The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has strongly criticized the Pentagon’s removal of Holocaust-related content, which was reportedly caught up in a sweeping purge of diversity-related material across its platforms. According to CNN, at least half a dozen articles about the Holocaust have already been deleted from more than 1,000 Pentagon-hosted websites.
The removed articles were labeled with “DEI” in their URLs, suggesting they were categorized under diversity, equity, and inclusion content targeted for elimination. Other topics affected by the purge include articles on the September 11 attacks, cancer awareness, sexual assault, and suicide prevention, with tens of thousands of selections either removed or flagged for removal, CNN reported Wednesday.
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The removal of Holocaust-related materials—such as an article on Holocaust survivor Kitty Saks, who recounted “the state-sponsored, systemic persecution and annihilation of European Jewry”—prompted ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to call on the Trump administration to reverse the decision.
“We are concerned by reports that the Department of Defense has removed Holocaust-related content, including survivor stories, under the label of ‘DEI,’” Greenblatt told CNN. “Honoring the memory of the Holocaust and those who survived is not a matter of political ideology—it is a moral imperative and a vital component of education, remembrance, and the fight against antisemitism,” he emphasized.
“The history of the Holocaust, including the liberation of the camps, also reflects the bravery and sacrifice of Allied soldiers—a legacy that should be preserved, not erased.” Greenblatt added: “We urge the DoD to reverse this decision and preserve these vital historical records.”
The mass removal order follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to eliminate diversity-related content from all Pentagon platforms. Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot told CNN on Wednesday that the Department of Defense was “pleased by the rapid compliance” with the directive.
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“In the rare cases that content is removed—either deliberately or by mistake—that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct the components and they correct the content so it recognizes our heroes for their dedicated service alongside their fellow Americans, period,” Ullyot stated.
The decision to purge Holocaust content has sparked widespread backlash, with critics arguing that erasing educational material on historical atrocities could undermine efforts to combat antisemitism and preserve historical truth.
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