The Abuse of Holocaust Memory: Distortions and Responses
Summary
This document explores the various ways in which the memory of the Holocaust is distorted, including justification, denial, deflection, de-Judaization, equivalence, inversion, trivialization, and obliteration. It examines the motivations behind these distortions and provides examples from various countries and contexts, including the Arab and Muslim world, the extreme Right and Left, and mainstream media. The document also discusses the importance of apologies, the role of education, and the need for a better understanding of the phenomenon of Holocaust distortion.
Top Questions and Answers
Q: What are the main categories of Holocaust distortion?
A: The main categories include Holocaust justification and promotion, Holocaust denial, Holocaust deflection and whitewashing, Holocaust de-Judaization, Holocaust equivalence, Holocaust inversion, Holocaust trivialization, and obliterating Holocaust memory.
Q: What is Holocaust justification?
A: Holocaust justification involves 'explaining' that the Jews were the cause of their enemies' anti-Semitism and later bore responsibility for their own destruction.
Q: What is Holocaust denial?
A: Holocaust denial is the negation of the main facts of the extermination of the Jews in World War II, often claiming that gas chambers were not used or that the number of Jews killed was much lower than six million.
Q: What is Holocaust deflection?
A: Holocaust deflection entails admitting that the Holocaust happened while denying the complicity or responsibilities of specific groups or individuals, blaming others instead.
Q: What is Holocaust de-Judaization?
A: Holocaust de-Judaization involves minimizing the Jewish character of the victims, stressing non-Jewish aspects of the Holocaust, and taking it out of its specific historical context.
Q: What is Holocaust equivalence?
A: Holocaust equivalence involves claiming that the Germans' genocidal behavior during World War II was similar to that of other nations before and during the war, or that many events in postwar society are similar to those caused by Germany under Hitler's rule.
Q: What is Holocaust inversion?
A: Holocaust inversion is a category of abuse derived from Holocaust equivalence specifically targeting Jews and Israel, often claiming that Israel behaves similarly toward the Palestinians to how Germany behaved toward the Jews in World War II.
Q: What is Holocaust trivialization?
A: Holocaust trivialization is a tool for some ideologically or politically motivated activists to metaphorically compare phenomena they oppose with the industrial-scale destruction of the Jews in World War II by the Germans and their allies.
Q: What is meant by 'obliterating Holocaust memory'?
A: Obliterating Holocaust memory groups a variety of different abuses and distortions, including besmirching or destroying memorials, disturbing Holocaust ceremonies, and stating that Jews talk about the Holocaust too often.
Q: What are some of the motivations behind Holocaust distortion?
A: Motivations include anti-Semitism, anti-Israelism, political reasons, absolving oneself of guilt, peer pressure, copycatting, and a desire to provoke or gain publicity.