Behar Invokes Nazi Germany to Encourage Protest of Arizona Immigration Law

Catching up on an item from ABC’s The View from Monday, April 26, as the group discussed the new immigration law in Arizona that attempts to enforce federal immigration law, co-host Joy Behar invoked Nazi Germany and suggested that those who oppose the law should be inspired by the story – which is apparently just a legend – of King Christian X of Denmark and other Danes wearing the Star of David on their arms during World War II to make it difficult for Nazi occupiers to discern who was Jewish. After making her first Nazi reference of the day by asserting that "this smells very much of, ‘May I see your papers?’" she soon continued:

During World War II, in one of the countries where the Nazis were occupying – I believe it was Denmark – the king of Denmark also wore the Jewish star. So then everybody had the star, and the Nazis did not know who was Jewish and who wasn't. I suggest that the people in Arizona all get out there and protest this and get some kind of thing to show that they don't like this.

After co-host Barbara Walters pointed out that 70 percent of the people of Arizona "like" the new law, Behar looked for a silver lining in the poll numbers:

BARBARA WALTERS: But they do like it. That's my point-

JOY BEHAR: There's 70 percent. That means 30 percent don't.

Guest co-host Dr. Phil McGraw saw the law as demanding discrimination against Hispanics: "When they say if they look like they could be illegal immigrants, I mean, if that's not profiling, I don't know what is, and 15 percent of the population of Arizona is Hispanic, so are you going to stop 15 percent of the people?"

Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Monday, April 26, The View on ABC:

WHOOPI GOLDBERG: You know, Arizona's new immigration law is sparking protests by people worried that the law gives the police broad power to question anyone they suspect of being here illegally, which could lead to widespread harassment and profiling. Now, I know a lot of people are really upset about this..

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Yes, because it goes from a, illegal immigration is a federal crime, okay, so you need a federal official to come in and do something about it. This indeed makes it a state crime, which then means the police can handle it, the police you don’t feel are handling it, you can enter an appeal and then do a citizens arrest, you can tell forward.

BARBARA WALTERS: Let me tell people exactly what it is. It says it would make failure to carry immigration documents a state crime, a misdemeanor, and you can detain people they suspect are in the country illegally.

SHERRI SHEPHERD: They "suspect"? That’s a broad term, "suspect."

WALTERS: But 70 percent of the people in Arizona like this law.

JOY BEHAR: They probably don’t know what else to do because this is a very overwhelming situation, but this smells very much of, "May I see your papers?"

HASSELBECK: I lived there for a little while. That’s where Taylor was born. Look, they are at the frontlines in terms of what is occurring in terms of illegal immigration. However, it seems a little bit, you know, retroactive, in a way, to kind of put it in the hands of the people to look at something because: What do you have to judge on? You’re then judging on an aesthetic, as a citizen, if this is what is going forward.

SHEPHERD: But then you’ll have a situation where if somebody is not carrying papers and it’s the father and they take the father and they ship him back to Mexico, you got a family, you got kids, you got a mother, now then what do you do about this family?

DR. PHIL MCGRAW, GUEST CO-HOST: (FIRST PART UNCLEAR) -me when they say if they look like they could be illegal immigrants. I mean, if that’s not profiling, I don’t know what is, and 15 percent of the population of Arizona is Hispanic, so are you going to stop 15 percent of the people?

GOLDBERG: Are you also going to train the officers?

SHEPHERD: They said that they would train them.

HASSELBECK: Right now, they're going through what's called a sensitivity training.

BEHAR: During World War II, in one of the countries where the Nazis were occupying -- I believe it was Denmark -- the king of Denmark also wore the Jewish star. So then everybody had the star, and the Nazis did not know who was Jewish and who wasn't. I suggest that the people in Arizona all get out there and protest this and get some kind of thing to show that they don't like this.

SHEPHERD: If you're brown-skinned.

WALTERS: But they do like it. That's my point-

BEHAR: There's 70 percent. That means 30 percent don't.

WALTERS: But also what we are talking about now is some kind of federal law. We've been talking about it for years. And the Democrats want a law now, an immigration law, and the Republicans don't because they say we've got so much on our plate, we've got climate control, we've got financial-

BEHAR (NOT CLEARLY AUDIBLE BUT SOUNDS LIKE SHE SAYS): They'd rather have fascism? I don't think so.

WALTERS: No, but the point is it's down on, it's like third on the list, and what we need is finally some kind of a federal law (UNINTELLIGIBLE) state by state by state.

SHEPHERD: Obama decried it as well.

HASSELBECK: Going back when the Republicans campaigned and had a platform-

MCGRAW: What is the solution? I mean, if this is fascism, what are you going to do? If you're not going to do that, what are you going to do?

BEHAR: No, they have to secure the borders, and they have to have some kind of a program.

HASSELBECK: Now, all of a sudden, though, you want it federal. Back in the day when the Republicans were saying this is something we need to run it, we need to work on this, no one wanted to hear it.

GOLDBERG: Because they wanted to build a wall, but they weren't building a wall around it, they were building a wall that stopped, which meant that if someone was illegal, they'd just go to the last panel on the wall and go around.

MCGRAW: The other thing about this: This is not just a Southwest America problem. North Carolina, South Carolina, it's gone up seven percent in those states in the last year.

GOLDBERG: There are only some people who get stopped, okay? They're generally brown. Because there's a lot of people from Italy, from Denmark, from Ireland, England, Africa, who have been here on visas that expired ages ago. If we're going to do something, let's start at the beginning and really do it. Let's get the folks who are not supposed to be here to go back around to the back of the line and start again. If you want to be here, come in and do it the right way. If you're going to stop one, then stop everybody.

BEHAR: But they don't want to do that. They want some of these people here to do certain kinds of jobs.

SHEPHERD: I think someone said, Pat Buchanan said that would open up jobs for other Americans. I mean, let's be real. Who's going to go out there and be planting those onions and strawberries and working and watching those-

MCGRAW: This is a slippery slope if you let local police power to stop people to check their, this is a slippery slope.