NEW YORK, Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC protested the decision of El Mundo, one of Spain's leading newspapers, to publish an interview with the notorious British Holocaust denier David Irving this weekend, as part of its coverage of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War.

"David Irving has made a career out of lying," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "For El Mundo to bill a Holocaust denier as an 'expert' and 'innovative thinker' heaps shame upon that newspaper."

Following his unsuccessful libel action against American historian Deborah Lipstadt in 2000 in a British court, Irving was described by Mr. Justice Gray in his landmark ruling as a "Holocaust denier." Justice Gray also deemed Irving to be "anti-Semitic and racist. . .he associates with right-wing extremists who promote neo-Nazism."

"Justice Gray's ruling is the definitive guide to understanding who Irving really is," said Harris. "Disturbingly, El Mundo appears content to allow Irving to lie about both the Holocaust and himself in the name of 'free speech.'"

In February 2009, AJC condemned El Mundo for publishing an openly anti-Semitic column by columnist Antonio Gala which identified "Jewish greed" as the cause of the persecution of Jews throughout history.

According to the 2008 Pew Global Attitudes Project, Spain has the highest level of anti-Semitism in Europe, with more Spanish respondents holding negative than positive views about Jews.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee