(JTA) — A Swiss lawmaker has resigned after comparing the transportation of pigs for farming to the transportation of prisoners to Auschwitz.
“The (Nazi) deportees had only a slight chance to survive. As for the pigs, they are condemned to certain death,” Swiss Green Party lawmaker Jonas Fricker said Thursday during a debate in the National Council, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland.
During the debate Fricker, 40, apologized to the parliament and the Jewish community for his “naive” comparison.
The Swiss media was blanketed with coverage of Fricker’s comparison, The Jerusalem Post reported.
On Saturday night, Fricker submitted a letter of resignation to his party.
“This comparison was hurtful and unfortunate. Resigning my mandate to parliament is the strongest signal that I can send,” Fricker wrote, the news website Swissinfo reported.
He also wrote that he considers the Holocaust to be a “crime without comparison.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
