Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the symbol of the beginning of the end of the Shoah (the Nazi Holocaust). Across editorials, social media, and public speeches, many pro-Palestinian activists will likely compare the Jewish Holocaust in Nazi Germany to what they describe as the “Zionist entity’s” treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. This comparison is one of the most egregious examples of cultural appropriation weaponized to distort history, manipulate language, and undermine identity. It is a unique phenomenon where cultural hijacking is used to justify violence.
The Creation of a Palestinian Identity
One of the unintended consequences of Zionism was the creation of a Palestinian national identity. Historically, there was no «Palestinian people» in the modern sense. To deny that Arabs—both Christian and Muslim—lived in cities and villages across the region under Ottoman and later British rule would be both ignorant and dishonest. Certainly, tens of thousands of Arabs, alongside a small number of Jews and other minorities, resided in the area. However, these groups did not share a common identity, language, religion, or historical narrative that unified them as a distinct people.
Many of these Arabs, particularly in the 1920s, identified with broader pan-Arabism or the Islamic Ummah. Their primary loyalties were to clans, local communities, or broader Arab nations like Syria, Egypt, and Iraq. However, as Zionism began to gain momentum, opposition to it served as the catalyst for the emergence of a new identity. By the mid-20th century, this opposition crystallized into what we now recognize as a distinct Palestinian national identity.
The Greatest Cultural Appropriation in History
In their effort to construct a national narrative, Palestinian activists have engaged in what might be described as one of history’s greatest acts of cultural appropriation. Lacking their own historical framework, they have borrowed heavily from Jewish history, terminology, and identity—often weaponizing these elements against Jews themselves. This tactic not only distorts the truth but constitutes a form of intellectual and cultural terrorism.
Below are key examples of this phenomenon:
“The Holocaust in Gaza”
One of the most pernicious comparisons equates the systematic genocide of six million Jews during the Holocaust to military conflicts between Israel and Hamas. These wars—initiated by a terrorist organization targeting Israeli civilians—are described as «genocide» or even «Holocaust.» Such claims are factually baseless and grotesquely inappropriate. The Holocaust was a state-organized plan to annihilate an entire people, whereas these conflicts are wars against terrorism with military objectives. Even the term “Nakba” (catastrophe in arabic) imitates the Hebrew Shoah.
“Jews Are the New Nazis”
This offensive analogy flips historical roles, labeling Jews as the very perpetrators who sought to annihilate them less than a century ago. This rhetoric, which originates in some Western intellectual circles, seeks to strip Jews of their victimhood and recast them as villains. Ironically, it overlooks figures like Haj Amin al-Husseini, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who actively collaborated with the Nazis. Even Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, penned a doctoral thesis that cast doubt on aspects of the Holocaust, while Holocaust denial remains a key tenet of Iranian Ayatollahs.
“David and Goliath”
The biblical story of David and Goliath originates in the Hebrew Bible and has long been a metaphor for the Zionist struggle: a small Jewish population defending its land against seven invading Arab states. However, pro-Palestinian activists have co-opted this narrative, casting Palestinians as David and Israel as Goliath. Images of children throwing stones at tanks during the First Intifada became iconic symbols of this inversion.
“Palestinians Are the Real Jews”
For decades, certain fringe theories have claimed that today’s Palestinian Arabs are the true descendants of ancient Jews who converted to Islam over time. These claims, lacking credible evidence, are used to delegitimize the Jewish historical connection to the land of Israel.
“The True Semites”
The term «Semitic» historically referred to language groups and later became associated with anti-Jewish prejudice through the term «anti-Semitism.» In recent years, pro-Palestinian activists have co-opted this term, claiming that Arabs are the «true Semites» while accusing Ashkenazi Jews of being European interlopers with no legitimate connection to the land of Israel. This rhetoric seeks to erase Jewish identity and history.
“Diaspora and Right of Return”
The concept of diaspora, though applicable to any displaced group, originated with the Jewish exile from the land of Israel. For millennia, the term was almost exclusively associated with Jewish communities longing to return to their ancestral homeland. Pro-Palestinian activists now adopt this term to frame Palestinians as a displaced diaspora, undermining the historical and emotional weight of the Jewish Diaspora. Similarly, they weaponize the concept of “return,” framing it as a right for the descendants of Palestinians who left during the 1948 War of Independence—ignoring the complexities of that conflict.
«Never Again»: A Phrase Weaponized Against Its Origins
The phrase «Never Again» emerged as a cornerstone of Jewish memory, a vow after the Holocaust to prevent such atrocities from reoccurring. Its origins lie in a 1920s Zionist poem declaring, «Masada will never fall again,» symbolizing resilience and defiance. By the 1960s, it became a rallying cry for Jewish activists in America, particularly followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who used it to combat Jewish persecution. Today, this iconic slogan has been appropriated by pro-Palestinian activists, who invoke it to draw false parallels between the Holocaust and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This paradoxical use turns a phrase rooted in Jewish survival into a tool against Jews, trivializing the Holocaust and distorting its meaning.
“Palestine”
Even the name «Palestine» has historical ties to Zionism. In the early 20th century, Jewish organizations used terms like «Jews for Palestine,» and the region’s first English-language newspaper was the Palestine Post (now The Jerusalem Post). The Zionist movement often referred to the region as Palestine, a term later adopted by Arab nationalists as a counter to Jewish statehood.
The Cultural Battlefield
These examples highlight the systematic colonization of language and identity by pro-Palestinian activists, much of it originating in Western intellectual circles. By hijacking Jewish history and symbols, they aim to erase Jewish identity while reframing themselves as the ultimate victims.
The battle is not just physical; it is cultural. Preserving the integrity of Jewish history and identity is essential to confronting these distortions head-on. The fight for truth is as vital as the fight for peace.
