New York, NY, May 2, 2012 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on New York State Sen. Ruben Diaz to retract and apologize for his statement that "Hitler was pro-choice," pointing out that this is not the first time he used an inappropriate and offensive analogy to the Holocaust to characterize abortion.

In a written statement outlining his position on abortion yesterday, Senator Diaz said that, "Hitler was pro-choice.  He chose to send the Jews to Auschwitz.  That was not their choice, that was Hitler's choice."  In 2005, Senator Diaz termed abortion "the American Holocaust" and asserted that "I want to compare Adolf Hitler and the Holocaust to what is happening to abortion in America."

Ron Meier, ADL New York Regional Director, issued the following statement: 

State Sen. Ruben Diaz is a repeat offender when it comes to making offensive and inappropriate comparisons to the Holocaust.  Seven years ago we asked him to avoid such comparisons, but he was unrepentant then and has never apologized.

 

While the senator is certainly entitled to his passionate political and religious opinions, invoking the Holocaust and the Nazi regime's murderous policies, which resulted in the deaths of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust, is deeply offensive and has no place in civil political discourse.

 

We have consistently reminded political, business and cultural leaders of the need for greater sensitivity and selectiveness when invoking the Holocaust and the Nazis.  We hope that Sen. Diaz will come to understand why such comparisons are so offensive to Jews and families of the brave American soldiers who sacrificed so much in fighting Hitler's regime in the Second World War.