It was the 15th of April 1945 that this place in which we stand today was finally liberated. 50,000 people died right here and millions were slaughtered across the rest of Europe. Those who died here were victims of unimaginable brutality, of starvation, of terrible sickness and of murder. It has been 70 years since the end of the Second World War, 70 years since the genocide of Europe’s Jews and the mass murder of anyone deemed undesirable by Nazi Germany and its allies.
Only 70 years later there are already those who trivialise or even deny the events which took place here and with every passing year there are fewer survivors who remain among us to bear witness. We have a duty to remember those dark days. We have a responsibility to the victims to ensure they are not forgotten or relegated to a footnote in history.
Much has changed in 70 years. Europe has been rebuilt; technology has advanced at an unprecedented pace and the era of fascism has passed. But sadly as we reflect and remember the horrors of 70 years ago some things have not changed. There was anti-Semitism before the Holocaust but few of us expected to see it rear its ugly head again so soon, and so violently, on European soil.
We stand here in 2015, in this place which represents the worst of humanity, and we cannot fail to be aware of the rising tide of anti-Semitism sweeping across Europe. Not since the end of the Second World War have Jews felt less safe on this continent. There are those of us who are beginning to wonder again, and to ask in hushed tones, whether there is a future for our community in Europe. Whether our bags should be packed in case we need to flee once more.
The source of that anti-Semitism varies – from the far right to radical Islam. It is thinly disguised as criticism of Israel or grotesquely conveyed through classic conspiracy theories. It is expressed through verbal abuse, graffiti and violence. Jewish schools are guarded by the police and even the military, synagogues depend on volunteer security guards just to operate and some Jews hide their identity as they walk through supposedly cultured European capitals. It’s most terrible manifestation has been the terror attacks in Paris and in Copenhagen where Jews were targeted plainly and simply for being Jews.
As Jews we’ve been faced with this dilemma before. We can try to hide, lower our heads and hope that the winds of hate pass us by. Or we can stand proudly, with friends beside us, and be strong.
And today, we have friends who stand besides us. European governments committed to the safety and security of the Jewish communities in their countries, Christian communities who stand solidly beside us and the State of Israel which serves not only as a refuge but as a source of strength. We must ask more of them. They must stand shoulder to shoulder with us and tackle not only the symptoms of anti-Semitism but also root out its causes. The decay may begin with the Jews as victims but it rarely ends there.
Remembering those horrors today also serves as a reminder of our survival and what that survival can mean. It is difficult to find light in that darkness but I’d like to leave you with a quote from one of the most famous victims of this terrible dark place. A symbol of innocence lost but also of the overriding goodness of humanity. Anne Frank wrote in her diary that during her days in hiding that, “I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps the time will come when I shall be able to carry them out.”
She was unable to carry out her ideals. That opportunity was stolen from her. Our tribute to her should be carry them out in her name.
The World Jewish Congress is committed to ensuring that the next generation of Jews and non-Jews remember the horrors of the Holocaust, study the lessons which can be learnt and act upon them to fight against intolerance, prejudice, racism and hatred. And we are equally committed to re-building Jewish life across Europe, to the reinvigoration of Jewish culture and the strengthening of Jewish communities.
Our ultimate victory over the Nazis, and over those who target us today, is flourishing Jewish life in Europe and a strong Jewish state of Israel taking its rightful place among the family of nations. It is a world based on the ideals espoused by Anne Frank, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”