Arab World Embracing Holocaust Education, but Extremism Also Rising, New Report Says

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, report indicates positive trends in Arab countries, Africa and Eastern Europe

More and more Arab countries, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates, are teaching the history of the Holocaust and recognizing the crimes of the Nazis, a new report states.

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is marked worldwide on January 27, the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University on Thursday published its annual report, titled “For a Righteous Cause,” which features in-depth looks at different regions of the world. It was authored by a panel of experts from different disciplines.

A growing number of countries in the Arab world, Africa and Eastern Europe embraced Holocaust education and initiatives aimed at combating antisemitism over the past year. But this positive trend was coupled with a concerning rise in far-right extremism, according to the report.

One of the bright spots of 2022 was in the Arab world, which saw a significant shift in Holocaust education.

“In the Arab world, it’s really fascinating because it’s not that you don’t have antisemitism anymore but you see recognition of the Holocaust, which is something that we shouldn’t take for granted because it wasn’t like that for many years,” Professor Uriya Shavit, head of TAU’s Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, told The Media Line. “This is really fascinating in Bahrain, the Emirates and in Egypt: recognition that there was a Jewish community there and that it is something to be proud of.”

In January 2022, Egypt took part in a UN General Assembly session that adopted a resolution condemning Holocaust denial and also marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day for the first time.

In the Arab world it’s really fascinating because it’s not that you don’t have antisemitism anymore but you see recognition of the Holocaust, which is something that we shouldn’t take for granted because it wasn’t like that for many years

Many Arab countries also are showcasing a renewed interest in their Jewish heritage, according to Dr. Ofir Winter, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at TAU, who authored the report’s section on the Arab world.

Winter, a specialist in Arabic and Islamic studies, told The Media Line that the UAE has made great strides in advancing Holocaust education in recent years.

“Back in 2021, an exhibition commemorating the Holocaust was opened in a Dubai museum and the previous year events commemorating the Holocaust were held with the participation of officials,” Winter said, adding that in April a delegation from the UAE also participated in the March of the Living in Poland.

“Just recently we were informed that the United Arab Emirates also plans to include Holocaust studies in school textbooks,” he said.

Bahrain also marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day last year at its synagogue in the capital city of Manama. Moreover, the Association of Gulf Jewish Communities in the kingdom launched a project to renovate the old Jewish cemetery in the capital.

Another interesting shift has occurred in Saudi Arabia, where an unofficial Jewish community has emerged in recent years along with a chief rabbi, Jacob Herzog. With the consent of the Saudi authorities, Herzog provides for the religious needs of Jews visiting the kingdom and currently is raising money to build a mikveh, or ritual bath, there.

Winter believes that these changes in attitudes toward Jews and the Holocaust arise from different developments in the Arab world. The Abraham Accords and normalization treaties with Israel have led to a growing openness to certain issues, but are not the only factor at play.

In the UAE and Bahrain, for example, addressing the Holocaust is part of a broader ethos of tolerance toward Christians and Jews.

“Religious tolerance is seen in both countries as a way to differentiate themselves from the radical Islam of al-Qaida and ISIS in the eyes of the world, to weaken Islamist forces at home and abroad and to strengthen their own internal stability, as countries that have many residents who are not Muslim,” Winter said.

Nevertheless, antisemitism remains a significant issue.

“The great challenge is to instill the positive developments in Arab countries to the general public, and in particular to the younger generation,” Winter affirmed. “The State of Israel and Jewish institutions in the world also have a role in making available balanced material about Jewish history in the Arabic language to an Arabic-speaking audience, for example documentaries through social networks.”

While the report noted these and many other positive developments around the globe with regard to Holocaust education, there were also some points of concern.

The great challenge is to instill the positive developments in Arab countries to the general public, and in particular to the younger generation

As the horrors of the Holocaust recede further into the past, Shavit warns that a growing number of people are beginning to be more comfortable with entertaining fascist and extremist notions.

“There is a steady growth in some countries, like the United States, of antisemitic incidents,” Shavit said.

He linked this trend to the rise of far-right and authoritarian elements in many countries around the world. As examples, Shavit points to former US President Donald Trump hosting Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes for dinner in November, as well as far-right Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is serving as Israel’s National Security Minister in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s new government.

“It’s incredible that you have an American politician who meets with a neo-Nazi,” Shavit said. “Can you imagine something like that 20 years ago?

“[Extremists] are becoming more and more legitimate and central,” he continued. “Three years ago, Ben-Gvir was not considered a legitimate minister. The Israeli government has all along been very cautious about cooperating with governments of political parties with fascist roots. They cannot expect foreign governments to treat this minister any differently, to be honest.”

Despite these worrisome trends, Shavit wants to remain optimistic.

With the right knowledge and a better understanding of world history, those opposed to racism and extremism can be equipped to speak out.

“A lot of people just don’t know history,” Shavit said. “There was a lived experience for two generations that the Second World War, the Nazi era, and the fascist era were something that they experienced or they had a father or a grandfather who told them the story. So, they knew what it was, not just as some kind of academic exercise. But today you have a generation for whom this is some story from the past and it’s not the same thing.”