[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 53 (Wednesday, May 3, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E624-E625]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN COMMEMORATION OF HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 2, 2000

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I commend Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Martyrs' 
and Heroes' Remembrance Day, which memorializes the six million Jews 
murdered during World War II.
  This somber anniversary is a tribute to the memory of the victims of 
the Holocaust, the heroism of those who fought back, and the strength 
of those who survived. A national holiday in Israel, Yom Hashoah is 
also commemorated in communities across this country.
  I strongly believe that we must act on our promise to ``never 
forget'' by acting on our responsibility to teach future generations 
about the lessons of the Holocaust. As we prepare our children for a 
new century, we must instill in them the tolerance and compassion to 
prevent the greatest terror of the past century

[[Page E625]]

from ever being repeated in the next. The legacy of the survivors of 
the Holocaust and of those who perished will only live on if we educate 
people about this history.
  It was only last month that British Courts exonerated historian 
Deborah Lipstadt of the libel charges brought by a Holocaust denier. 
Although the decision reaffirmed that Holocaust denial is false history 
and Nazi sympathy, it is unfortunate that such attempts to distort and 
trivialize the Holocaust abound. The release of the Eichmann diaries as 
evidence used in the trial only further establishes the reality of the 
Holocaust and the dangers of those who seek to deny it.
  Today is an opportunity to recommit ourselves to stand against anti-
Semitism, discrimination, and intolerance in all forms, at home and 
abroad. We reflect upon the murder of 6 million innocent Jewish men, 
women and children, and the systematic destruction of families and 
vibrant communities. We reestablish our determination to confront the 
past, and our dedication to perpetuating the memory of those who 
suffered.

                          ____________________