Holocaust inversion and justification of anti-Jewish aggression: Evidence from two national surveys in Norway – Psychiatry AI: Real-Time AI Scoping Review

AI Summary

Endorsement of Holocaust inversion correlates with justification of harassment and violence against Jews.
Findings replicated in two national Norwegian surveys (Study 1 N=1,575; Study 2 N=1,653), confirming robustness.
Holocaust inversion associates with refusal to oppose aggression and with nonresponse to blatant antisemitism measures, legitimising antisemitic hostility.

AI Summary

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. 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).

Basic summary

Am Psychol. 2026 May-Jun;81(4):478-489. doi: 10.1037/amp0001704.

ABSTRACT

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).

PMID:42241069 | DOI:10.1037/amp0001704

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