Jerusalem, February 7, 2006 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is appalled by and strongly condemns the use of Nazi symbols on an Israeli Web site equating Israeli police with Nazi police.

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper published a photo-montage taken from the Israeli Web site "Rotter-Net" showing Police Inspector General, Commissioner Moshe Karadi on the background of a Nazi flag and wearing Nazi insignia.

The Web site apparently serves as a platform for extreme right-wingers.

The ADL Israel office issued the following statement:

We have repeatedly said that, regardless of one's political views, using Nazi imagery is offensive, demeaning to victims of the Holocaust and is a perversion of history. Furthermore, for Jews to use such imagery against other Jews is perhaps the embodiment of perversion.

The symbols of the Nazis have become the symbols that personify evil and using such imagery is inciteful and can serve to legitimize attacks against Israeli police or other security forces by anyone who disagrees with the policies of the government.

ADL calls on all Israelis to refrain from using these images.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.