Paris mayor revokes PA chief Abbas’ honorary medal
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo revoked the Medal of the City of Paris from Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas following his recent antisemitic comments and Holocaust denial. The PA chief was first granted the prestigious medal in 2015.
In his recent remarks, Abbas insulted Jewish Holocaust victims by claiming that European Ashkenazi Jews are not “Semites” and therefore have no historical link to the land of Israel.
In addition, Abbas resorted to classic antisemitism by denying that Jew hatred was the main fuel behind the Holocaust. Instead, the PA head claimed Jews were murdered due to their disproportionate role as moneylenders in Europe.
The Paris mayor blasted Abbas’ antisemitic statement in an open letter.
“I condemn your comments in the strongest possible terms; no cause can justify revisionism and negationism. As you know, the Holocaust is part of the history of Paris,” Hidalgo stated.
“In our city, during World War II, tens of thousands of children, women and men of the Jewish faith were rounded up, deported and then exterminated in death camps,” she added.
Hidalgo affirmed that the PA chief’s remarks “are contrary to our universal values and the historical truth of the Holocaust, so you can no longer claim... the highest distinction of Paris.”
Mahmoud Abbas has a history of antisemitism and Holocaust denial. In 2022, Abbas accused Israel of committing “50 Holocausts” against the Arab population in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Germany, Israel and many other countries swiftly condemned Abbas’ inflammatory and false statement.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
