Sheriff Fred Harran is demanding that Bucks County Commissioners Chair Bob Harvie apologize for remarks he made at a May 7 meeting that appeared to compare the current debate over immigration enforcement to the rise of fascism in Germany.
Harvie made the remarks during a debate over Harran’s decision to partner with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program, allowing local cops to help enforce immigration law.
During the meeting, some people supported Harran’s move, but others vehemently opposed his cooperation with ICE.
“For someone who’s spent a lot of time studying World War II, there are definite parallels that I see happening,” Harvie said at the meeting. “Not nearly as great as what happened in 1920s Italy, 1930s Germany, but certainly not too far away from being in the same ballpark. It’s concerning. It’s something that all of us should be more focused on.”
Harvie is running for Congress against Republican U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick.
Harran said that, given his status as the only Jewish sheriff in Pennsylvania, Harvie’s comments were particularly problematic.
“Commissioner Harvie might like reading about World War II history. My family lived it.”
In a statement, Harran said, “Commissioner Harvie likes history. So, here’s mine: I grew up in a Jewish home, studied at a Hebrew school, and attended synagogue (and still do). I bore the grief of members of my mother’s family who were murdered by the Nazis. I heard the stories of my father, a doctor in Patton’s Third Army, who liberated concentration camps and cared for fellow Jews dehumanized and destroyed by the cruelty of an evil and authoritarian regime.
“That’s why it is unconscionable to me that in a time of deep political divisions, anti-law enforcement sentiment, and rampant antisemitism in our nation and our world, Commissioner Harvie would use his position to intentionally and directly compare our community to Nazi Germany. As the only Jewish sheriff in Pennsylvania, I find it notable that these sentiments – and many like them – are directed toward me and my role in public safety.
“I agree with the dozens of Jewish leaders and constituents who have reached out over the last few days. Commissioner Harvie’s remarks are both personally offensive and derogatory to the Jewish community, both here in Bucks County and around the nation. Just as bad, his twisted version of history equates my deputies’ efforts to uphold the rule of law and keep our communities safe from known criminals to Nazi-era atrocities. His statements simultaneously demean law enforcement officers and minimize the very real, and very personal, horrors of the period he fancies himself an expert on.
“We should all acknowledge that these statements are repugnant and unbefitting an elected leader. He should apologize.”
Harran told DVJournal that he was not listening closely as Harvie spoke, because the commissioner often talks about being a teacher and likes to give history lessons. But when he heard Harvie’s remarks regarding the era before World War II he was shocked. The person sitting next to him tapped him on his shoulder and asked if he had heard what Harvie said.
That evening, Harran attended a function, and person after person approached him, also outraged by Harvie’s remarks.
James O’Malley, a spokesperson for Bucks County, denied that Harvie was referring to Harran in his remarks, but rather was making general comments regarding Victory in Europe Day on May 8.
“Sheriff Harran’s claims regarding Commissioner Harvie’s comments during this week’s meeting are entirely dishonest, wholly offensive and arguably libelous,” said O’Malley. “The Commissioner’s comments, which notably went unquoted in the Sheriff’s statement, discussed the heroic spirit of the United States that drove our nation’s victory over the forces of evil and fascism in Europe during World War II.
“If the Sheriff sees himself portrayed on the wrong side of those comments, then perhaps that says more about him and his intentions than it does about Commissioner Harvie.
“The County of Bucks is proudly home to many thousands of Jewish residents, and we honor their experience, including their incredible endurance in the face of unspeakable horrors. We do not twist their pain to score political points in an election year. For doing just that, the Sheriff’s statement is as insulting as it is absurd,” said O’Malley.
