Israeli Arabs deny Holocaust

JERUSALEM – A new survey shows that 28 per cent of Arab citizens of Israel do not believe the Holocaust occurred.

The poll was conducted by Professor Sami Smooha, a leading sociologist from the University of Haifa, and some of its results were released on Sunday. According to Smooha, among those with a high school or university education the number of deniers rose to 33 per cent.Similarly, the study shows that 72 per cent of Israel’s Arab citizens support a Holocaust memorial day while about 27 per cent say there is no justification for a commemoration event.Smooha was surprised by the results, given that Arabs in Israel are intensely exposed to the Holocaust through the media and in the education system, a press release said.However, he explained the results as a stance of political defiance to the Jewish state among radical groups.Additionally, the study showed signs of mutual distrust between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel, but also said that over two-thirds of both Arabs and Jews want a two-state solution to solve the Palestinian-Israel conflict.Muhammed Barakeh, an Arab-Israeli member of Knesset, told Deutsche Presse Agentur (dpa) that the statistics on Holocaust denial “are worrying.However, it seems that there is a political stance here not towards the Holocaust itself but rather a reaction to the Israeli government’s policies.Even so, we must work to improve the situation”.Asked about Israel’s war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon last summer, nearly half of the Israeli Arabs polled — 48 per cent – said they believe that Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on towns in northern Israel during that war were justified, even though numerous Arabs were killed and wounded in those attacks.While 89 per cent said they view Israel’s bombing of Lebanon as a war crime, only 44 per cent said they see Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel as such.Hezbollah pelted northern Israel with nearly 4 000 rockets.Sapa-dpaAccording to Smooha, among those with a high school or university education the number of deniers rose to 33 per cent.Similarly, the study shows that 72 per cent of Israel’s Arab citizens support a Holocaust memorial day while about 27 per cent say there is no justification for a commemoration event.Smooha was surprised by the results, given that Arabs in Israel are intensely exposed to the Holocaust through the media and in the education system, a press release said.However, he explained the results as a stance of political defiance to the Jewish state among radical groups.Additionally, the study showed signs of mutual distrust between Arab and Jewish citizens of Israel, but also said that over two-thirds of both Arabs and Jews want a two-state solution to solve the Palestinian-Israel conflict.Muhammed Barakeh, an Arab-Israeli member of Knesset, told Deutsche Presse Agentur (dpa) that the statistics on Holocaust denial “are worrying.However, it seems that there is a political stance here not towards the Holocaust itself but rather a reaction to the Israeli government’s policies.Even so, we must work to improve the situation”.Asked about Israel’s war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon last summer, nearly half of the Israeli Arabs polled — 48 per cent – said they believe that Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on towns in northern Israel during that war were justified, even though numerous Arabs were killed and wounded in those attacks.While 89 per cent said they view Israel’s bombing of Lebanon as a war crime, only 44 per cent said they see Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel as such.Hezbollah pelted northern Israel with nearly 4 000 rockets.Sapa-dpa