Jewish groups criticize Amazon's Hunters series
Several Jewish groups have criticized Amazon for fictitious depictions of the Holocaust in its new series Hunters.
The online retail giant has also been denounced for allowing the sale of anti-Semitic propaganda books.
Amazon did respond immediately to criticism of Hunters but told the BBC it had been "hearing feedback" about controversial book sales.
Hunters, a 10-part drama series, follows a team of Nazi hunters in 1970s America.
The show, starring Al Pacino, has been accused of bad taste and "Jewsploitation" because of its depiction of fictional atrocities through the Holocaust. Around six million Jews were killed across Nazi-occupied Europe through the period from 1941-45.
In one scene, inmates of Auschwitz concentration camp are forced to kill one another while being used in a casino game of human chess.
Auschwitz Memorial, a charity that maintains the former camp as a historical site, accused the programme makers of "inventing a fake game of human chess" within an act of "dangerous foolishness".
Karen Pollack, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, told the BBC such portrayals risked fuelling Holocaust denial, and lent a tone of "flippant entertainment" to the programme.
"We have a genuine responsibility to protect the truth of the Holocaust," said Mrs Pollack, "particularly as we're moving away from living history, the survivors are few and frailer."
"We can't do that alone," she added. "We must rely on other people in society who would like to do good."
About 1.1 million people, the majority of them Jews, were murdered at Auschwitz.
Survivors and international leaders gathered at the former camp last month to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet forces.
Amazon has come under fire for selling anti-Semitic books, like the Jewish Question in the Classroom by Nazi propagandist Julius Streicher.
On Friday, Auschwitz Memorial retweeted a letter, compiled by the Holocaust Educational Trust, asking Amazon to eliminate books by Streicher from sale.
"When you decide to create a profit on selling vicious antisemitic Nazi propaganda published with no critical comment or context, you must remember that those words led not only to the #Holocaust but also a great many other hate crimes," it said.
"As a bookseller, we are mindful of book censorship throughout history, and we usually do not take this lightly," Amazon said in response. It added that it was investing "significant time and resources" in ensuring products on sale met its guidelines.
In December, after complaints by Auschwitz Memorial, Amazon withdrew several items from its website, including Christmas decorations depicting Auschwitz.
Survivors and international leaders gathered at the former camp last month to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its liberation by Soviet forces.
Amazon has recently come under fire for selling anti-Semitic books, like the Jewish Question in the Classroom by Nazi propagandist Julius Streicher.
On Friday, Auschwitz Memorial retweeted a letter, compiled by the Holocaust Educational Trust, asking Amazon to remove books by Streicher from sale.
"When you decide to generate a profit on selling vicious antisemitic Nazi propaganda published without the critical comment or context, it is advisable to understand that those words led not only to the #Holocaust but also a great many other hate crimes," it said.
"As a bookseller, we are mindful of book censorship throughout history, and we do not take this lightly," Amazon said in response. It added that it had been investing "significant time and resources" in ensuring products on sale met its guidelines.
In December, after complaints by Auschwitz Memorial, Amazon withdrew several items from its website, including Christmas decorations depicting.
