The National Jewish Assembly is appalled and deeply concerned by the recent antisemitic remarks made by Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority. In his speech before the Fatah’s “Revolutionary Council,” Abbas made offensive and baseless claims regarding the Jewish people and the Holocaust, promoting harmful stereotypes and conspiracy theories.
Of note, Abbas cited a blatantly revisionist antisemitic conspiracy theory that Jews have no ancient roots in the Middle East, and ar instead the descendants of a nomadic Turkic tribe that converted to Judaism during the medieval period, and therefore could not be victims of antisemitism.
Abbas’s assertion that the genocide of Jews during the Second World War was due to their alleged “role in society, which had to do with usury,” is not only historically inaccurate but blatantly antisemitic. Such statements perpetuate falsehoods and promote hatred, undermining the pursuit of peace and understanding in the Middle East.
The NJA calls on the government of the United Kingdom to unequivocally condemn Mahmoud Abbas’s antisemitic rhetoric and demand a public apology from him. Abbas’s antisemitic beliefs embody historical revisionism at its worst, and it is essential for all responsible leaders to denounce hate speech.
The government of the United Kingdom should not be silent on this matter, but rather ensure that such comments are not tolerated on left unchallenged the international stage.
The NJA reiterates its commitment to combating antisemitism in all its forms, including that which is openly spouted by Palestinian leaders. Antisemitism has no place in our world, and we must collectively strive to eradicate it.
