City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Publications and Research College of Staten Island 2004 Rewriting the Holocaust Online: A Discourse Analysis of Holocaust Denial Web Sites Mark Aaron Polger City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/si_pubs/157 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Rewriting The Holocaust Online: A Discourse Analysis of Holocaust Denial Web Sites by Mark Aaron Polger A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2004 ©Mark Aaron Polger 2004 Table of Contents Author’s Declaration ii Borrower’s Page iii Abstract iv Acknowledgements v Dedication vi Table of Contents vii Chapter One: Introduction 1 Why Holocaust Denial? 1 What is Holocaust Denial? 2 Where Does Holocaust Denial Flourish? 4 Definitions 5 Anti-Semitism 5 Digital Library 7 Discourse 8 Discourse Analysis 8 Hate Group 9 Historical Revisionism 9 Holocaust 11 Holocaust Trivialization 12 Legitimacy 14 Race 15 Zionism 16 The Holocaust Today 18 Thesis Questions 20 How do deniers attempt to attain legitimacy through their web pages? 20 What rhetorical strategies do they employ on their web sites? 21 Thesis Outline 22 Chapter Two: Literature Review 23 Holocaust Denial on the Internet 23 Holocaust Denial in the library 26 Holocaust Denial Literature in the Social Sciences and Humanities 30 Jewish Organizations 35 The Right-Wing in Canada 37 Summary 39 Chapter Three: The Key Players in the Holocaust Denial Movement 40 Paul Rassinier 41 Robert Faurisson 43 Harry Elmer Barnes 44 Willis Carto 44 Arthur Butz 46 Bradley Smith 46 Ernst Zündel 47 James Keegstra 52 David Irving 53 Germar Rudolf 56 Legislation 58 Summary 59 Chapter Four: Jews as the Racial “Other” 60 Are Jews “White”? 60 Karen Brodkin: Jews Became White After World War II 61 Sander Gilman: Jews as Multiracial 62 Leonard Rogoff: Jews as Racial Tabula Rasa 64 Do Jews constitute a separate race? 65 A Racial Hierarchy 66 Race and the Environment 69 German Research 71 Jewish Religion vs. Race 75 The Jewish Race as a Legal Term 76 How Jews Labeled Themselves 77 Summary 79 Chapter Five: Methodology 80 What is Discourse? 80 What is Discourse Analysis? 82 Rhetorical Strategies in Discourse Analysis 83 Text and Discourse 84 The Discourse of Holocaust Denial 89 Summary 96 Chapter Six: A Discourse Analysis of Holocaust Denial Web Sites 97 Selection Criteria for Articles & Web Sites 97 Questions for Analysis 99 Preliminary Steps 99 Mark Weber and Greg Raven’s Institute for Historical Review (IHR) 100 Brief Description 100 Analysis 100 Article One: A Few Facts About the IHR 103 Article Two: Liberating America from Israel l04 Ernst Zundel’s The Zündelsite 107 Brief Description 107 Analysis 108 Article One: Holocaust 101 chapter one 112 Article Two: Holocaust 101 chapter two 118 Analysis of Graphics 122 Arthur Butz’s Personal Web Site 125 Brief Description 125 Analysis 126 Article One: Holocaust Denial or Holocaust Revisionism? 127 Article Two: A short introduction to Holocaust Revisionism 128 David Irving’s Focal Point Publications 131 Brief Description 131 Analysis 131 Article One: Battleship Auschwitz 134 Article Two: The Wages of Apostasy: Life Under Fire 143 Analysis of Graphics 150 Carlos Whitlock Porter’s Made in Russia: The Holoco$t 152 Brief Description 152 Analysis 153 Article One: Human Soap, American Style 155 Article Two: In Praise of A.I.D.S. 158 Bradley Smith’s The Committee for the Open Debate on the Holocaust (CODOH)161 Brief Description 161 Analysis 161 Article One: The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum: A Challenge 164 Article Two: The Good, The Bad, and the Anti-Semitic 168 Analysis of Graphics 175 Greg Raven’s The Holocaust Historiography Project 176 Brief Description 176 Analysis 177 Article One: Defining 'Holocaust': A proposal 178 Greg Raven’s Revisionists.com 185 Brief Description 185 Analysis 185 Article One: What is Holocaust Revisionism? 186 Michael Hoffman’s The Campaign for Radical Truth in History 195 Brief Description 195 Analysis 196 Article One: The National 'Holocaust' Museum: Synagogue of the New State Religion 198 Article Two: Holocaust Poodles 201 Graphical Analysis 205 Summary 208 Chapter Seven: Conclusion 210 Concluding Observations 210 Updates 212 The Future for Holocaust Denial 212 Questions for the Future 213 Limitations and Future Research 214 Final Comments 216 Appendices Appendix 1-Coding sheet for my analysis of the web sites and articles 221 Appendix 2- Table of Preliminary guide to web sites before selection 225 Appendix 3- Table of Preliminary guide to web sites refuting Holocaust Denial 231 Appendix 4- List of articles selected from the nine Holocaust Denial web sites 236 Bibliography 239 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. I authorize