(Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2022)—B’nai B’rith International President Seth J. Riklin and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:

We commend the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) passage of an Israeli resolution to define and combat Holocaust denial and distortion. The resolution urges social media companies to combat anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial on their sites.

The resolution, submitted by Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan, also calls on U.N. Member States to combat Holocaust denial, urges countries to create Holocaust education programs and provides guidance to U.N. bodies on developing Holocaust remembrance events and programs to combat denial.

We sincerely thank Israel and Germany for initiating the resolution and the many countries that co-sponsored it.

We also harshly condemn Iran for “fully” dissociating from the resolution, including the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of Holocaust denial and distortion, and for instead using the occasion to spew anti-Semitism, conflating Israel with Nazism and apartheid and accusing Israel of manipulating humanitarian sentiments to cover up “crimes.” These vitriolic comments make it all the more clear why this resolution is vitally needed.

The adoption of this resolution comes at an important time, as anti-Semitism is on the rise globally. There is a clear correlation between denial of the atrocities of the Holocaust and indifference or incitement to atrocities committed against Jews today.

As we wrote in a letter to U.N. Member States in support of the resolution: Holocaust denial is “fundamentally not just about revisionist histories…it is an attempt to deny the past in order to justify present or future violence against the Jewish people and other vulnerable minorities.”

The Holocaust—the most documented and systematic genocide in history—took the lives of six million Jews. Of those who survived, thousands are now dying of old age each year. As the Holocaust fades from living memory, it is more important than ever to educate and ensure Holocaust denial does not persist.

B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org