EC President ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Never Again is now

January 27 marks the International Day dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau.

On the eve of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued a statement:

“ After the despicable terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hamas against Israel on October 7 2023 , Holocaust commemoration took on new meaning.

“European Jews are once again living in anxiety : no parent should be afraid to send their child to school. Jews face bullying, harassment and attacks on the streets, in schools and at universities. Synagogues have been vandalised. Jewish cemeteries were desecrated.

“The unprecedented outbreak of antisemitic acts we have witnessed across Europe reminds us of the darkest period in our history. What is different today, however, is that we all stand with Jewish communities. There is no place for antisemitic hatred , especially here in Europe. And nothing justifies antisemitism.

“Three generations after the Holocaust, we must ensure that Jewish life continues to flourish in public.

“We cannot accept that Jews hide their identity. Promoting Jewish life is at the heart of the EU’s strategy to combat antisemitism.

“As we mark this year the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, we remember the six million Jewish women, men and children, as well as all other victims, including hundreds of thousands of Roma, murdered during the Holocaust.”

(Photo: EC Audiovisual Service)