jews in Nazi Germany. Period. https://t.co/Bj1uj4Ti7R
People are also pointing out that Israel has already implemented a “green passport” program for individuals vaccinated.
Request: I'd really appreciate it if people could please stop comparing Covid restrictions and requirements to the Holocaust.
— Rabbi Josh Yuter (@JYuter) March 30, 2021
Thank you.
Originally Published Mar 30, 2021 10:57AM EDT