Scandal in the Ocean: PM who supports Israel recorded giving a Nazi salute and shouting 'Heil Hitler'
The Prime Minister of Samoa, La'oli La'ava'ata Schmidt, apologized for a 2007 video in which he was recorded performing a Nazi salute and shouting 'Heil Hitler' at a family gathering. Schmidt, considered a staunch supporter of Israel, issued an apology on social media and emphasized that he does not support Nazism or anti-Semitism. The affair was exposed by the 'Samoa Observer' newspaper.
The Prime Minister of Samoa, La'oli La'ava'ata Schmidt, apologized for a 2007 video in which he was recorded performing a Nazi salute and shouting 'Heil Hitler' during a family gathering. The seven-second footage was published by the 'Samoa Observer' newspaper. Schmidt, considered a passionate supporter of Israel who was even sworn into office with a tallit and shofar blowing, issued an apology on social media. He emphasized that the behavior in the video does not reflect his personal beliefs or his government's positions, and that he rejects Nazism, anti-Semitism, and racism. The affair occurs against the backdrop of Schmidt's tense relations with the exposing newspaper, which he banned from covering government events. Schmidt confirmed that photos taken by the newspaper's reporter were deleted from his camera by an assistant, a move the newspaper called 'an authoritarian act'.