It's one thing to suspect your neighbors of being lead-footed jazz-dancers or DIY bedbug farmers, but it's quite another to assume they had a hand in the murder of 11 million people. But such is the premise of Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind's newest ad campaign, which attempts to root out any ex-SS guards still hiding out in New York City by asking, "Would you be a Nazi’s neighbor?" This will not make your grandparents feel any better about Audis.
The campaign was apparently sparked by the story of Jakiw Palij, a 91-year-old alleged ex-Nazi death camp guard who still lives in Queens, despite Jewish groups' efforts to oust him. Hikind says there are more out there like Palij, and he's pushing the U.S. government to deport them all. "The idea that you would have a Nazi living in our community, down the block, enjoying the free air America while this person was involved in the murder of innocent men, women and children is just something that is difficult to live with," he told 1010 WINS.
In addition to the ad campaign—which features pictures of S.S. guards and directs people to Hikind's website—the Assemblyman has launched a Change.org petition urging the Department of Justice to purge the U.S. of known Nazi war criminals. The petition has 81 supporters thus far, though Hikind told us that the petition itself is just one small step. "It's something that is very dear to my heart," Hikind, who is the son of Holocaust survivors, said. "And it's not just in my community. I think every American would be interested in what this is about."
Do note, though, that while it has been estimated that a large number of ex-Nazis may be hiding out in the Land of the Free, Home of the Brave, it's probably still not a good idea to go all Nuremberg on the old man with the funny accent who lives in Apartment 12B. Probably.
