In marking Holocaust Remembrance Day Monday, US President Barack Obama stressed the responsibility of remembrance and continuing to confront anti-Semitism.
“We must accept the full responsibility of remembrance, as nations and as individuals,” he said, “not simply to pledge ‘never again,’ but to commit ourselves to the understanding, empathy and compassion that is the foundation of peace and human dignity.”
Obama, who made his first trip as president to Israel in March, noted his recent travels and stop at Yad Vashem.
He described that visit as an opportunity to “reaffirm our collective responsibility to confront anti-Semitism, prejudice, and intolerance across the world.”
In joining those in America, Israel and around the world in observing the day, Obama spoke of honoring those whose lives were lost and those who were victims, and underscored the importance of paying tribute to those who resisted the Nazis.