JERUSALEM — An Israeli official who sparked an uproar by using the word for “holocaust” to describe what Israel might do to the Gaza Strip said today his comment had been manipulated by the media but acknowledged he could have chosen another term.
In a radio interview Friday discussing Palestinian rocket fire at Israel and Israel’s military response, Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said, “As the rocket fire grows, and the range increases … they are bringing upon themselves a greater ’shoah’ because we will use all our strength in every way we deem appropriate.”
The Hebrew word “shoah” refers to the Nazi Holocaust, but also means “disaster,” and a spokesman for Vilnai immediately clarified he meant the latter.
Nonetheless, many international media outlets translated it as “holocaust” and the statement was taken by many in the Arab world to mean that Israel was threatening the Palestinians with genocide.
Yesterday, Palestinian leaders from both Hamas and Fatah called Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip, which has killed dozens of people, a “holocaust” and “genocide.”
In Syria, exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal described Israeli killings of civilians in Gaza as “the real Holocaust.”
“It’s clear to everyone that I used it to mean ’disaster’ or ’catastrophe,”’ Vilnai said today in an interview with Army Radio, charging the media with “manipulating” his words.
“You can use other words, absolutely,” Vilnai acknowledged, “but that shouldn’t divert us from the main point, which is that they are bringing a disaster on their people because of their actions.
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