US criticizes Palestinian President for making ‘hateful, anti-Semitic’ comments on Holocaust.
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. “Contrary to the belief that Hitler killed the Jews for being Jews and that Europe hates them for their religion, it was clearly explained that they were fought because of their social role, not their religion.”
Abbas has frequently faced backlash from the international community for his remarks about the Holocaust, which resulted in the murder of approximately six million Jews, as well as other marginalized groups.
The EU, one of the major donors to the Palestinian Authority, condemned Abbas’s remarks as “an insult to the millions of Holocaust victims and their families.”
“These 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. “They 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 territory 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 hearing the historical truth from a leader rather than distortions.
Last year, during a visit to Berlin, Abbas faced criticism from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz after accusing Israel of committing ”50 Holocausts” in response to a question about the 50th anniversary of the attack on the Israeli team at the 1972 Munich Olympics by Palestinian militants.
Despite repeated demands from the Palestinian public, Abbas has refused to step down during his two decades in power.
(Reporting by Emily Rose, James Mackenzie, and Ali Sawafta; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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