[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 53 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E640-E641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMMEMORATION OF HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TIM HOLDEN

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 22, 2004

  Mr. HOLDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we join together at the 
United States Capitol to observe the national commemoration of 
Holocaust Remembrance Day.
  Also known as Yom HaShoah, a Hebrew term for ``The Holocaust,'' this 
is an internationally recognized day set aside each year to remember 
the victims of the Holocaust and to remind each of us what can happen 
when bigotry and hatred are not confronted.
  The Holocaust's magnitude of destruction with more than 12 million 
deaths--6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children (more than \2/3\ 
of European Jewry) and 6 million others--challenges comprehension. 
Studying the Holocaust presents a framework of many relevant moral 
issues. The Holocaust illustrates the consequences of prejudice, racism 
and stereotyping on a society. It forces us to examine the 
responsibilities of citizenship and confront the powerful ramifications 
of indifference and inaction. The Holocaust also shows us how a 
combination of events and attitudes can erode a society's democratic 
values.
  As we commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, we must acknowledge that 
anti-Semitism and other dangers still exist. Acts of anti-Semitism in 
countries throughout the world, including some of the world's strongest 
democracies, have increased significantly in frequency and scope over 
the last several years. During the first 3 months of 2004, there were 
numerous instances of anti-Semitic violence around the world. For 
instance:

[[Page E641]]

  In Australia, poison was used to ignite, and burn anti-Semitic 
slogans into, the lawns of the Parliament House in the state of 
Tasmania;
  In St. Petersburg, Russia, vandals desecrated approximately 50 
gravestones in a Jewish cemetery, painting the stones with swastikas 
and anti-Semitic graffiti;
  In Toulon, France, a Jewish synagogue and community center were set 
on fire;
  And just 4 weeks ago in Toronto, Canada, vandals attacked a Jewish 
school, a Jewish cemetery, and area synagogues, painting swastikas and 
anti-Semitic slogans on the walls of a synagogue and on residential 
property in a nearby, predominantly Jewish, neighborhood.
  Anti-Semitism in old and new forms is also increasingly emanating 
from the Arab and Muslim world on a sustained basis, including through 
books published by government-owned publishing houses throughout the 
Arab region.
  The sharp rise in anti-Semitic violence has caused international 
organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
Europe (OSCE) to elevate, and bring renewed focus to, the issue, 
including the convening by the OSCE in June 2003 of a conference in 
Vienna dedicated solely to the issue of anti-Semitism. The OSCE will 
again convene a conference dedicated to addressing the problem of anti-
Semitism on April 28-29, 2004, in Berlin, with the United States 
delegation to be led by former Mayor of New York City Ed Koch.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the manner in which Congress has 
consistently supported efforts to address the rise in anti-Semitic 
violence. In that spirit we must ensure the United States Government 
remains strongly committed to supporting international efforts to 
address anti-Semitism through bilateral relationships and interaction 
with international organizations such as the OSCE, the European Union, 
and the United Nations. It is in this spirit that we can truly say, 
``Never Again.''

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