International Holocaust Remembrance Day

January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year, on the 70th anniversary of the largest Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Ambassador of the State of Israel, Ilan Mor, has issued a statement on the lessons of the past.

“The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see”

(Winston Churchill)

A decade ago, in 2005 the United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 as the annual international day of commemoration to honor the victims of the Nazi.  This date was chosen since it marks the anniversary of the liberalization of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. The U.N. resolution rejects denial of the Holocaust, and condemns discrimination and violence based on religion or ethnicity.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day is a time for reflection, where we remember the victims of the Holocaust, and contemplate what may happen when racism, prejudice and hatred are left unchecked. It is a day where we take the time to see how the lessons of the past can play a part in our communities today.

Every member nation of the U.N. has an obligation to honor the memory of Holocaust victims and develop educational programs as part of the promise to help prevent future acts genocide.

In recent years, a visible and measurable rise in anti-Semitic events and a decrease in the physical security of Jewish communities around the world have been seen. The last months were especially characterized by a global surge in anti-Semitism, mainly in Europe.

Holocaust denial and revisionism are not only happening in Iran and the Muslim world. We can see them in Europe, Latin America and around the world, especially on the internet and social media. It should be clear that Holocaust denial and revisionism are forms of anti-Semitism and hate-crime.

The fight against anti-Semitism is not only a Jewish issue but a global challenge that affects people of every nation and needs to be met by the global community.

Those who respect basic moral values and human freedom must join forces to confront this phenomenon.