The council has apologised after complaints about a social media post for Holocaust Memorial Day that “erased Jews”.

On social media, Brighton and Hove City Council linked to a post on its website marking the annual day of remembrance, which took place on Saturday.

However, it drew criticism as the post did not refer to the Jewish community, despite six million Jews being killed in the genocide during the Second World War.

The council’s initial post, which has since been deleted, said: “Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, the international day dedicated to victims of genocide.

“Marking the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, today we remember all people murdered because of something that made them who they were.”

The Argus: The now-deleted post by the city councilThe now-deleted post by the city council (Image: Supplied)

The post triggered immediate and furious criticism, with users describing the statement as “shocking and sickening”.

Nadeem Shafqat took to X, formerly Twitter, and said: “According to Brighton and Hove City Council, the Holocaust happened because [of] ‘something that made them who they were’.

“What was that thing that made them [who they were]? Why are statements about the Holocaust eradicating the Jews?”

Another user said: “Erasing Jews from Holocaust Memorial Day. Brighton sucks.”

In a subsequent statement, the council’s chief executive Will Tuckley apologised and said: “The short social media post was intended to mark and publicise Holocaust Memorial Day and signpost readers to our fuller news article which specifically spoke of the murder of six million Jewish people, other minorities and genocides that have taken place since.

“We’ve listened, reflected and accept that our post linking to our article should have centred on the murder of the six million Jews and other people who lost their lives in the Holocaust.

“In response to feedback and requests, we will delete the original post. We apologise again for any offence caused.”

The controversy comes amid a reported increase in anti-Semitic incidents following the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict in October last year.

While the term Holocaust refers to the systematic mass murder of Jewish people in German-occupied Europe during the Second World War, the Nazis also murdered millions of non-Jewish people who were considered subhuman, including Poles, Romani people, gay people and those with mental or physical disabilities.