[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 41 (Friday, April 15, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  STATEMENT OF HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT ARPAD GONCZ AND HUNGARIAN FOREIGN 
 MINISTER GEZA JESZENSZKY ON THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOLOCAUST IN 
                                HUNGARY

                                 ______


                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 1994

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, just a few weeks ago, a special 
commemoration was held in New York to mark the 50th anniversary of the 
Holocaust in Hungary. On March 19, 1944, Nazi German military forces 
occupied Hungary and began the systematic eradication of Hungary's 
Jewish population. Under the malevolent direction of Adolf Eichmann, in 
a few short months, the Jewish population of Hungary was reduced from 
750,000 to only 139,000.
  Mr. Speaker, in to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Holocaust 
in Hungary, a special remembrance ceremony was held on March 20 in New 
York City under the sponsorship of the U.S. Commission for the 
Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad, the World Federation of 
Hungarian Jews, the American Gathering/Federation of Jewish Holocaust 
Survivors, and the Emanuel Foundation. On that occasion two moving 
messages were read from Hungarian leaders--the President of the 
Republic of Hungary Arpad Goncz and the Minister of Foreign Affairs 
Geza Jeszenszky.
  Mr. Speaker, I am placing in the Record their messages on this 
occasion, and I urge my colleagues to carefully and thoughtfully 
consider them.

     Statement of Arpad Goncz, President of the Republic of Hungary

       Dear Friends,
       It is extremely difficult to express my feelings about the 
     tragedy of the Holocaust of Hungarian Jewry fifty years ago. 
     Difficult because so much has been told of the story never to 
     be entirely told, and yet, so many of us still do not know 
     and do not understand. Difficult because one single death can 
     overwhelm us when it occurs close to us, and the death of 
     millions is unbearable to feel and even more to speak of, 
     unless we manage to keep it at a distance. Maybe this is why 
     many refuse to lend more than one ear, and some prefer to 
     turn a blind eye to something explained many times, and yet 
     unexplainable.
       When I heard of your day of remembrance, the words the 
     eighty-two-year-old cantor of the Szeged synagogue recently 
     told a friend who visited there came to my mind: ``The Jewish 
     community of the city numbered five thousand before the war, 
     and there are three hundred of us now. With assistance from 
     the United States, we managed to renovate the church 
     building. We now have a splendid, although not flawless 
     building, but no people. Would it not be better to have it 
     the other way round?''
       Those who heard, or heard of his words will not forget, I 
     trust. And if people do not forget, but do everything in 
     their power to forgive, there is no reason to fear the 
     future. Forgetfulness is unjustifiable whereas forgiveness is 
     justified, but only if we have the courage and the will to 
     stop any recurrence of hatred and violence against Jews--or 
     any other community. And let us hope together that the 
     cantor, this one or the next, will see people and church 
     building in Szeged.
                                                      Arpad Goncz 

       Statement of Geza Jeszenszky, Foreign Minister of Hungary

       Rabbi Schneier, Distinguished Members of the Memorial 
     Committee, Ladies and Gentleman,
       On the occasion of your gathering I have the privilege to 
     address this honorable assembly, commemorating the 50th 
     anniversary of the Holocaust of Hungarian Jewry-
     Unfortunately, I can only be present through these remarks, 
     not in person.
       This commemoration in New York coincides with two events in 
     Hungarian history, both related to the fate of Hungarian 
     Jewry.
       Today, we solemnly remember one of the darkest days in 
     Hungary's history; Nazi Germany occupied Hungary on March 19, 
     1994. The relatively short but extremely violent German 
     occupation has disastrous consequences for the whole nation, 
     and especially the country's Jewish community. Hundreds of 
     thousands of Hungarian Jews were to be deported to 
     concentration camps. Most of them never came back. We, the 
     survivors and the descendants, must perform the duty of the 
     eternal survivor: never again may we let history unfold in 
     such a way that hate and greed gain space.
       This most tragic day coincides with another event of 
     historic significance: one hundred years ago today, on March 
     20, 1894. Lajos Kossuth, the leader of the 1848-49 Hungarian 
     revolution and freedom-fight, died in exile in Turin, Italy. 
     Lajos Kossuth was a remarkable advocate of the emancipation 
     of the Hungarian Jews. During the short term in office of 
     Kossuth as governing president, an emancipation bill was 
     passed which was quite unprecedented in the whole of Europe. 
     However, since the revolution was crushed, it would not be 
     implemented. Only later, in 1867, in the year when Austria 
     and Hungary reached their historic compromise, did the 
     Hungarian legislature accept the principles of the bill, and 
     accordingly the Emancipation Act came into force. The period 
     starting in 1867 witnessed an unprecedented economic and 
     cultural prosperity in Hungary, from which both Jews and non-
     Jews benefitted.
       Of the several lessons one could draw of these two turns in 
     our history, I would like to say this: only an independent 
     and democratic Hungary can protect her citizens and prevent 
     irrational hatred and inhuman acts.
       The denial of the values of democracy and freedom under 
     Nazi rule in Germany, led to the Holocaust all over Europe. 
     The Holocaust was the most terrible manifestation of Satan's 
     appearance on earth. ``And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, 
     all that he hath is in thy power.'' Like Job in Biblical 
     times, modern man too experienced evil to its full: to us the 
     Holocaust became the embodiment of evil. But the Bible does 
     not leave us without hope; ``. . . only upon himself put not 
     forth thine hand.'' Thus, Satan could neither destroy Job, 
     nor . . . After communism collapsed, Hungary regained her 
     sovereignty and established a democratic sytem, leaving no 
     room for discrimination and oppression. This, we believe, is 
     the set of principles which will safeguard us from any 
     repetition of history. The Hungarian government, let me 
     assure you, will continue to realize that ``most glorious 
     monument,'' Kossuth's dream of democracy. While building and 
     maintaining democracy, we should follow the words of the 
     Psalms and should ``depart from evil, and do good, seek 
     peace, and pursue it.''

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