Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey won’t let ‘holocost’ happen again

Ami Kaufman By Ami Kaufman January 22, 2012 | Edit

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has been on a visit to Israel in the last few days, apparently trying to make sure the government doesn’t make any hasty moves against Iran – without U.S. approval.

The Americans have every right to be a bit jumpy and nervous on this issue, seeing as how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said more than once that he will not allow a second Holocaust, when referring to the Iranian nuclear program.

Or maybe I should use the now-infamous Bushism “nookular,” seeing as how Bushisms are apparently not unique to Bush himself. Even General Dempsey could do a bit better, at least when it comes to the spelling of major historic events:

Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff Dempsey won't let 'holocost' happen again
(photo: Yoav Ribak)

My friend Yoav Ribak, who alerted me to this note the general left in the Yad Vashem visitor’s book on Friday, pretty much summed it up with his caption: “The American chief of staff shows that he studied the Holocaust, but not how to spell it.”

I’m also not sure he got Wannsee correct, a bit hard to… see?

Nonetheless, I hope he knows how to spell Tehran. Though I hate to see what he may have done to Hormuz.

Ami Kaufman

Ami Kaufman was chief night editor for Haaretz, for the prominent Israeli financial daily Calcalist, and correspondent on Israeli affairs for 93.6 RAM FM, a joint Palestinian-Israel radio station. His interest in food and cooking led to culinary studies at the "Israeli CIA" (Tadmor, Herzliya) and a brief stint in the restaurant business. Born in Tel Aviv, Ami lives in Bat Yam with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time he blogs at Half & Half.

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