London - An interview by Bernie Ecclestone in The Times newspaper, where the Formula One supremo praised Adolf Hitler for his ability to get things done", has led to a furore among Jewish groups. Ecclestone, 78, made the comments in an extensive interview with the British newspaper Friday where he praised the virtues of strong leadership and condemned contemporary politicians for their weakness.
In a lot of ways, terrible to say this I suppose, but apart from the fact that Hitler got taken away and persuaded to do things that I have no idea whether he wanted to do or not, he was in the way that he could command a lot of people, able to get things done," Ecclestone said.
Ecclestone went on to support the concept of a government based on tyranny. Politicians are too worried about elections," he told the paper.
We did a terrible thing when we supported the idea of getting rid of Saddam Hussein. He was the only one who could control that country.
"It was the same (with the Taliban). We move into countries and we have no idea of the culture. The Americans probably thought Bosnia was a town in Miami. There are people starving in Africa and we sit back and do nothing but we get involved in things we should leave alone."
Ecclestone's comments unleashed bemusement and criticism from Jewish groups with a spokesman for the Board of Deputies of British Jews calling them "quite bizarre."
Meanwhile, Stephen Pollard, Editor of the Jewish Chronicle, said Ecclestone was either "an idiot or morally repulsive".
"Either he has no idea how stupid and offensive his views are or he does and deserves to be held in contempt by all decent people," he said.
Ecclestone's remarks are certain to revive memories of the controversy around reports of a bizarre sex scene involving FIA president Max Mosley.
The head of motorsport's ruling body FIA and son of the British fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley last year sued the News of the World for breach of privacy after the newspaper alleged he had taken part in a concentration camp-themed scene involving six prostitutes.
