WJC @ UNHRC 46: The rise of Holocaust distortion and hate speech - World Jewish Congress

WJC @ UNHRC 46: The rise of Holocaust distortion and hate speech

Representative delivering the statement: Ms. Elizaveta Zaidman 

Thank you, Madame President.   

The World Jewish Congress notes with grave concern that genocide denial and hate speech are on the rise today as is the worrying phenomenon of Holocaust distortion.  

Efforts to downplay the impact of the crimes of the Nazis and their collaborators as well as to trivialize the Holocaust can be seen in both public and political discourse by a plethora of actors coming from a variety of ideological backgrounds.  

Several antisemitic incidents of Holocaust denial and/or trivialization have been recently recorded at demonstrations against pandemic prevention measures. These included comparing current restrictions to those imposed by the Nazis or the protestors wearing yellow stars emulating the ones Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany with the slogan ‘unvaccinated’.   

The World Jewish Congress emphasizes the importance of education in combatting Holocaust distortion. To that end, we have launched the website aboutholocaust.org in cooperation with the UNESCO, aiming to provide internet users with essential information about the history of Holocaust and its legacy. This online tool has been recently integrated in Facebook search results in an effort to counter the misinformation that circulates so widely online.  

We should never forget that hateful words lead to hateful actions. The World Jewish Congress calls upon all governments to step up Holocaust education efforts as a way to ensure genocide prevention, and to monitor, combat and legislate against hate speech and Holocaust distortion.  

Thank you.   

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