Since MEMRI was founded in 1998, we have exposed Palestinian expressions of antisemitism, incitement to violence, and other forms of hatred. These statements are by Palestinian political and religious leaders and from official Palestinian curricula and other official sources, and have appeared in all types of media – print, broadcast, online, and social media. In the past 25 years, MEMRI has published tens of thousands of translations, analysis papers, video clips, and studies on sources in Arabic media, including Palestinian media, of official statements, sermons in mosques, and social media trends.
From the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to today's Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, MEMRI has exposed how many Palestinian leaders espouse peace and moderation in English yet to their own audiences in Arabic incite to violence and jihad. MEMRI has also focused on and provided a platform for liberal and peace-seeking voices in the Arab and Muslim world, including Palestinian voices.
For example, in 2002, on 60 Minutes, Mike Wallace confronted Arafat with MEMRI video evidence from state-controlled Palestinian Authority TV of an official sermon in a Palestinian mosque inciting to suicide bombings and other attacks against the Jews, in which the preacher exhorted worshippers: "Whoever can fight them with weapons should go out to battle. Nothing will deter the Jews except the color of their filthy peoples' blood. Nothing will deter them except us detonating ourselves in their midst."
View the video of Mike Wallace confronting Arafat on 60 Minutes hereor below:
Earlier this month, MEMRI exposed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas making vile antisemitic statements at the August 24, 2023 Fatah Revolutionary Council meeting. Video of his statements, which aired only once, was immediately removed by the Palestinian Authority from all its social media; it was not covered by any other media. Yet MEMRI saw it in its 24/7/365 monitoring, recorded it, translated it into English and other languages, and published it.
Abbas said in his speech that it is "not true" that "Hitler killed the Jews for being Jews, and that Europe hated the Jews," because Hitler, and the Europeans, "fought" the Jews "because of their role in society, which had to do with usury, money, and so on." (View the MEMRI translation here.)
In addition to the global media coverage and condemnation of Abbas's statements, an open letter was signed by nearly 100 prominent Palestinians living mostly abroad, primarily in the U.S., among them dozens of top Palestinian intellectuals. The letter stressed that they "adamantly reject any attempt to diminish, misrepresent, or justify antisemitism, Nazi crimes against humanity, or historical revisionism vis-à-vis the Holocaust."
Global Reactions Following MEMRI's Exposure Of Abbas's Statements
MEMRI's exposure of Abbas's statements brought them to a global audience, prompting a wave of condemnation from the U.S. and internationally, as well as extensive U.S. and international media coverage. They were condemned by governments from the U.S. to the U.K., Canada, France, Germany, The Netherlands, the UAE, and others, including the European Union and the United Nations. Over a dozen U.S. Members of Congress expressed criticism of Abbas, and the major Jewish and Holocaust commemoration organizations in the U.S., including the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, condemned his statements, as did these organizations in France and other countries, such as Israel's Yad Vashem. The statements, and MEMRI's translation, were covered and cited by leading media worldwide. Even organizations and individuals known to be anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian condemned Abbas's statements.
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Condemnation By U.S. Government
Abbas's statements were condemned by the U.S. government. Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, wrote that she was "appalled by President Abbas' hateful antisemitic remarks." Additionally, Ellen Germain, Special Envoy For Holocaust Issues, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, and Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., condemned his statements.
Additionally, over a dozen Members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, condemned Abbas's statements.
Condemnation By World Governments – United Nations, European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, The Netherlands, The UAE, And More
The MEMRI translation's impact was also international, with governments, government officials, and international governmental organizations condemning Abbas's statements: the United Nations, the European Union, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Germany, the UAE, Azerbaijan, Israel, and more. Below are highlights:
United Nations: The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative Miguel Ángel Moratinos wrote: "I strongly condemn all expressions and manifestations of antisemitism including denial of the Holocaust or distortion of historical facts."
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European Union: The Diplomatic Service of the European Union issued a statement underlining that Abbas had made "false and grossly misleading remarks about Jews and antisemitism."
