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Source: https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report/article-881716
The Ideological Roots of Holocaust Denial in Arab Societies
(Jerusalem Report) Dalia Ziada - Growing up in Cairo, nearly every middle-class home had two main books on its shelves: the Quran and the Arabic edition of Hitler's Mein Kampf (My Struggle). These well-educated professionals, including government officials, as well as knowledgeable secular journalists, writers, and intellectuals, were indoctrinated with the belief that Israel and the Jewish people are responsible for their domestic political and economic troubles. Although classical Islamic societies were discriminatory toward the Jews, they were not driven by extermination or conspiracy theories. Jews existed as a "protected" yet unequal community. What fundamentally changed this dynamic was the encounter with modern European antisemitism in the 20th century. Nazi Germany heavily invested in Arabic-language propaganda aimed at the Middle East, utilizing radio broadcasts, print media, and political alliances to embed antisemitic narratives. These ideas persisted after Germany's defeat and were absorbed into postwar Arab political culture. Zionism was recast, not as a nationalist movement rooted in Jewish history, but as a global conspiracy. Jews were portrayed as all-powerful actors capable of instigating wars, financial crises, and political upheavals across continents. This narrative was reinforced through state-controlled education systems, media outlets, cultural events, and mosques. In Egypt, Syria, and Iraq, popular TV shows and movies depicted Jews as greedy, treacherous, and morally corrupt. The Muslim Brotherhood and later jihadist organizations redefined antisemitism in religious terms. Jews were seen as an "eternal" ideological enemy, transforming antisemitism into a moral duty. In this context, normalizing diplomatic relations with Israel became seen as betrayal and Muslim coexistence with Jews was considered blasphemy. Arab Holocaust denial logically stems from this worldview. If Jews are viewed as inherently deceitful and excessively powerful, then Jewish testimony cannot be trusted and Jewish victimhood must be fabricated or exaggerated. After the deadly massacre of Jews on Oct. 7, with lots of evidence provided by the perpetrators themselves, denial and justification spread quickly through Arabic-language media and social platforms. Atrocities were dismissed as fabrication, relativized as resistance, or erased altogether. The writer, an Egyptian scholar, is a Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.