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Museum Strongly Condemns Abbas's Remarks

Press Contacts

UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM STRONGLY CONDEMNS MAHMOUD ABBAS’S COMMENTS BLAMING JEWS FOR THE HOLOCAUST

WASHINGTON, DC – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s comments blaming Jewish “social behavior” in Europe for the Holocaust are grossly inaccurate and an insidious type of antisemitism. The Museum calls on all leaders and citizens to denounce and reject these sentiments. The Nazis believed that Germans were “racially superior” and that the Jews, deemed “inferior,” were a threat to the so-called German racial community and had to be eliminated.

“Nazi Germany and its collaborators were solely responsible for the Holocaust,” said Museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield. “Abbas’s self-titled ‘history lesson’ was anything but. Rather than expose Palestinians to accurate information about the Holocaust and the antisemitic persecution Jews faced for centuries in Europe, Abbas distorts the history to advance an agenda that lies about the Holocaust and Jews’ connection to Israel.”

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. Visit ushmm.org for more information.

Antisemitism Holocaust Denial