Brazil’s president criticised for citing Auschwitz phrase in virus slogan
Jair Bolsonaro uses phrase in video which some compared to the death camp's 'Arbeit macht frei' or 'work will set you free' inscription
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is being criticised for a new slogan about combating the coronavirus which resembles the infamous Nazi inscription at the entrance to the Auschwitz concentration camp: “Arbeit macht frei,” or “work will set you free.”
The message “Work, unity and the truth will set Brazil free” was featured in a video that Bolsonaro released Sunday, Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo first reported.
“It is unfortunate to see, once again, issues that are dear to Judaism and humanity in general be trivialized and emulated, offending the memory of victims and survivors, at such a difficult time for our country and the world,” Fernando Lottenberg, president of the Brazilian Israelite Confederation, Brazil’s umbrella Jewish organisation, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Bolsonaro’s supporters claim the phrase is inspired by the biblical passage “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” from John 8:32, which Bolsonaro often cited during his presidential campaign. Titled “COVID-19: The Truth,” the video slams the Brazilian media and describes his government’s action to fight the pandemic.
“It is impressive. Every government measure is twisted to fit narratives. In the campaign, they used to make swastikas. Now they use functional illiteracy to misinterpret a text and associate the government with Nazism. I, the head of the Communications secretariat, am Jewish!,” tweeted Fabio Wajngarten, the communications minister and the man who helped produce the video.
Last week, Bolsonaro angered Jewish groups for speaking next to an Israeli flag at rally in Brasilia, where some called for disbanding the country’s courts and a return to a state of authoritarian rule. On April 22, the American Jewish Committee demanded an apology from Brazilian foreign minister Ernesto Araujo, who compared COVID-19 social distancing to concentration camps. After a wave of international media coverage, he said he was misunderstood.
“The use of the expression ‘the work sets you free’ attacks the memory of Holocaust victims and offends the sensitivity of the survivors,” said Rabbi Michel Schlesinger, spiritual leader of Latin America’s largest congregation, Sao Paulo’s 2,000-family Congregagao Israelita Paulista synagogue, in an interview with BBC Brasil on Monday. “Unfortunately, it is not possible to disconnect this movement from the other references of the current government to the Nazi regime.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
