CNN’s Gloria Borger Accuses Netanyahu of Politicizing the Holocaust

In her post-speech analysis, CNN political analyst Gloria Borger attacked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “veering off into political territory” when speaking of the Holocaust and “Never Again.”

“And then at the end of [Netanyahu’s speech] when he really veered off into political territory,” Borger said. “I don’t know if it was on a delay at that point, but when he sort of raised the specter of the Holocaust and “Never Again” and Elie Wiesel … that was just great. Ari Fleischer could have done this great political speech.”

The “delay”Borger references is a 5-minute delay the Israeli media was reportedly using in the event Netanyahu got partisan. The Prime Minister is currently in a close re-election campaign. The election is in just a couple weeks.

Fleischer, President George W. Bush’s former Press Secretary, immediately pushed back.  “That’s not political, that’s called survival. That’s called learning the lesson–”

Borger interrupted, “But for an American audience, for an American audience, if you’re building the case–”

Fleischer: “That’s not political.”

Borger: “That’s not political?”

At this point the dumbfounded 8 person CNN panel and host Wolf Blitzer could only freeze.

Fleischer pressed on, “Talking about the Holocaust is the history of the Jewish people.”

An obviously flustered Borger marched on: “But what I am saying is that this was a powerful moment. You can call it political, you can say it wasn’t political.”

Fleischer: “I don’t call it political.”

Borger: “But it was a powerful moment, not only for the audience back home but the audience here.”

Unable to talk herself out of this hole, Blitzer quickly changed the subject.

Since the announcement of the Netanyahu speech, Borger has been railing against it as inappropriate.

Borger obviously does not consider her attempt to accuse Netanyahu of politicizing the Holocaust as inappropriate.