Left-wing political commentator Robert Reich is facing sharp criticism for invoking Holocaust imagery to accuse Israel of “betraying” Holocaust victims, as the Jewish state continues to defend itself from Hamas terrorists. Reich, who served as Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton, posted a photo of Holocaust victims alongside an article from the far-left Israeli outlet Haaretz, accusing Israel of causing starvation in Gaza.
The Haaretz article, titled “Silence in the Face of Gaza’s Starvation is Absolute Betrayal of Holocaust Victims,” has drawn outrage for its inflammatory rhetoric and historically inaccurate comparisons. Reich’s post echoes this framing, despite clear factual differences between Israel’s actions and the genocidal policies of Nazi Germany.
Israel has surged humanitarian aid into Gaza, far exceeding pre-war levels, while actively fighting Hamas—the governing terror group responsible for the October 7, 2023, massacre that left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage. Hamas continues to hold at least 20 living hostages and has rejected multiple negotiated deals for their release.
Reich’s comparison ignores key facts: Jews did not provoke Germany, did not hold hostages, and were systematically exterminated by a regime that made no effort to provide food, medicine, or aid. Israel, in contrast, has continued allowing aid into Gaza even while under direct threat.
Critics have called Reich’s post a form of Holocaust minimization and antisemitic propaganda. By equating the plight of Gazans under Hamas rule to the industrial genocide of six million Jews, Reich distorts history and vilifies a nation defending itself from a terrorist onslaught.
Reich’s remarks also align with a growing faction of the Democratic Party that has embraced anti-Israel rhetoric and downplayed the October 7 atrocities. His statements follow a pattern of left-wing figures who shame Israel for existing as a strong and secure Jewish state rather than a perpetual victim.
