IHRA Chair's Statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day
On the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 74th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau. German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp (1940-1945), the Italian Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Ambassador Sandro De Bernardin, stresses the importance of countering distortion and safeguarding the historical record. “The Holocaust was not an incident of history that came out of the blue, but was the outcome of a process marked by legal discrimination and the progressive denial of the human rights of individuals and groups. We have...
IHRA Chair's Statement on Adoption of Declaration on Antisemitism by the Justice and Home Affairs Council
"In my capacity as Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I commend the unanimous adoption of the declaration on antisemitism by the Justice and Home affairs Council by the 28 Member States on 6 December. The declaration is a strong statement that democracies must pay closer attention to - and take specific steps to combat - the problem of antisemitism. Existential questions have been raised about the viability of continued Jewish life in Europe – a community that has existed in Europe for millennia. Were this to change, so too would the future of Europe as a...
In Memory of Mihnea Constantinescu
It was with deep sadness that the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance learned yesterday of the death of former IHRA Chair, Ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu. Ambassador Constantinescu was a highly-respected colleague within the IHRA community, where he skillfully chaired the organization in 2016. “Mihnea was a highly professional diplomat with a sharp wit and real warmth of character. I had the pleasure of working closely with him throughout 2016 and was struck by his unwavering commitment to combatting antisemitism and safeguarding the memory of the Holocaust. Even after his...
IHRA Chair’s Statement on Shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh
“It was with great shock that I learned of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on 27 October. As the Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and in the name of all 31 Member Countries, I express sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the survivors, and the whole Jewish community in Pittsburgh. We condemn this antisemitic hate crime and call on the international community and all political, social and religious leaders on the national and local level to speak out against hate...
IHRA Chair's Statement on Comments of Italian Minister of Interior, Matteo Salvini
"As Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), I was deeply troubled by the comments made by Matteo Salvini, Italian Minister of Interior, on 18 June 2018 in which he suggested a census be taken of Roma and Sinti in Italy and spoke disrespectfully of Roma. The IHRA is committed to countering distortion and preserving the historical record. Raising awareness of the prejudice towards Roma and Sinti before, during and after the Second World War as well as demonstrating the link between the history of persecution and the present situation of the Roma is a key objective of...
IHRA Chair's Statement on amendment of Polish National Remembrance Law
"As Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I welcome the decision of the Polish Parliament to amend the Polish National Remembrance Law Amendment by removing the criminal penalty of imprisonment. The IHRA community – including Poland – adheres to our founding document, the Stockholm Declaration, which outlines the shared commitment of our Member Countries to encourage the study of the Holocaust in all its dimensions and to uphold its truth against those who would deny it. The 31 Member Countries of the IHRA share the Polish government’s opposition to the historically...
IHRA Chair's Statement on Antisemitic Comments by President Mahmoud Abbas
"As Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, I was dismayed and very worried by the comments made by Palestinian Authority President, Mahmoud Abbas, on 2 May in which he used antisemitic stereotypes in public discourse, falsely claiming that the Holocaust was a result of Jews’ “social function” and purported association with loans and banking. Making mendacious allegations about Jews controlling the economy is one of the typical examples of antisemitic stereotypes denounced in the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. Attempts to blame the Jews for causing their own...
IHRA Chair's Statement on the Murder of Mireille Knoll
"It was with deep sadness and concern that I heard the news of Mireille Knoll’s death in Paris last week. The decision of French prosecutors to file preliminary charges for murder with antisemitic motives is correct and sets an important international signal that governments, judicial systems and police forces must be aware of and sensitive to antisemitic motivations for hate crimes. I commend the statement of French leaders condemning antisemitism and am convinced that the French prosecutors will ensure a thorough investigation into the crime. The fact that today, some eighty years...
Statement on President Duda's decision to sign law
“It was with deep regret that we learned that President Duda of Poland has signed the amendment of the Act on the Institute of National Remembrance into power. Over the last few days, the experts of our Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial and our Honorary Chairman, Professor Yehuda Bauer, have all raised their voices to underline the right to free and open research and discourse. We are disappointed that their voices, along with so many other diplomats, educators, and academics, were not heeded. The IHRA community – including Poland – is committed to our founding document, the S...
IHRA Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial Statement on Polish Legislation
"We, the Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, wish to express our extreme concern over the recent decision by the Parliament of Poland on 26 January 2018 and the Senate of Poland on 31 January 2018 to pass an amendment to the act on the Institute of National Remembrance. Should the President of Poland sign it into law, this amendment brings with it the possibility of a government-imposed fine or up to a three-year term of imprisonment to persons, both within and outside of Poland, who “ascribe to the Polish People or to the Polish...