Palestinian politicians lash out at renowned academics who denounced president’s antisemitic remarks

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian politicians have denounced dozens of Palestinian academics who criticized President Mahmoud Abbas’ recent remarks on the Holocaust. They lambasted on Wednesday the open letter signed earlier this week by over a hundred Palestinian academics, activists and artists based around the world as “the statement of shame.” The letter was released after footage showed Abbas asserting that European Jews were persecuted by Hitler because of what he described as their “social functions.” The indignation among Palestinian leaders over the letter casts light on a controversy that has plagued the Palestinian relationship with the Holocaust. The war surrounding Israel’s establishment as a safe haven for Jews displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.