It has become shockingly common on a global scale for governments, leading public figures, and others to minimise or misrepresent the impact of the Holocaust and downplay the crimes of the Nazi regime. This is Holocaust distortion. #Protect the Facts is a global campaign to defend democracy and combat hateful ideologies.
What is Holocaust Distortion?
At its simplest level, Holocaust distortion is rhetoric, written work, or other media that excuse, minimise, or misrepresent the known historical record of the Holocaust.
Why is it dangerous?
Manifestations of Holocaust distortion
1
Intentional efforts to excuse or minimise the Holocaust or its principal elements, including the roles played by collaborators and allies of Nazi Germany;
2
Gross minimisation of the number of victims;
3
Blaming Jews for the Holocaust;
4
Casting the Holocaust as a positive historical event;
5
Attempting to blur responsibility for the crimes of the Holocaust;
Since the adoption of the IHRA working definition of Holocaust denial and distortion, further manifestations have become apparent. These include, but are not limited to:
6
Accusing Jews of “using” the Holocaust for some manner of gain;
7
Using the term “Holocaust” to equate events or concepts that are not related to the genocide of European and North African Jewry by Nazi Germany and its collaborators;
8
State-sponsored manipulation of Holocaust history in order to sow political discord within or outside a country’s borders;
9
Downplaying or honouring the historical legacies of people or organisations that were complicit in the crimes of the Holocaust;
10
Using imagery and language associated with the Holocaust for political, ideological, or commercial purposes unrelated to Holocaust history in online and offline forums.
