Roman Catholic Cardinal Renato Martino’s description of Gaza as resembling “a big concentration camp” was an irresponsible choice of words that misrepresents the very difficult situation in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip.

As president of the Vatican’s Council for Justice and Peace, Martino should choose his words more carefully. The cardinal’s sentiment is unbecoming an official of the Catholic Church, which has worked to overcome a painful history with Jews. As the terrorist group that controls Gaza, Hamas has become adept at manipulating conditions in Gaza to garner sympathy and incite hatred. Hamas sidesteps any responsibility for the conditions of the territory it acquired by force. Hamas has had multiple opportunities to build a peaceful, modern society in Gaza. Instead, Hamas has chosen to target Israeli civilians with rockets, and hide among the Palestinian civilian population it claims to represent.

In using a Holocaust analogy, the cardinal does a disservice to the memory of the victims who suffered during the Holocaust – the worst genocide in history. There is no comparison to the systematic Nazi extermination of the Jews of Europe. For the cardinal to repeat the Hamas party line is deeply disturbing.

B’nai B’rith International has worked closely with the Catholic Church to foster interreligious understanding. We will continue our efforts at meaningful dialogue and tolerance.