SWC Contributes to IHRA’s Latest Publication: “Recognizing and Countering Holocaust Distortion: Recommendations for Policy and Decision Makers”

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) just released its latest publication "Recognizing and CounteringHolocaust Distortion: Recommendations for Policy and Decision Makers." Building on the IHRA WorkingDefinition of Holocaust Denial and Distortion (adopted 2013) the publication provides recommendations for identifying and monitoring Holocaust distortion, training programs, strengtheningHolocaust-related institutions, and recognizing and responding to distortion online.

Holocaust distortion excuses, minimizes, or misrepresents the history of the Holocaust, including rehabilitating individuals andideologies who contributed to making the Holocaust happen. As German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas wrote in his introduction “Holocaust distortion erodes our understanding of historical truth. Itis a persistent problem… that neither stops at national borders, nor is found only in countries directly affected by the Holocaust. It does require us all to counter it, as it undermines thevalues on which our multilateral order was built after the Second World War.”

Mark Weitzman, The SWC’s Director of Government Affairs who is the senior member of the US delegation to IHRA and is a member of theTask Force was the lead author of the IHRA Definition of Holocaust Denial and Distortion and also was a contributor to the publication.

The publication is a product of the Global Task Force Against Holocaust Distortionthat was established by the German Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.

Earlier this month, Weitzman, was also one of the key contributors towards a new handbook for thepractical use of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)working definition of antisemitism.

Based on the comprehensive research carried out by the Federal Association of Departments for Research andInformation on Antisemitism (Bundesverband RIAS), the handbook provides an overview of good practices by international organizations, national administrations, civil society, and Jewish communitiesfrom across Europe. The 35 practices range from;training for law enforcement to incident recording and reporting.

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an international Jewish human rights organization numbering over400.000 members. It holds consultative status at the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the OAS and the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO)