Holocaust-denial activity increased worldwide in 2007, following a temporary lull in 2006, according to this year’s annual report on Holocaust-denial activity around the world.

The year-end report, Holocaust Denial: A Global Survey - 2007, is published by The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, which is based in Washington, D.C. The report’s co-authors are Holocaust scholars Dr. Rafael Medoff, director of the Wyman Institute, and Dr. Alex Grobman, coauthor of the book Denying History: Who Says the Holocaust Never Happened and Why Do They Say It?

The report found that Holocaust-denial activity increased worldwide in 2007, following a lull in 2006 due to the imprisonment of leading denier David Irving, in Austria. In 2007, Irving returned to the lecture circuit, and other deniers continued their efforts in various countries, including holding a conference in Italy to defend Holocaust-denial. At the same time, however, efforts by some European governments, especially Germany and Austria, to prosecute Holocaust-deniers helped curb the extent of denial activity.

The report also found that in the Middle East, some Arab and Muslim regimes continued to sponsor Holocaust denial and sought to impede UN resolutions opposing denial.” The government of Iran went so far as to organize a conference of Holocaust deniers in Teheran. In addition, a poll found a substantial level of Holocaust denial among Israeli Arabs.

At the same time, the report cited several hopeful developments: a prominent Muslim figure, the former prime minister of Indonesia, condemned Holocaust denial; the United Nations General Assembly and UNESCO both passed resolutions opposing Holocaust denial; and the European Union urged all its member-states to adopt legislation prohibiting Holocaust denial.