Deputy Gobzems faces ethical breach case for use of star of David

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A majority of the Saeima Mandate, Ethics and Submissions Committee agreed to initiate an infringement case against the Saeima deputy Aldis Gobzems at the request of five deputies, Latvian Radio reported July 5.

In the application submitted by five deputies, Aldis Gobzems has been accused of using the yellow hexagonal star associated with the Holocaust crimes when comparing different opportunities for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, as reported in our other story.

 

 

“On June 25, a yellow star was pinned on the shirt of Saeima deputy Aldis Gobzems in a desperate attempt to draw attention to his fears of getting vaccinated and announcing it on social networks. It's a cynical and disgraceful act, using Nazi symbols aimed at publicly identifying and then physically destroying Jews. It is not just me and my colleagues who have signed this application. The Jewish community of Latvia, the head of the memorial museum of the Jewish savior Žanis Lipke, and foreign ambassadors, also think that way,” said a deputy of the Development/For! faction, Krista Baumane.

Development/For! Member Ilmārs Dūrītis said: “Is it ethical or unethical to equate the vaccination process, organized to bring the world back to normal life as soon as possible, to the Holocaust? Compare it to something so horrible that has happened in rather recent history.”

On the other hand, Gobzems said that he had sought to focus on the division of society, the sorting of vaccinated and unvaccinated people compared to the sorting of people in the past that led to genocide.“Last Friday I had an official meeting with Arkādijs Suharenko, head of the Latvian Jewish congregation and community council. We've talked about everything and parted as friends. I have publicly always condemned any kind of genocide and called on the Latvian people to stand with Jews and to support one another,” Gobzems said.

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