The Secretary-General Antonio Guterres decried the resurgence of antisemitism in comments Tuesday night at a service commemorating victims of the Nazi Holocaust, and he urged people around the world to "stand firm against hate and bigotry anywhere and everywhere."
The U.N. Chief said he was alarmed to learn recently that barely half of adults worldwide have heard of Holocaust, which saw the murder of 6 million Jews, comprising one-third of Jewish people, and millions of others during World War II. He said lack of knowledge among the younger generations "is worse still." "Our response to ignorance must be education," Guterres said."Governments everywhere have a responsibility to teach about the horrors of Holocaust."He spoke at the United Nations International Holocaust Remembrance Service at Park East Synagogue on eve of International Day of Commemoration in Memory of Victims of Holocaust, which was held virtually because of COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution in November 2005 establishing annual commemoration and chose January 27, the day Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated by troops from Soviet Union in 1945. Guterres said the rise in antisemitism -- "the oldest form of hate and prejudice" -- has seen new reports of physical attacks, verbal abuse, the desecration of Jewish cemeteries, synagogues vandalized, and last week the hostage-taking of the rabbi and members of Beth Israel Congregation in Colleyville, Texas.
Around world, Guterres said, Jewish boys are warned not to wear a kippa, the skullcap worn by observant Jews, in public "for fear of being assaulted," and there are conspiracy theories devolving into "heinous antisemitic tropes" and "deeply disturbing attempts to deny, distort or minimise Holocaust," especially on internet.
He welcomed Jan. 20 adoption by 193-member U.N. General Assembly of a resolution condemning a denial of Holocaust and urging all nations and social media companies "to take active measures to combat antisemitism and Holocaust denial or distortion. "Rabbi Arthur Schneier, a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and Park East Synagogue's senior rabbi whose family perished in crematorium of Auschwitz, spoke of witnessing the burning of his synagogue in Vienna, his birthplace, on Kristellnacht -- Nov. 9, 1938.
It was the beginning of the Holocaust, the night Hitler and his henchmen destroyed every temple in Germany and Austria. Schneier said "hate mongers" always target houses of worship, saying the perpetrator of last week's hostage-taking in Texas flew from England "to commit this vicious attack." The hostages managed to escape and 44-year-old Malik Faisal Akram, who had ranted against Jews, was killed by police.