Amid the wave of global anti-Semitism in recent years, the “For a Just Cause” report, published for the fourth year by the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry at Tel Aviv University, highlights an encouraging phenomenon: new exhibitions and museums commemorating the Holocaust and heroism that have opened or are under construction in Muslim countries.
Their activities have not ceased even after the October 7 massacre and the escalation of anti-Semitic propaganda throughout the Muslim world.These include the “Indonesian Holocaust Museum” on the island of Sulawesi, the permanent exhibition on the Holocaust and the Righteous Among the Nations “We Remember” at the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in Dubai, and the “Besa Museum” and the Museum of the History of Albanian Jews, which are currently under construction in Tirana and Vlora, Albania, respectively.
The 80-page “For a Just Cause” report was written by a team of nine experts. The report recognizes government and private initiatives that commemorate the Holocaust and heroism, combat anti-Semitism, and fight racism in general, along with policy suggestions for improving them.
According to Professor Uriya Shavit, director of the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, “Holocaust denial and the flourishing of anti-Semitic propaganda in the Muslim world are not only distortions of history but also incentives to violence. The museums established and in the process of being established in the Muslim world are ‘a small amount of light,’ but this small amount is very important.”
Dr. Carl Yonker, senior fellow and project director at the Center, said: “Direct or indirect Israeli support for these museums would be detrimental to them, but it is appropriate for international institutions to offer such support and to insist on eradicating Holocaust denial from educational institutions in Muslim countries, as everywhere else.”
The Indonesian Holocaust Museum in the world's largest Muslim country offers written information along with visual documentation of Nazi crimes, including a replica of a concentration camp bunk bed, and information on neo-antisemitism and Holocaust denial. The museum was opened two years ago by Ya'akov Baruch, a local rabbi of Dutch descent. Immediately after its opening, leading Islamic leaders called for its immediate closure, accusing Baruch of promoting the Zionist narrative and covering up “Israel’s crimes.”
In a special interview for the report, Rabbi Baruch explained that he dealt with harsh criticism through dialogue, during which he assured opponents that the museum is not connected to Israel or Zionism. This ensured its continued operation. To date, approximately 2.000 people have visited the museum. School classes visit it, but there are days when no more than one person buys a ticket.
The permanent Holocaust memorial exhibition in Dubai was established by businessman and collector Ahmed Al Mansuri. It includes documentation of the history of Nazism and its crimes against Jews, along with information about Muslims who saved Jews during the Holocaust. At the center of the exhibit is a sign in Arabic, English and Hebrew that quotes the Mishnah: “Whoever saves a single soul is as if he has saved an entire world.” Al Mansuri said in an interview for the report that since the permanent exhibition opened two years ago, some 2.500 people from the UAE and Gulf states have visited it, along with thousands of students from local schools. During its existence, even after October 7, only one school group that came to the museum refused to visit it. Al Mansuri emphasized in the interview the uniqueness of Nazi crimes and the importance of Arab educators teaching about the Holocaust and its lessons. He noted that after October 7, he has not received any threats or demands to close the museum.
The “Besa Museum,” currently under construction in Tirana, celebrates the ancient Albanian moral code mandating the protection of neighbors and guests, which was central to Albania’s unique rescue efforts during the Holocaust.}
One of the report’s main articles addresses Jerry Seinfeld’s perception of Judaism and the show “Seinfeld.” According to the article, the “Seinfeld” episodes of the 1990s, particularly those dealing with Holocaust remembrance and anti-Semitism, reflected an era in which American Jews, and particularly Seinfeld himself, did not feel like a minority group but rather representatives of American identity itself. This era has been shaken in recent years, as evidenced by Seinfeld’s — until then politically averse — strong stance in support of Israel after Oct. 7.
Other articles in the report cover the controversial new National Holocaust Museum in the Netherlands, the unique history of Gibraltar's Jewish community and its response to anti-Zionist protests in the small territory following the 7 October attack, Jewish youth in Britain