Holocaust education and the Palestinian cause: young Palestinian people in Sweden, and their perceptions of Holocaust education

Abstract

The paper investigates the experiences, perceptions and responses of immigrants with a Palestinian background in relation to learning about the Holocaust and the Palestinian cause in Swedish schools and visiting Holocaust sites. Data were collected from 50 immigrant students using audio-recorded and open-structured interviews. The results indicate that most informants had learned about the Holocaust in various classes, through readings, discussions and assignments, but very little about the Palestinian cause in textbooks or in school activities. The majority of informants were never asked to take part in Holocaust site visits, but if they were to be asked, 84% were willing make such visits. The majority of informants expressed sympathy with Holocaust victims, but they were not satisfied, as they felt there was too much focus on the Holocaust and too little on the Palestinian cause. This lived experience of imbalance between the two subjects resulted in reluctant attitudes towards Holocaust education among the Palestinian pupils, but this should not mainly be understood as a result of anti-Semitic sentiments among them. The results indicate that Holocaust education in Swedish schools among youngsters with a Palestinian background can hardly be treated separately from the question of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.