Why Mahmoud Abbas Holocaust Declaration Matters
Don't Downplay Palestinian Premier's Emotional Statement
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By Marc Schneier
Published May 01, 2014, issue of May 09, 2014.
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In
late April, I met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at his
office in Ramallah. Responding to my suggestion that he address the
Jewish people on Yom HaShoah, he stated emphatically that he considers
the Holocaust to be “the most tragic event in the modern era” and that
he would issue an official statement affirming that.
In
the Middle East, such promises have a way of getting sidetracked — or
lost in translation. But a week later, on the eve of Holocaust Memorial
Day, April 27, the Palestinian President released his eagerly awaited
statement through WAFA, the Palestinian news agency, not only in
English, but in Arabic, too, for his own people and the Arab world,
affirming, “What happened to the Jews in the Holocaust is the most
heinous crime to have been committed against humanity in the modern
era.”
Expressing
his “sympathy for the families of the victims and the many other
innocent people killed during the Holocaust,” Abbas added, “The
Holocaust is a reflection of the concept of ethnic discrimination and
racism which the Palestinians strongly reject and act against.” For
Abbas to have elevated the Holocaust over all other crimes against
humanity is a remarkable development. For others to dismiss this
statement as nothing but theater is truly a shame.
Mohammed
Dajani, a professor of political science at Al-Quds University, in East
Jerusalem, recently led a group of Palestinian students on a
first-of-its-kind visit to Auschwitz. He stated that Abbas’s comments
represent “a groundbreaking statement in the Arab world” and that Abbas
was “courageous” for having issued a statement likely to evoke negative
reactions in his own camp. Remarkably, there has been little criticism
of Abbas’s historic statement in the Palestinian and Arab media, even
from groups like Hamas, which has long indulged in blatant Holocaust
denial.
I
have been heartened by the outpouring of phone calls and e-mails from
both Jews and Muslims around the world expressing support for the
results of this outreach to Abbas. I was especially pleased by the
reaction to Abbas’s statement by Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial,
which said his words “might signal a change” in long-standing
Palestinian denial of the Holocaust with the hope that there will be a
change reflected in the Palestinian government’s official materials,
school curricula and public discourse.
But
there was one important exception. During media appearances, Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that Abbas’s statement was little
more than a ploy to placate the West. He talked about Abbas’s continued
relationship with groups that deny the Holocaust, in particular Hamas. I
certainly understand the prime minister’s concern and anxiety, which, I
imagine, are reflective, at least in part, of the long-standing
stalemate in the peace process.
The
State of Israel must continue to be strong in ensuring that those who
would do it harm are held in check. But I, as a rabbi concerned with
Muslim-Jewish relations, firmly believe it critically important to try
to put Holocaust denial behind us. It has been a troubling issue not
just for Israel, but also for Jews worldwide and particularly to
families victimized in the Holocaust. Abbas’s statement is a significant
step in accomplishing that objective, and if it helps heal old and
troubling wounds, the statement will have been an important act to help
turn the corner for all of us.
Frankly,
it will be very difficult for Israelis and Palestinians to move forward
unless we can engage in a concurrent “spiritual” peace focused on
building ties — on communication and cooperation among Jews and Muslims
around the world. In that context, having this critical Palestinian
leader unequivocally condemn the Holocaust will, one hopes, give
considerable impetus to prospects for reconciling Jews and Muslims.
To those in the Jewish community who have been dismissive of Abbas’s comments, would you prefer that he had not
said that the Holocaust was the most heinous crime in modern history?
Would you rather that Palestinian leaders continue to claim either that
the Holocaust never happened or that it is greatly exaggerated?
The
statement by Abbas may not be easily reconciled with the actions or
beliefs of many Palestinian groups, but his words may offer hope that
the virulent fever of Holocaust denial in the Muslim world is beginning
to break. Indeed, Abbas’s statement of sympathy for the victims of the
Holocaust and their descendants is a challenge to Muslims everywhere to
reassess how they understand the Holocaust.
This
is why we must redouble efforts to give Muslims and Jews worldwide the
opportunity to connect with each other. In that ongoing spiritual
process, Abbas’s courageous statement acknowledging the Holocaust as the
most heinous crime of the modern era represents an important step
forward. Can we afford to miss this opportunity?
Marc Schneier is president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.
Read more: http://forward.com/articles/
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