Iranian President questions Holocaust, calling for it to be “investigated by researchers”
The President of Iran has appeared to question the veracity of the Holocaust and delegitimise the existence of the state of Israel.
In a CBS “60 minutes” interview, Ebrahim Raisi was asked by host Lesley Stahl whether he believed that six million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. He replied: “Historical events should be investigated by researchers and historians. There are some signs that it happened. If so, they should allow it to be investigated and researched.”
Asked about Israel’s right to exist, Mr Raisi said: “You see, the people of Palestine are the reality. This is the right of the people of Palestine who were forced to leave their houses and motherland. The Americans are supporting this false regime there to take root and to be established there.”
According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, denying the Holocaust and “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination” are both examples of antisemitism.
Mr Raisi also condemned any Arab states that recognise Israel by establishing diplomatic relations, commenting: “If a state shakes hands with the Zionist regime, then they are also an accomplice to their crimes.”
The Islamic Republic of Iran has a long history of antisemitism. Just last month, for example, the country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, claimed that “The western powers are a mafia. The reality of this power is a mafia. At the top of this mafia stand the prominent Zionist merchants, and the politicians obey them. The US is their showcase, and they’re spread out everywhere.”
Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism worldwide.