2026/05/01 by Johannes Due Enstad · 1 voice
Social Sciences · Health Professions · Psychology · #Jewish Identity and Society #Health and Conflict Studies #Migration, Health and Trauma
paper · doi:10.1037/amp0001704
openalex publication_date 2026/05/01 · openalex created_date 2026/06/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/10
While perpetrators of anti-Jewish harassment and violence are a small minority in democratic societies, they rely on a larger number of people who justify such aggression or silently condone it. Using data from nationally representative surveys of the Norwegian population, I report two studies investigating whether endorsement of Holocaust inversion-the belief that Israel treats Palestinians as badly as Jews were treated during World War II-is associated with (a) justification of harassment and violence against Jews and (b) refusal to take a stance against such aggression. Study 1 (N = 1,575) found support for both hypotheses. In a preregistered replication, Study 2 (N = 1,653) confirmed these results. Follow-up analyses found that endorsement of Holocaust inversion was also associated with refusal to answer questions measuring blatant antisemitic prejudice. The findings support theorizing that sees Holocaust inversion as a socially more acceptable vehicle for expressing and legitimizing antisemitic hostility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).