Ispoljavanje latentnog i inherentnog antisemitizma trivijalizacijom Holokausta
Manifestation of Latent and Inherent Antisemitism through the Trivialization of the Holocaust

Author(s): Marija Ljubinković
Subject(s): History of the Holocaust, History of Antisemitism
Published by: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
Keywords: Holocaust; trivialization; genocide; inherent antisemitism; latent antisemitism; criminological analysis; linguistic analysis; speech act theory
Summary/Abstract: The context in which this paper was written involves a particularly specific period during which the traditionally prevalent Holocaust denial (Shoah; hereafter transcribed as Šoa) has been increasingly replaced by a more subtle, and therefore more dangerous, distortion of historical facts related to the memory of the Šoa. In this regard, the paper primarily explores the Holocaust as an unprecedented phenomenon and contrasts it with the general concept of genocide. The focus then shifts to the issue of trivialization as a form of specific linguistic action, a linguistic phenomenon with performative force. Finally, through an analysis of the content of a specific report on the trivialization of the Holocaust in 2021 and 2022 (Combating Antisemitism Movement – The Growing Normalization of Holocaust Trivialization in 2021–2022), the paper examines the real threats that trivialization (as a criminological phenomenon reflecting a very specific attitude toward crime) poses to victims. One of the key outcomes of this increasingly common practice is the possibility of secondary victimization, which is analyzed as a de facto consequence of the expression of latent antisemitism. More precisely, while the trivialization of the Holocaust does not necessarily imply antisemitic sentiment, it almost invariably originates from such sentiment and therefore represents a criminologically relevant threat that incorporates the etiology of hate speech, hate crimes, and, in its most extreme form, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

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