Well, I lost another friend. They started on this thing about how FDR was antisemitic and that caused the death of Jews in the Holocaust. It is true that Jews died that might otherwise have lived. Most countries had limits on the number of Jews who were allowed to enter.
Roosevelt could have raised US limits, but didn't, and frankly he didn't because there was a deep streak of antisemitism in American society at the time. FDR was not going to go against that in order to save Jews, which is sad to say. At the time when Jews were being allowed to leave Europe, the Holocaust had not yet begun.
There were things like the MS St Louis with 937 Jews, which was not allowed to land in the US. Canada and Cuba also would not allow the MS St Louis to land. Roughly a quarter of those Jews died in the Holocaust.
Beyond that, during the war, some wanted the rail lines into the concentration camps bombed, which would have slowed transport to the camps. Instead FDR allowed the military to focus on attacking supplies, ammunition, and reinforcements for the German army. This probably shortened the war, and it is arguable which saved more lives.
My erstwhile friend essentially blamed FDR for the deaths of 4 million Jews, which is patently absurd. When I challenged her on that, she went off on me altogether. I have no problem with civil discourse and factual arguments, but when you become insulting and irrational, you will no longer be a friend.
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