Cardin Statement on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day

Statement

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, and Special Representative on Anti-Semitism, Racism, and Intolerance for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly, released the following statement in observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

"On this day, 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. We remember those who risked their lives to resist the atrocities of the Nazi regime, and we renew our commitment to "never again' permit fear and prejudice to develop unchecked into horrific acts.

"Reflection on our common past should move all of us to condemn the ignorance, hate, xenophobia, and racist conspiracy theories which are ascendant in our society today regardless of the religion or race against which they are perpetrated. Neo-Nazi and White Supremacist movements are experiencing an appalling, intolerable resurgence. The wounds are still fresh from the deadly shooting this weekend at the Chabad of Poway in California, which came six months after the anti-Semitic massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. From Kentucky to Gdansk, from college campuses to community centers, the number of documented anti-Semitic and racist incidents have risen to disturbing levels in the United States and Europe. These trends should alarm each and every one of us.

"Despite our political differences, we in the Congress of the United States have historically stood united in our support for the Jewish community. This position accords with our nation's founding commitment to safeguarding the right to worship free of persecution. I have sought to protect and advance religious freedoms for groups of all faiths, including the Jewish community, through collaboration with colleagues on both sides of the aisle many times in my political career. Every leader, including those in Congress, should completely reject anti-Semitism, as well as all forms of hate, racism, and xenophobia.

"On this day, we pledge to speak up for one another, regardless of whether our neighbor looks, worships or lives like us. We need to love thy neighbor -- and respect their differences. In this way, we honor and do justice to the memory of the victims and survivors who we remember on Yom HaShoah."

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