For Yad Vashem, Abbas' statement "might signal a change, and we expect it will be reflected in PA websites, curricula and discourse;" however, for Israeli PM Netanyahu, it is only damage control.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The statement by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the Holocaust is "the most heinous crime to have occurred against humanity in the modern era" has elicited cautious and sceptical reactions in Israel.

The Palestinian leader, who described the Holocaust as "a reflection of the concept of ethnic discrimination and racism, which the Palestinians strongly reject and act against," made the statement in an interview with Palestinian news agency WAFA on the eve of Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, the first time he has ever acknowledged and condemned the Jewish genocide.

In Israel, the commemoration will start at 10 am with a two-minute siren to be followed by ceremonies at Yad Vashem, the Knesset, and in other important sites.

"Holocaust denial and revisionism are sadly prevalent in the Arab world, including among Palestinians," Yad Vashem said in a statement.

Hence, what Abbas said "might signal a change, and we expect it will be reflected in PA websites, curricula and discourse. Acknowledging the crimes of the Holocaust is fundamental to anyone who wants to confront history honestly."

By contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with CNN on Sunday belittled the importance of Abbas' statement.

For Netanyahu, Abbas can't call the Holocaust history's most heinous crime and in the same breath embrace Hamas, which denies the Holocaust.

"What President Abbas is trying to do is placate Western public opinion," the Israeli leader said, because he "understands that he delivered a terrible blow to the peace process by embracing these Hamas terrorists. I think he is trying to wiggle his way out of it."

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