By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) – Protesters opposing COVID-19 and comparing themselves to Jews subjected to Nazi persecution are inciting global anti-Semitism. This was stated by the Israeli government in a report on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

These Holocaust tropes are now “widespread”, and together with violence linked to Israel’s May war, Gaza, they were the main reasons behind attacks on Jews across Europe and North America in the last year. According to the report of the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, which is 152 pages long,

Many U.S. politicians and British politicians have apologized in the recent months for suggesting lockdown or vaccine policies that recall Hitler’s regime.

Yellow stars have been worn by some protestors against the pandemic curbs, just like they were forced upon European Jews by Nazis.

These displays demonstrated that factual knowledge about the genocide was declining, according to the report. It also stated that COVID-19 activists have been “consuming, disseminating antiSemitic conspiracy theories claiming that Jews are the cause of the crisis, and that they are using it for oppression and global dominance, and other purposes.”

Nachman Shai, Diaspora Affairs Minister, said that Holocaust distortion and trivialization is antisemitic. It can also lead to the actual endangerment or death of Jews.

“There’s people who are so hateful that they can face such imagery and be tipped into action,” he said to Reuters.

Combat Antisemitism Movement, a U.S. non-profit organization, stated that it has received 63.7 million engagements – participation, sharing, or “liking” — during online discussion links to the Holocaust pandemic.

Yad Vashem is Israel’s most important Holocaust memorial. It has called on world leaders not to condone such speech. This call was apparently heard by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres who said Monday that the protests against yellow stars were “reprehensible”.

Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan stated that COVID had brought Holocaust trivialization to a summit. Yad Vashem strongly condemns such actions by politicians and public figures.

Israel Meir Lau (former Israeli Chief Rabbi) was among six million Jews murdered by Nazis. Lau had a personal appeal in a Reuters interview.

He said, “Please don’t use the term ‘Holocaust.’ This is the Holocaust.