the University of Waterloo to lend this thesis to other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. Signature I further authorize the University of Waterloo to reproduce this thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. Signature ii Borrower’s Page The University of Waterloo requires the signatures of all persons using or photocopying this thesis. Please sign below, and give address and date. iii Abstract This study is undertaken to learn how Holocaust deniers use Internet websites to attain legitimacy and credibility. I attempt to show that this sort of “historical revision” is actually blanketed anti-Semitism. I examine Holocaust denial as it is viewed by different disciplines. I investigate the main figures of Holocaust denial. As well, I analyze Jewish race theories of the past two hundred years to demonstrate how Jews have been perceived as aliens and as outsiders. The construction of the “Jew as outsider” sets the stage for how Holocaust deniers frame their discourse on their web pages. My research investigates a selection of journal articles and essays that appear on a selected list of Holocaust denial sites. I delve into the following features of the text: coded language, repetitive keywords, underlying themes, word-selection, graphic design, information management, voice, tone, and intended audience. Through conducting a discourse analysis of these texts, specific elements are extracted and discussed. Through a discourse analysis of these web pages, I illustrate that when the user analyses the text, the hidden meanings and messages within the texts, it becomes apparent that these websites are anti-Semitic and racist. Holocaust Denial on the Internet is a new form of anti-Semitism. iv Acknowledgements This has been a challenging thesis to write. Writing about Holocaust denial has brought out a combination of emotions ranging from sadness, anger, and frustration. I have been very fortunate to have a network of family, friends, and colleagues who have been supportive throughout my research. I would like to thank Alicja Muszynski, my thesis supervisor, for her encouragement and for her support on this project. I appreciate her honesty, sincerity, and enthusiasm. I would also like to thank David Black and Bruce Arai for their helpful suggestions and advice for this thesis. In the Sociology department I would like to thank Ilona Kosa for being supportive and cheerful. Ilona continues to be helpful by knowing the answer to every question and making every student feel comfortable in the department. I would also like to thank my family, especially my mother, who has encouraged me throughout this experience. She called me every day with helpful suggestions, ideas, and criticisms. I would like to thank Kinga Breining for her remarkable editing, and challenging me with critical questions. I appreciate her candidness, honesty, good cheer, and patience. I appreciate her taking the time to assist me. I would like to thank my small network of friends who were enthusiastic and interested in this subject: Vivian, Paulo, Wendy, Aaron, Kinga, Daniel, Faline, Tammy, Sandi, Aleksandra, Jenn, Einat, Steve, Debbie, Phany, and Jana. Thanks to John Drobnicki, an academic librarian at York College, City University of New York. His annotated bibliographies were very helpful during my research process. Lastly, I wish to thank Janice Rosen, Archives director of the Canadian Jewish Congress National Archives in Montreal. She has been an encouraging colleague and friend for the past eleven years. She has given good advice and direction regarding my research and my career as a Librarian. v Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my mother and my grandfather. My grandfather always believed in me and thought I could do anything. I hope wherever he is, he will be proud of my accomplishments. As well, I’d like to dedicate this thesis to my mother. She has always been a loving mother, mentor, friend, and a wonderful editor for all of my academic papers. She has always been supportive and accepting in every way. She has always been there for me, unconditionally. vi Chapter One: Introduction Why Holocaust Denial? When I was eighteen years old, I worked at the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC) National Archives in Montreal and often attended seminars held by CJC, including ones on Holocaust denial. In the mid-1990’s Holocaust denial was just beginning to emerge in the online world and I was curious to see how such sites were constructed. I expected them to be blatantly hateful, anti- Semitic, with burning Magen-David’s, swastikas, and other anti-Jewish symbols. To my surprise, the sites appeared very neutral and did not contain any obvious anti-Semitic propaganda.