The Holocaust Museum of Los Angeles recently came under fire. A recent social media post advertising this extremely powerful vehicle to share with the public ignited a huge firestorm. The museum had to delete an Instagram post. The post went on to argue that “never again” needed to mean “never again” for everyone, not just the Jews. This pledge was an anchor to a pre-planned integrated campaign designed to promote inclusivity and building community. Others took it to be a transpolitical statement about the unfolding death and destruction in the Middle East today.
The museum’s original post included the phrase “never again can’t only mean never again for Jews,” a slogan closely associated with Holocaust remembrance that has been invoked more broadly as a pledge to prevent future genocides. Pro-Israel commenters immediately pounced on the post. A few even called for cutting off funding for the venerable institution. Although the post did not specifically reference Gaza, its implications were considered so incendiary that the museum felt compelled to act.
In explaining its decision to delete the post, the museum stated, “We recently posted an item on social media that was part of a pre-planned campaign intended to promote inclusivity and community that was easily open to misinterpretation by some to be a political statement reflecting the ongoing situation in the Middle East. That was not our intent.”
Even after this clarification, prominent names like Ken Burns continued to voice their indignation over the museum’s move. Yasmine Taeb called the decision “absolutely disgusting,” and accused the museum of “cowing to outside pressure” on Twitter from pro-Israel voices. Hasan Piker decried the outrage over what he called a “tepid general anti-genocide statement.” He continued, lamenting that it was a “real shame” that supporters of Israel pushed back on conversations like these.
That doesn’t mean the debate has not amplified broader conversations about representation and dehumanization. Assal Rad remarked, “If that does not illustrate the historic dehumanisation that Arab Americans have had to live with, I don’t know what does.” Rad further stated, “Palestinians are so dehumanized that they’re excluded from ‘never again,’ apparently their genocide is the exception.”
The museum is in the middle of an extensive renovation project and will be closed through June 2026. So, unfortunately, the public can’t interact with its exhibits right now. The backlash has raised questions about how institutions like the Holocaust Museum navigate complex discussions surrounding genocide and human rights in today’s political climate.
