Israel demanded an apology from CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour on Sunday for her comments comparing the Trump presidency to Kristallnacht, a violent pogrom perpetrated against Jews in Nazi Germany that killed dozens and left synagogues and Jewish-owned businesses destroyed .
"Using the memory of the Holocaust for cheap headlines or a political agenda is concerning and distorts the historical and moral truth," Diaspora Affairs minister Omer Yankelevich said, according to the Jerusalem Post. She added that CNN "should be a partner in the global effort to fight anti-Semitism and not fuel the fire."
Jerusalem’s rebuke comes after Amanpour’s Friday comments that likened President Donald Trump's tenure to the night of violence against Jews.
"[Kristallnacht] led to an attack on fact, knowledge, history, and truth," Amanpour said. "After four years of a modern-day assault on those same values by Donald Trump, the Biden-Harris team pledges a return to norms, including the truth."
Following the comments, prominent American and Israeli commentators slammed Amanpour for the analogy. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany called the comparison "despicable," demanding CNN "apologize for trivializing the Holocaust and the tragic genocide of millions of Jews."
"They must also apologize for slandering the most pro-Israel President in history," she added.
Israeli human-rights lawyer and political analyst Arsen Ostrovsky also condemned Amanpour’s comments.
"Shame on you [Amanpour and CNN] for invoking the Holocaust in such manner," Ostrovsky tweeted Friday. "Whatever policy differences you may have with Trump, to compare his [administration] to Kristallnacht is grossly offensive & only demeans the memory of the 6 million Jews systematically murdered in the Holocaust!"