“. . . for the dead and the living, we must bear witness . . . to remain silent
and indifferent is the greatest sin of all . . .”
Elie Wiesel
Holocaust Survivor
This is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The world must never forget the Holocaust. Six million Jews murdered – exterminated – by the Nazi regime and its collaborators.
On this day, much of the world remembers the horror, that painful chapter in world history. President Obama issued a statement. So did leaders in France and Britain.
In a world where information and history is just a click away, it’s troubling to note, though, that a growing number of young people have never heard about the Holocaust. A new survey in Germany reveals that one in five young people don’t know anything about it. Did not know the name of Auschwitz or what happened there.
What’s worse are those who actually deny that the Holocaust ever occurred. The world’s most dangerous Holocaust-denier – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ahmadinejad has repeatedly denied the Holocaust calling it “a myth” and described Israel as a “fake regime” that “must be wiped off the map.”
This from a leader who continues to threaten, not only Israel, but the United States as well. The nation of Israel understands better than most that a nuclear Iran – with Ahmadinejad at the helm – is not only a danger to Israel, but to the free world.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said today “we are determined to prevent Iran from turning nuclear.” The head of the UN’s atomic watchdog group, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is urging Iran to cooperate with a team of inspectors heading to Tehran, after a troubling report on the Iranian nuclear program.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tied together the lessons of the Holocaust with Israel’s responsibility to act alone, if necessary, to protect itself from Iran – a country that’s a very real threat to its own existence.
“I want to remind everyone of the main lesson of the Holocaust against our people – that ultimately when there is threat to our existence, we must not leave our fate in the hands of others. When it is a question of our fate, it is our obligation to rely only on ourselves.”
“We must not bury our heads in the sand. The Iranian regime calls openly for the destruction of Israel, and plans the destruction of Israel and acts for the destruction of Israel. The lesson says that the nations of the world must be awoken.”
Very true.
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