NEW YORK — (CNN) Mike Huckabee is standing by his comparison of President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal to the Holocaust — but acknowledged Tuesday that “maybe the metaphor is not a good one.”
In an interview with Yahoo News, the Republican presidential contender said he sees Iran as a threat to Israel’s future.
The former Arkansas governor told Breitbart News on Sunday that Obama is marching Israel “to the door of the oven” by agreeing to ease sanctions on Iran in exchange for new restraints for its nuclear program.
Huckabee said he initially didn’t regret making the comparison, but admits there might have been a better metaphor to make.
“At the time, I didn’t. But looking back, I think that maybe the metaphor is not a good one,” Huckabee said. “It should be strictly used. But in this case, it’s absolutely appropriate because the Iranians are threatening the murder of millions of Jews.”
Huckabee is a regular visitor to Israel and said he has traveled several times to Auschwitz. He said the Holocaust happened “because people didn’t take the threats seriously.”
He said he didn’t intend his remark — which took place on a Saturday afternoon — to gain widespread attention.
“I didn’t say it to create a buzz,” he said. “(But) There’s a boldness and a clarity to it.”
The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2015 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. (Photo: CNN)
