Holocaust experts on Iran's conference

• published: 23 Jul 2015
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1. Wide of Holocaust conference 2. Mid of sign reading (German): "Conference - The Holocaust and its transnational commemoration" 3. Mid of historian Raul Hilberg addressing conference 4. Cutaway to close of audience 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Raul Hilberg, Holocaust historian and researcher from University of Vermont United States: "As the numbers for the camps (proved) or (evidence which was) cited (by) the report of the statistician of the SS. In other words this is not a figment of the imagination. This comes from the Germans themselves, and therefore, any denial of these figures is absolutely senseless." 6. Various of audience during conference speeches 7. SOUNDBITE: (German) Wolfgang Benz, Historian from the Centre of Anti-Semitic Research in Berlin: "The Holocaust deniers know exactly what happened, they know about the scale of it, but they want to use the Holocaust for a different purpose. They want to articulate anti-Semitism against Israel and the Jews in the world to impress upon a majority of people who are not informed and uneducated. It is all about politics, not about education or political correctness." 8. Wide of conference 9. Various close shots of guest at conference listening 10. SOUNDBITE: (English) David Menashri, Director of the Centre of Iranian studies, University of Tel Aviv: "I think one of the aims of having this kind of conference (referring to Iran's Holocaust conference) and raising this issue is that Ahmadinejad's main concern today is to gain nuclear weapons for Iran and nuclear power for Iran. And somehow he believes that by raising this issue about Israel, wiping Israel off the map, and denying the Holocaust, he will a portray the image to countries like Germany and Europe that his main intention is against the Jews and against Israel, and therefore they would let him quiet to continue what he's ..... He believes, probably, that if we would only be against the Jews the world would be tolerant." 11. Wide pan from conference stage to audience STORYLINE: A Holocaust conference opened in Berlin on Monday with participants from all over the world attending to discuss the results of their research about the Holocaust. The Berlin conference coincides with the two day Holocaust discussion conference in Tehran, which Iran insists would not be an attempt to deny the World War II genocide, but merely to discuss it in an unrestricted atmosphere. One Berlin conference participant was Raul Hilberg who was born in 1926 in Vienna and escaped to the United States when the Nazis took power. As a U.S. soldier he came back to Germany in 1945 and discovered Hitler's private library in Munich. Hilberg has spent years researching the Holocaust and says any denial that it took place is "absolutely senseless". "This is not a figment of the imagination. This (the evidence) comes from the Germans themselves," Hilberg said at the conference. Another historian attending the Berlin conference claimed those who deny the Holocaust do so with political motivation in mind. "They want to articulate anti-Semitism against Israel and the Jews in the world to impress upon a majority of people who are not informed and uneducated," said Wolfgang Benz, from the Centre of Anti-Semitic Research in Berlin. "It is all about politics, not about education or political correctness," he added. David Menashri, Director of the Centre of Iranian studies at the University of Tel Aviv believes Ahmadinejad's intention in holding his Holocaust conference was as a smokescreen to detract attention from his attempt to get nuclear weapons for Iran. The conference in Tehran has been condemned by Germany, where denying the Holocaust is illegal, as well as by Israel and the United States. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/5dc3053a3678a1685221ab60ef29a9f5 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork