Hijacked. Whatever Happened to Holocaust Memory?
For many years, Holocaust commemoration was seen as a crucial way to prevent the return of nationalism and the persecution of minorities anywhere. In the course of the postwar era, remembering the genocide of European Jews became a standard for a politics of universal human rights. In recent years, however, a very troubling development has taken place: platitudes of remembrance are uttered by the very same actors who espouse anti-democratic, xenophobic and often antisemitic agendas – coupled with an embrace of an increasingly right-wing Israeli government.
In 2022, the conference “Hijacking Memory”, sponsored by the Einstein Forum, the Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung, and the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, created the first international examination of these ideas, with speakers from 17 countries providing controversial discussion. Unfortunately, the criticisms offered there have only become more necessary, as high-profile (and antisemitic) political actors such as Donald Trump instrumentalize the memory of the Holocaust to attack those who advocate for Palestinian rights.
On the occasion of the release of the book which documents the conference and includes new contributions, Emily Dische-Becker, Susan Neiman, and Stefanie Schüler-Springorum, the original conference organizers, will examine the continuing abuse of the Holocaust in current political discourse. Gilbert Achcar, the author, most recently, of Der lange Weg nach Gaza and speaker at “Hijacking Memory”, will be featured as special guest.
At first, this process has been most visible in Trump’s America, today Putin’s call for the “Denazification of Ukraine” is the latest example. But this process is also evident in Hungary, Poland, Israel, England, France, Austria and in Germany. What is the relationship between the ritualization of Holocaust remembrance and the rise of the far-right? This conference will explore the hijacking of Holocaust memory by right-wing forces and examine ways to confront it.
