New York, NY, March 30, 2006 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) says President Bashar al-Assad of Syria "gives aid and comfort to Holocaust deniers" through his responses to questions recently posed by an interviewer on PBS.

Asked for his views on the Holocaust during his March 27 appearance on The Charlie Rose Show, President Assad compared the extermination of six million Jews during the Holocaust to "what is going on in Palestine," saying that "we see it the same way."  President Assad also repeatedly demurred when asked if he believed that six million Jews were murdered by the Nazis.

"While he studiously avoids outright Holocaust denial, President Assad's remarks give aid and comfort to those who attempt to downplay the Holocaust," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.  "Assad's evasiveness, together with his odious comparison of the Holocaust to Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, shows that this is a leader intent on encouraging those who attempt to diminish or ignore the Nazi campaign of genocide against Jews."

ADL noted that as a member state of the United Nations, Syria is compelled to abide by guidelines set by the January 2005 General Assembly resolution, which "rejects any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or in part."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.