Progressive news outlet NowThis announced in a tweet that it removed a video clip of a George Washington University student saying Anne Frank “didn’t die in a concentration camp” and claimed that the student “misspoke.”
The Jan. 14 video in question featured three Jewish and Palestinian students criticizing President Donald Trump’s executive order addressing anti-Semitism on college campuses; the students argued that the executive order is attempting to curb pro-Palestinian voices on college campuses.
One of the students, identified as Becca Lewis, said in the video, “What’s going to happen if there’s another Holocaust? Well, we’re seeing what’s happening. We’re seeing people die at the border for lack of medical care. That’s how Anne Frank died. She didn’t die in a concentration camp, she died from typhus.”
In which @nowthisnews airs the grotesque rantings of a campus activist who says that Anne Frank "didn't die in a concentration camp" but rather from a "lack of medical care"
This is truly truly disgusting and everyone involved should be ashamed pic.twitter.com/NwwsDpeuhn
— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) January 16, 2020
Lewis said in the video that she’s Jewish.
Her remarks on Anne Frank came under criticism.
Associate Dean and Director of Global Social Action Agenda at the Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Abraham Cooper told the Journal in a phone interview that Anne Frank and her sister died of typhus “because the conditions in this concentration camp [Bergen-Belsen] were beyond description – the filth, the lack of sanitation, the lack of any food.”
He added that Lewis’ remarks are “an outrage.”
Israel-based writer and Journal contributor Hen Mazzig tweeted, “Neo-Nazis have coined the idea that Anne Frank died of typhus and *not* in a concentration camp. This is Holocaust denial.”
PSA @nowthisnews: Neo-Nazis have coined the idea that Anne Frank died of typhus and *not* in a concentration camp. This is Holocaust denial. pic.twitter.com/cGSpLNmmmX
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 15, 2020
Please delete the video @nowthisnews pic.twitter.com/vpCIXQGbcY
— Hen Mazzig (@HenMazzig) January 15, 2020
Progressive activist Erin Schrode similarly tweeted, “This disgraceful video not only needs to be removed immediately, but @nowthisnews needs to make a statement on its grievous error, formally apology and outline protocol to ensure no such lies, denial or conspiracies will be amplified again, whether relating to Jews or any others.”
This disgraceful video not only needs to be removed immediately, but @nowthisnews needs to make a statement on its grievous error, formally apology and outline protocol to ensure no such lies, denial or conspiracies will be amplified again, whether relating to Jews or any others. https://t.co/biDsubrfOJ
— Erin Schrode (@ErinSchrode) January 16, 2020
On Jan. 16, NowThis tweeted, “CORRECTION: We have removed a segment of this video in which the speaker misspoke regarding Anne Frank’s death.”
CORRECTION: We have removed a segment of this video in which the speaker misspoke regarding Anne Frank’s death
These Jewish and Palestinian students are speaking out against Trump for equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism in his Judaism executive order pic.twitter.com/k6YGsp56h4
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 17, 2020
A Twitter account claiming to be Lewis tweeted, “The point I was making is that she died of typhus BECAUSE she was in a concentration camp. I meant to say she didnt [sic] die in a gas chamber — the way many people think was the only way jews [sic] were killed.” Lewis confirmed to the Journal that the account is hers.
https://twitter.com/isitabirdorbec/status/1217954653729705984?s=21
https://twitter.com/isitabirdorbec/status/1217954995930308608
https://twitter.com/isitabirdorbec/status/1217955136254988289?s=20
https://twitter.com/isitabirdorbec/status/1217955357902954496?s=20
https://twitter.com/isitabirdorbec/status/1217955902394970115?s=20
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