United Kingdom: The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office released a statement underlining that "The UK condemns the recent antisemitic remarks made by President Abbas [and] stands firmly against all attempts to distort the Holocaust." UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said: "When I meet with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority... I will make it clear that rather than spreading disgusting antisemitic tropes and outrageous distortions of history, they should be clear in their denouncement of violence."
Canada: The Canadian Embassy in Israel and The Representative Office of Canada to the Palestinian Authority both wrote: "We strongly condemn the inflammatory and antisemitic comments made by President Abbas... [that] distort the historical truth of the Holocaust and promote classic and contemporary tropes of Jew-hatred." Additionally, former Canadian Minister of Justice and Attorney General Irwin Cotler condemned Abbas's "disgusting, hateful and antisemitic remarks."
France: The French Embassy in Israel called Abbas's statements "clearly unacceptable" and added that it "unequivocally strongly condemns antisemitism and the denial of the Holocaust in all its forms, as well as its determination to fight tirelessly against these scourges." Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo condemned Abbas's statements, and also withdrew the Paris Vermeil Medal awarded to Abbas in 2015, sharing the letter she wrote him informing him of this move.
Germany: Germany's Ambassador to Israel Steffen Seibert said, "The Palestinians deserve to hear the historical truth from their leader, not such distortions." Germany's Representative Office in the Palestinian Territories wrote: "We strongly condemn President’s Abbas statements at the Fatah Revolutionary Council on Jews and the Holocaust."
The Netherlands: The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote that it "strongly condemns the recent antisemitic remarks made by President Abbas" and that it "reiterates" the European Union statement.
UAE: The UAE Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan had "condemned the irresponsible statements made by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas regarding Jews and the Nazi Holocaust, emphasizing the importance of tolerance and human brotherhood values in the UAE's approach to building peaceful and prosperous societies." He made the statements on September 19 during a meeting with representatives of Jewish organizations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Azerbaijan: Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Israel Mukhtar Mammadov shared a statement by the leadership of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States emphasizing that the Holocaust "should not be trivialized nor distorted."
Israel: Israel's Foreign Ministry tweeted the MEMRI translation and noted that this "is the same Mahmoud Abbas whose doctoral dissertation is known for its Holocaust denial." Also sharing the MEMRI clip and condemning Abbas's statements were Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Permanent Representative to the U.N. Gilad Erdan, and Israeli Embassies and Consulates in the U.S., Europe, and South America.
Condemnation By Holocaust Commemoration Organizations
Also condemning Abbas's statements were Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan, as well as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum..
Coverage By Leading Media Worldwide – Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BBC, Guardian, Reuters, Etc.
The Wall Street Journal editorial on September 6, 2023 cited and quoted the MEMRI translation, stating: "Most media will ignore his comments, which were translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute. They don't fit the liberal narrative that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a clash of two nationalisms that can be resolved in a 'peace process' if Israelis make more concessions. The comments also don't fit the narrative, gaining ground among Democrats, that the Israelis are extreme and the Palestinians progressive."
The New York Times said of the MEMRI translation on September 7 that Abbas's "remarks were brought to a wider audience on Wednesday, when the Middle East Media Research Institute, a Washington-based monitoring group... distributed a subtitled version of Mr. Abbas’s speech." Reuters also covered Abbas's remarks and the U.S. and E.U. condemnation of them.
The BBC wrote about the MEMRI translation on September 7, and linked to it: "His remarks were then translated and publicised by the Middle East Media Research Institute on Wednesday. The translation has been verified by BBC News." The Guardian too wrote about the translation and credited MEMRI, saying that Abbas's remarks were "aired on Palestinian television and only translated and made public by the Middle East Media Research Institute."
Other global coverage of the MEMRI translation was by Canada's National Post, the German government media outlet Deutsche Welle, and Israel's Haaretz and Times of Israel, and Jerusalem Post.
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