January 31, 2016
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) has praised the speech delivered by President Obama at the Israeli embassy in Washington to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day. In his address, the president posthumously honoured four individuals who courageously risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. President Obama also focused on the rise of anti-Semitism around the world and Israel’s security, stating that “We are all Jews, because anti-Semitism is a distillation, an expression of an evil that runs through so much of human history, and if we do not answer that, we do not answer any other form of evil… America’s commitment to Israel’s security remains now and forever unshakable, and, I’ve said this before, it would be a fundamental moral failure if America broke that bond.”
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“We thank and applaud President Obama for his remarkable speech honouring the four heroic individuals and all the Righteous Among the Nations who risked their lives to save Jews, and whose actions embody the universal values of humanity. We were gratified by the President’s important acknowledgement of the dramatic rise of anti-Semitism against Jews and Jewish institutions around the world, and his reiteration that it is our collective responsibility to combat and to confront this disturbing reality. We were also pleased by President Obama’s denouncement of those who “veer from criticism of a particular Israeli policy to an unjust denial of Israel’s right to exist.” On this day of commemoration, it was reassuring to hear the President re-affirm his personal and the United States commitment to Israel’s security as its strongest ally. We wholeheartedly share in the words of Prime Minister Netanyahu who told President Obama, “Your being here reflects the unbreakable bond of friendship between Israel and the United States.”
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677
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