Lee doesn't want to share television screen with Hitler

Controversy over the DPP's new television advertisement continued to spiral as former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) complained to the ruling party that he did not wish to be placed on par with a figure like Adolf Hitler, the Liberty Times reported.

"Pursuing democracy, freedom and human rights has been a lifetime goal. Showing images of me together with a dictator could lead to a misperception of values," Lee said.

On Thursday the DPP aired a political ad targeting young voters. The 30-second commercial, however, has sparked a maelstorm of negative response because of its use of Hitler, which it portrays as an individual who was willing to speak his mind.

In addition to Hitler and Lee, two other political leaders who appear in the ad are Cuban leader Fidel Castro and former US president John F. Kennedy.

After the Israel Economic and Cultural Office (以色列駐台代表處) in Taipei strongly expressed its opposition to the ad, the DPP said yesterday that the office had misunderstood the point of the ad, which was supposed to contrast Hitler and Castro with Lee and Kennedy.

The party's spokesperson Phoenix Cheng (鄭運鵬) said that he would be glad to discuss the issue with those of opposing viewpoints, but his party did not intend to remove the ad or change its content.

Some DPP supporters have called the Israeli representative office following the latter's protest and threatened to demonstrate outside the office. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded by arranging for increased security at the representative office.

The Anti-Defamation League (反誹謗聯盟) also condemned the ad yesterday.

"It is outrageous and shocking that the ruling party of Taiwan could produce a commercial that holds up Hitler as a role model for today's youth," said Chairman Abraham H. Foxman.