Today, Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chair of The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), issued the following statement to mark 71 years since the liberation of the Bergen Belsen Nazi death camp by British and Canadian troops.
“These heart-wrenching and solemn occasions are a reminder us that such hell on earth must never be allowed to happen again and that it is the world’s duty to confront tyranny and barbarism wherever it is displayed. Death camps such as Bergen Belsen were built with the sole purpose of exterminating the Jewish people, though there were other victims— Gypsies, Poles, Roman, Slavs, Soviet war prisoners, and the mentally or physically handicapped. Today, we are witnessing the appearance of new forms of anti-Semitism on a global scale, and are prompted to reflect that the Holocaust, the greatest crime against humanity, was the inevitable result of a long history of anti-Semitic persecution and pogroms. Shamefully, during the Holocaust and since then, the world has failed to prevent other genocides in Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda and Darfur. Though no words can describe the horrors committed in the death camps, we can show our respect for the victims and survivors by doing all we can to protect vulnerable communities who are threatened with similar threats, now and in the future. This anniversary presents the international community with the opportunity to say loud and clear “Never Again” to the purveyors of hate, and to confront ideologies based on extremism, exclusion and bigotry with concrete action and education. Today, we also honour the survivors who resisted their oppressors’ evil designs, and are here as beacons of hope and symbols of the triumph of the spirit. As we carry the torch of remembrance, we make a pledge to work hard so as not fail them.”
The Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and all forms of hatred.
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677
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