U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra on Thursday visited a cemetery and called the experience a "terrible reminder of the cost of going to war and why we must always work towards peace." Hoekstra is a former GOP Congressman who served as the Chair of the House Intelligence Committee.
The cemetery is the burial place of dead German soldiers from both WWI and WWII. Thursday was a Jewish day of mourning, Tisha B'Av, known as "the saddest day on the Jewish calendar."
In World War II the Nazis murdered an estimated 6 million Jews.
Walked among the graves at Ysselsteyn, a cemetery for German soldiers from WWI & WWII. A terrible reminder of the c… https://t.co/X0Xy3woju4— Ambassador Pete Hoekstra (@Ambassador Pete Hoekstra) 1596106064.0
The nonprofit news site Michigan Advance notes that "Neo-Nazis have been known to visit to honor Nazis buried" at at the Ysselsteyn German war cemetery. It is the largest World War II German cemetery.
Why a United States Ambassador is mourning the deaths of German soldiers is incomprehensible to many, who expressed outrage on social media.
Historian Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an expert on authoritarians and fascism:
@usambnl Historian of fascism here: you are a disgrace to your profession. https://t.co/1V5v7dCl0Y— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@Ruth Ben-Ghiat) 1596162617.0
Noted economist David Rothschild:
@usambnl What the fuck?— David Rothschild (@David Rothschild) 1596147523.0
Fmr. Impeachment Special Counsel:
I never imagined I would see this: A US ambassador paying tribute to Nazi German fighters & occupiers. Including S… https://t.co/HT15eDrWkI— Norm Eisen (@Norm Eisen) 1596131920.0
Former: CIA ops officer, GOP policy director, independent presidential candidate:
Indeed, war is beyond terrible, but I never thought I'd see an American ambassador mourn the loss of Nazi soldiers'… https://t.co/tpyIoA5gth— Evan McMullin 🇺🇸 (@Evan McMullin 🇺🇸) 1596135679.0
Conservative Political Analyst:
You really can’t be this stupid. https://t.co/37Q9NTPY2r— Rick Tyler-Still Right (@Rick Tyler-Still Right) 1596143991.0
More:
@usambnl Interestingly enough The Netherlands has cemeteries for American WW2 soldiers. Soldiers we honor till this… https://t.co/1QEOWYzrdv— Culture Shots (@Culture Shots) 1596113789.0
So meaningful of @petehoekstra to join Jews in observing #TishaBav, a day of mourning and lamentations, by... 🧐*ch… https://t.co/IUrUY5hfHB— IfNotNow🔥 (@IfNotNow🔥) 1596159100.0
Trump stabs Angela Merkel in the back, then his puppet ambassador to the Netherlands sends a loud signal of support… https://t.co/7eMcgiCHo6— Charles Johnson (@Charles Johnson) 1596162066.0
@usambnl Dude, those were fucking Nazis.— Tony Posnanski (@Tony Posnanski) 1596137973.0
It's Tisha B'Av, and Trump's ambassador to the Netherlands, Pete Hoekstra (@usambnl), went to a LITERAL graveyard f… https://t.co/5AaL05Uoy6— 🌈micala // bIm🌈 (@🌈micala // bIm🌈) 1596151012.0
Is there anything more quintessentially "Trump Era" than the American Ambassador to the Netherlands choosing the gr… https://t.co/UUQeqrTkoD— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@Mrs. Betty Bowers) 1596133386.0
@usambnl you could've gone 5 miles east to Venray and visited Allied soldiers' graves but that would've entailed a… https://t.co/suZhuZ1tfw— Elliott Vanskike (@Elliott Vanskike) 1596138847.0
@usambnl Hell of a way to change the narrative, Pete: "On the day of John Lewis' funeral, Republican mourns Nazis"— Lolly Voted (@Lolly Voted) 1596110795.0
@usambnl “Walking in a nazi graveyard reminded me of just how precious life is” is frankly an unsurprising take from a republican in 2020— TwoWheelsDC (@TwoWheelsDC) 1596117887.0
@usambnl Leave it to the Trump appointee to tend to the Nazi graves.— Justin Hendrix (@Justin Hendrix) 1596108791.0
@usambnl Yeah man, the real tragedy is all the dead Nazis. Great work, Pete.— 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯 (@🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯) 1596108948.0
We don't want peace with Nazis. I thought we already had this conversation. https://t.co/HiqyqsD1pS— Matt Rogers 🗳 (@Matt Rogers 🗳) 1596156924.0
Literally mourning Nazis. https://t.co/ANUaN0blQQ— Helen Kennedy (@Helen Kennedy) 1596134975.0
@usambnl Those “German soldiers” as you call them, they’re responsible for massacring 2063 Jews in my family’s vill… https://t.co/tdYJzHH1Mq— Moms_Robin 🌼🖊🐶🕊 (@Moms_Robin 🌼🖊🐶🕊) 1596166000.0
@usambnl If you want a reminder of the cost of war, you walk the cemeteries holding the heroes, Arlington or those… https://t.co/JXxZIY34Yr— Kid T (@Kid T) 1596135013.0
