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Helsinki Commission Leaders Commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day

Hastings, Wicker, Cardin, and Wilson Mourn Most Recent Victims of Rising Anti-Semitic Violence
Thursday, May 02, 2019

WASHINGTON—As the country commemorates Holocaust Remembrance Day and mourns the victims of the shooting at the Chabad of Poway synagogue, Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (FL-20), Co-Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS), and Ranking Members Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statements:

“More than 70 years ago, Nazis slaughtered millions of innocents, and we said, ‘Never Again.’ Tragically, we are still battling anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms of intolerance across the OSCE region, including in our own country,” said Chairman Hastings. “Our communities must come together to condemn vile acts of hatred like the tragedy in Poway.  We honor the victims by not only remembering the millions who were lost, but also continuing to fight to protect human rights for all.”

“As we solemnly mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, we mourn the millions of lives lost to Hitler’s evil, including the six million Jews murdered because of anti-Semitism—the world’s oldest hatred,” said Co-Chairman Wicker. “Bigotry continues today, and we have recently seen religiously motivated violence, including attacks on Jews worshipping at synagogues. Holocaust Remembrance Day is an occasion to reflect on these tragedies and to aspire to the heroism of those resistors in Europe who fought the Nazis and saved thousands.”   

“Today, communities of all creeds and nationalities come together to commemorate one of the darkest times in human history. We honor the six million Jews who perished and those who survived the Holocaust,” said Sen. Cardin. “The recent tragedy in Poway following the horrific murders in Pittsburgh are a painful reminder that our work is not finished.  We must come together to reject all forms of hate, racism, and xenophobia. We must pledge to speak up for one another, regardless of whether our neighbor looks, worships or lives like us.”

“‘We Remember’ cannot be just a phrase—it must be a promise to forever recall the victims that perished, the families that were separated, and the communities that courageously rebuilt,” said Rep. Wilson. “The devastation of the Holocaust must never fade from our collective memory and never be repeated. Saturday’s attack on peaceful worshippers in Poway is evidence that we must do more to ensure that the lessons of one of the worst tragedies in human history are not forgotten.”

Media contact: 
Name: 
Stacy Hope
Email: 
csce[dot]press[at]mail[dot]house[dot]gov
Phone: 
202.225.1901
Relevant issues: 
Anti-Semitism
Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, and War Crimes
Leadership: 
Alcee Hastings
Ben Cardin
Roger Wicker
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