Protestors near Nablus build and set alight swastika inside Star of David in ceremony reminiscent of Ku Klux Klan

A video uploaded to Twitter on Saturday showed protesters in the town of Beita, a town under the Palestinian Authority control near Nablus, holding flaming sticks and watching on as a handmade structure depicting a Star of David with a swastika in the centre burned.

The act, reminiscent of a Ku Klux Klan ceremony, was reportedly a part of the ongoing protests toward the nearby Jewish town of Evyatar.

Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Ghassan Alian, said: “In using these symbols of hate, the demonstrators crossed a line. Any comparison between Nazi and Zionist ideas indicates just how ignorant the person who does such a thing really is, both historically and morally.”

“This type of act does not represent the values of any society, particularly not the Palestinian one…Anyone who took part in this dreadful event should be ashamed of himself,” said Major General Alian. He added: “We strongly condemn this shameful act and call upon the Palestinian people to do the same.”

Mohammed Zain, a local activist from the Nablus area, defended the actions as a means of “peaceful protest”. He said: “The young men demonstrating against the illegal settlements are heroes. We will continue the peaceful protests until we foil the Israeli Government’s plan to seize our lands. What happened on Saturday is not because we are against the Jewish religion, or because we support Hitler. We just wanted to send a message that there isn’t much of a difference between Israel and the Nazis.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.