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The comments prompted condemnation from Germany, Israel, and Jewish organizations.
By Shula Rosen
Peru’s interim president, José María Balcázar, sparked controversy after alleging that Jews “pushed” Germany into World War II during remarks delivered last week at the Lima Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking at the event, Balcázar referenced the book trilogy Los Enemigos del Comercio by Spanish jurist Antonio Escohotado as he discussed the rise of Nazism, arguing it was tied to what he described as Jewish economic and financial influence in Germany between the two world wars.
He said, “Germany was pushed into a war also partly because of the Jews because they controlled all the banks, all the commerce and practiced usury.”
The comments prompted condemnation from Germany, Israel, and Jewish organizations.
The Jewish Association of Peru described the remarks as “outdated antisemitic theories.” In a statement, the organization said, “It is unbelievable that in the 21st century, arguments worthy of the Dark Ages are being used to blame the victims of their own Holocaust.”
In a joint statement, the German and Israeli embassies in Peru said the comments were antisemitic and historically inaccurate.
“The claim that Jews controlled German commerce and the banking system violates the memory of millions of citizens murdered by the Nazis,” the statement said. The embassies also described the remarks as “absurd and historically false,” adding that Nazi ideology alone was responsible for genocide and war, and called on Balcázar to retract his statements.
Balcázar’s office later issued a clarification on Wednesday, stating that “the president of the republic regrets that those statements generated a mistaken perception regarding the Jewish people in the context of the beginning of World War II.”
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