Invoking The Holocaust In Times Of War

In his address to the nation this week, President Obama spoke directly about chemical weapons in Syria and share his thoughts on "why it matters, and where we go from here."

He said it matters, because of where humanity has been before: "In World War I, American GIs were among the many thousands killed by deadly gas in the trenches of Europe. In World War II, the Nazis used gas to inflict the horror of the Holocaust."

Secretary Kerry and Senator Harry Reid also brought up the Holocaust as an example of "when the world did nothing."

Is it appropriate to invoke the Holocaust in these circumstances? Rabbi Marvin Hier says yes, "because we're talking about gassing — we're talking about the same element that the Nazis introduced in 1942."