[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, April 9, 2002

  Mr. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with Jews 
across this nation and around the world to pay tribute to those who 
perished at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust. Today in the 
nation's Capital, we gather to pay our respects with our Days of 
Remembrance ceremony. My district, the 9th Congressional District of 
Illinois, is home to perhaps the largest concentration of survivors in 
the country and certainly in the state, and this day holds deep meaning 
for those individuals and the entire community.
  Recent events in the Middle East and around the world underscore the 
importance of this day. Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and 
demonstrations continue in numerous countries. And while we respect the 
right of every person to be heard, the hateful displays throughout the 
world that are directed at the Jewish people remind us that ``Never 
Again'' is not a guarantee, but a promise that we must uphold through 
education, dialogue, and determination. It also reminds us that we must 
continue to strengthen the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel. 
Moreover, we must redouble our efforts to bring lasting peace to the 
Middle East.
  ``Never Again'' means that we must combat hate wherever it exists. We 
must never turn a blind eye to terror or discrimination. We must demand 
that our government hold those who carry out acts of needless brutality 
accountable.
  While we must honor those who were lost during the Holocaust by 
carrying on and living honorable and productive lives, we must also 
honor them by carrying out measures to bring to justice those who were 
implicated and who profited from their suffering. And we must do 
everything within our power to provide the utmost measure of 
restitution for those who survived the Nazi's evil plan.
  The Holocaust was the most horrific human atrocity the world saw 
during the last century and perhaps in the history of the planet. 
Millions of Jews and others were brutalized, raped, beaten, 
dehumanized, enslaved, robbed, and murdered. While it is hard to grasp 
how terrible those events must have been, what all of our children, and 
us must do is to listen to the stories of those few remaining survivors 
of the Holocaust and ensure that their stories and their suffering are 
a permanent part of history.
  The Holocaust was not only the worst murder case in history, but it 
was also the biggest exploitation and theft. Jews and others were 
enslaved-worked literally to death for various companies. The Nazis 
liquidated millions of insurance policies with the assistance of 
insurance companies, and millions of bank accounts were seized. I am 
sad to say that, to this date, there has been no restitution for the 
bulk of those crimes. Every year we observe Yom Ha-shoah, we are also 
reminded of those survivors of the Holocaust who have passed away 
during the previous year.
  Negotiations to repay stolen assets are ongoing. But, unfortunately, 
the process is slow and many have been deprived of at least some 
measure of justice after enduring so much. Real and overdue progress on 
this front requires the complete cooperation of foreign governments and 
multinational corporations, who have yet to own up to their role in the 
crime of the last century. The fact that some still deny responsibility 
or refuse full compliance with negotiations only adds to the suffering 
and prolongs the justice those survivors deserve.
  As members of Congress, a critical responsibility we have this year 
is to closely evaluate the status of efforts to gain restitution for 
insurance policies that were sold to victims and survivors of the 
Holocaust but were never paid.
  There are still some 10, 000 survivors in Illinois and roughly I 100 
of them have filed claims for insurance. To my knowledge, only a 
handful, 14 have received offers for payments.
  This is an issue that is beyond urgency. There are serious problems 
that need to be resolved and Congress has a responsibility to make sure 
that is done so that those who have lived to recall the Holocaust may 
also have some measure of justice and dignity paid to them while they 
are still alive.
  We can not even attempt to repay them for the suffering and the loss. 
What we can do is honor holocaust victims and survivors first, by never 
allowing our children and future generations to forget what happened 
and by denouncing in the strongest of terms, rhetoric and behavior that 
are tainted with the reminiscence of the Nazi era.
  Today we honor and mourn those who perished. We vow to live our lives 
in a way that pays tribute to their memory and ensures others will not 
suffer their fate.

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