Holocaust Denial

How they portray Israel: Many people were killed in World War II. Jews exaggerated their victimhood in order to win the world’s sympathy and manipulate Western powers into granting them a state. Israel is thus a country founded on lies, at the expense of Arabs who were living in Palestine.

The truth: The systematic genocide of six million Jews during the Holocaust is the most well-documented crime in human history, and to deny or minimize this tragedy is antisemitic. To selectively question the legal and moral basis for Israel’s founding, while remaining silent about the legal or moral basis of any other modern state, is also antisemitic. The establishment of the State of Israel was the culmination of communal and diplomatic efforts that began in the late 19th century, long before World War II. Jews have lived in modern day Israel continuously for thousands of years, save periods of exile. Due to reasons that ranged from escaping persecution to pursuing religious destiny, the Jewish population began to grow rapidly first under Ottoman and later under British rule. The legal framework for Israel began with the lawful purchase of lands; continued through printed declarations, resolutions, and agreements with international powers; and concluded with an international vote of recognition. Arabs living in Palestine were also offered a state at that time, which they rejected.