Palestinians denounce Mahmoud Abbas's speech about the Holocaust, renewing debate over his 'draconian' rule

Widespread condemnation followed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's comments in which he suggested that the role of Jews in society as "usurers" was a reason driving the persecution of Jews in Europe. 

"They [Jews] were opposed because of their social role and not because of their religion," Mahmoud Abbas had said during a Fatah council meeting in Ramallah last month. 

Abbas added that hatred towards Jews in Europe was "related to usury, money and other reasons".

In his speech to Fatah party members, which he leads, Abbas also suggested that European Jews are not Semites, unlike Jews of the Middle East. 

"Semites" is an obsolete term for an ethnic, cultural or racial group and is now largely unused outside the grouping of "Semitic languages" in linguistics.

Abbas's remarks also renewed the debate among Palestinians about his expired term as Palestinian Authority president and his authoritarian leadership style. 

I’m astonished that the one time we write a joint statement condemning Mahmoud Abbas, it’s to condemn his senile ramblings about the Jews. Not his collaboration w/the Zionist regime, not the brutalization of protesters & political prisoners, & not even the murder of Nizar Banat.

— Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) September 11, 2023

Sam Bahour, a Palestinian-American living in Ramallah and one of the signatories of a letter critical of the Palestinian Authority President's recent comments, told The New Arab that Abbas should be "focusing on more pressing priorities" instead of lecturing history. 

"Sadly, this is another blunder by Abbas added to other blunders such as not holding elections, cracking down on civil society and most importantly, continuing to pay lip service to non-violent resistance while doing nothing to lead it or fund it", Bahour added.  

Scores of Palestinians from various backgrounds denounced Abbas's words about the Holocaust as "morally and politically reprehensible". 

"...the Nazi genocide of the Jewish people was born of antisemitism, fascism, and racism. We adamantly reject any attempt to diminish, misrepresent, or justify antisemitism, Nazi crimes against humanity, or historical revisionism vis-a-vis the Holocaust," the signators began the open letter to the public, which bore the signatures of widely respected authors such as Rashid Khalidi and Issam Nassar. 

"The Palestinian people are sufficiently burdened by Israeli settler colonialism, dispossession, occupation, and oppression without having to bear the negative effect of such ignorant and profoundly antisemitic narratives perpetuated by those who claim to speak in our name", the letter added. 

In the face of mounting criticism, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson and adviser for Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement that President Abbas's position on the issue is clear and has always been a "complete condemnation of the Holocaust and the rejection of antisemitism". 

Abbas, 87, became president of the Palestinian Authority in 2005 following widely monitored elections. He has clung to power since. His mandate expired in 2009. 

PA Chairman's statement is not only an example of Holocaust denial & distortion, they use deeply entrenched antisemitic stereotypes. These reprehensible remarks must be unequivocally condemned by global leaders. We can't stay silent.

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— Dani Dayan (@AmbDaniDayan) September 6, 2023