Palestinian President defends Holocaust with ‘Hateful, Anti-Semitic Remarks’
US and EU Criticize Abbas’s Remarks on Holocaust and Anti-Semitism
Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas (Getty Images)
The United States and European Union on Thursday strongly condemned the recent remarks made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas regarding the Holocaust and anti-Semitism.
In a statement, the EU’s diplomatic service described Abbas’s comments, made in late August during a meeting of his Fatah movement’s Revolutionary Council, as “false and grossly misleading.”
Deborah Lipstadt, the US special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, demanded an immediate apology for what she called Abbas’s “hateful, antisemitic remarks.”
Abbas has not yet responded to the criticism, and members of his Fatah party have remained silent as well.
In his controversial speech, Abbas claimed that Jews were targeted by Nazi Germany due to their “social role” rather than their religion.
“This has been explained by many Jewish authors,” Abbas stated. “They have clarified that Hitler’s motive was not solely based on religion or Europe’s hatred towards Jews. Instead, it was primarily due to their social role.”
Abbas has frequently faced backlash from the international community for his remarks on the Holocaust, which resulted in the genocide of approximately six million Jews, as well as other marginalized groups.
The EU, one of the major donors to the Palestinian Authority, expressed deep concern over Abbas’s comments, calling them “an insult to the millions of Holocaust victims and their families.”
“Such historical distortions are not only inflammatory and deeply offensive, but they also worsen tensions in the region and serve no one’s interests,” stated the EU’s foreign affairs spokesman. “These remarks only benefit those who oppose a two-state solution, which President Abbas has consistently advocated for.”
The Palestinian Authority, seeking to establish an independent state, currently exercises limited self-rule in territories occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war.
Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, also condemned Abbas’s remarks, emphasizing the importance of historical accuracy and stating that the Palestinian people deserve to hear the truth from their leader.
Abbas has faced calls from the Palestinian public to step down during his two decades in power, but he has consistently refused to do so.
(Reporting by Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, and Ali Sawafta; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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