Holocaust Denial: Anti-semitic Conspiracy Theory

1941 saw the beginning of the Holocaust, which continued into 1945. It was committed in Europe in certain areas, which led to the genocide European Jews. The Nazi Party was able to kill just six million Jews due to the popularity and growing anti-Semitic sentiments. The Nazi Party believed that the problem was caused by the Jews. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a good example. The book portrays Jews as being individualistic, divided, and secretive. The Jewish people appeared to be conspiring against each other in terms economic manipulation, attempting full control over the press, and creating divisions among Christianity. It was intended to propagate hatred for Jews. This belief was beginning to be ingrained in America with Henry Ford, an American industrialist, publishing his anti-Semitic views through his Dearborn Independent newspaper. The Nazi Party also claims that Jesus Christ’s death was caused by the Jewish people, which is biblical language. Holocaust denial was an Anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that emerged shortly after World War II. This conspiracy theory was used to deny the Holocaust. Holocaust deniers argue that the genocide didn’t happen and was invented to benefit the Jewish people and their state, Israel. They believe that the Nazi Party and others who hold similar views didn’t approve mass killing of European Jews. Henry Ford and Harry Elmer Bergs are now questioning the war and becoming more friendly to the Germans. Bergs, who was well-known for believing that the Holocaust didn’t exist, even claimed that Adolf Hitler was the most rational leader of all the leaders. Paul Rassinier, the French writer, was not a believer in the Holocaust. The conspiracy group that is believed to be conspiring with the Holocaust denialism is the Anti-Semitic hate organizations, such as the Neo-Nazis and White Nationalists. Neo-Nazis are known for spreading the Nazi Party ideology and hatred of Jews. They also support fascism, the political ideology that dominated World War II. Holocaust denial is growing because people are losing sight of its reality due to the increasing distance from it and the rise of Neo-Nazis as well other hate groups in the United States. Neo-Nazis were widely recognized for their Anti-Semitic beliefs. The number of Anti-Semitic organizations has risen by just a little more than sixty percent in the period 2000 to 2008. Darnell also found out that Anti-Semitic hate organizations were at their highest in the Southern Mountain region of the United States. Darnell also discovered that only a tiny percentage of Jews live in these regions. Fourth, he found that Holocaust denial could be measured online.

A Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany carried out a survey to find that only 31% of Americans believed six million Jewish people had been killed in the Holocaust. They found that 41% of millennials believe that less than 2 million Jews were murdered. Seven out of ten Americans believed that the Holocaust is less important than it was in the past. Only 80 percent believe there should continue to be Holocaust education in schools.

This is a likely trend because Holocaust denial is on the rise in spite of the fact that there are a growing number Holocaust survivors. People who have previously believed in other conspiracy theories tend to be more open to other types. Dr. Nicholas Terry suggests that Holocaust deniers draw people who already believe conspiracies, which makes them more inclined to believe holocaust deniers’ claims online. It is very easy to believe fake news online, given the speed at which it circulates.

Confirmation Bias is a psychological feature that may make anti-Semitic believers more likely to believe this conspiracy. Confirmation bias describes how people perceive information that is similar to their beliefs (American Psychological Association. N.d.). This bias is possible because if a person holds anti-Semitic beliefs they are more likely to believe that the Holocaust was fabricated. Another psychological factor that could explain why some people believe in conspiracy theories is the mere-exposure effect. The mere-exposure effect occurs when someone is exposed to a particular idea more often and is therefore more likely to like it (American Psychological Association. n.d.). As an example, Facebook groups are joined by people who see it more often than others and feel compelled to join.

Another psychological factor which might increase people’s belief in this conspiracy is collective vanity. Collective narcissism refers to an exaggerated belief that a group has positive qualities. This means that they are more likely to be intimidated by others and engage in prejudice against other groups that are viewed as threatening.