Friday, March 29

UN chief denounces anti-Semitism and urges to oppose hate


The United Nations secretary-general condemned the resurgence of anti-Semitism in remarks Tuesday night at a service commemorating the victims of the Nazi Holocaust, urging people around the world to “stand firm against hate and intolerance.” anywhere and everywhere”.

Antonio Guterres said he was alarmed to learn recently that barely half of adults worldwide have heard of the Holocaust, which saw the murder of 6 million Jews, representing a third of the Jewish people, and millions more during the Second World War. He said the lack of knowledge among younger generations “is even worse.”

“Our response to ignorance must be education,” Guterres said. “Governments around the world have a responsibility to teach about the horrors of the Holocaust.”

He spoke at the United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Service at Park East Synagogue on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in November 2005 establishing the annual commemoration and chose January 27, the day Soviet troops liberated the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945.

Guterres said the rise in anti-Semitism, “the oldest form of hatred and prejudice,” has seen new reports of physical attacks, verbal abuse, desecration of Jewish cemeteries, vandalism of synagogues and last week the hostage-taking of the rabbi and members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas.

Around the world, Guterres said, Jewish children are warned not to wear a kippah, the skullcap worn by observant Jews, in public “for fear of being assaulted,” and there are conspiracy theories that turn into “heinous anti-Semitic tropes.” ” and “deeply disturbing”. attempts to deny, distort or minimize the Holocaust”, especially on the Internet.

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He welcomed the January 20 adoption by the 193-member UN General Assembly of a resolution condemning Holocaust denial and urging all nations and social media companies to “take active steps to combat anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial or distortion.

Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and chief rabbi of Park East Synagogue, whose family perished in the Auschwitz crematorium, spoke of witnessing the burning of his synagogue in Vienna, his birthplace, on Kristellnacht, on November 9, 1938. It was the beginning of the Holocaust, the night that Hitler and his minions destroyed all the temples in Germany and Austria.

Schneier said “hate mongers” always target places of worship, saying the perpetrator of last week’s hostage-taking in Texas flew from England “to commit this ferocious attack.” The hostages managed to escape and Malik Faisal Akram, 44, who had railed against Jews, was killed by police.

Schneier said his hopes and dreams that no other people would have to suffer the atrocities perpetrated against Jews have been “shattered by persistent anti-Semitism, xenophobia, racism, all forms of hatred and Holocaust denial.” This has been exacerbated today “by social unrest.” , social media, and pandemic conspiracy theories,” as well as “camouflaged anti-Zionism, which is actually also a manifestation of anti-Semitism.”

Schneier said the Nazis forced him to wear a yellow star “so they would mark him for dehumanization and death.” “For someone to wear a yellow star after 1945 is not ignorance, it is a sign of fierce hatred,” he said, pointing to opponents of coronavirus vaccines who showed up at town hall meetings in Kansas with yellow stars, “identifying with victims of the Holocaust.”

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“The distorted analogies of the Holocaust can only be countered through education,” the rabbi said. “Children are born to love and are taught to hate. They must be guided not only to tolerate the ‘others’ but to respect and accept their fellow man”.


www.euronews.com

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