But let me be clear. While Germany and Austria caused, created, and carried out this shattering evil. Practically every other European country helped the Nazis gather up their Jewish citizens.
Too many people in too many countries made Auschwitz happen and when European Jews begged the world for a safe harbor. Someplace to go. The entire world turned its back on them. Even my own country - the beacon of freedom - turned out its light on the Jewish people when they needed it the most.
The U.S. organized a conference in Evian, France, in July of 1938, to discuss the Jewish refugee crisis. There were a lot of lovely speeches but the United States did not let any additional Jewish refugees in and every other country in attendance followed their lead.
There were 32 countries and none of them except for the tiny Dominican Republic wanted anymore Jews. Hitler saw this. Four months later, came Kristallnacht. And again, there was no world reaction. Hitler tested the world and at every step he saw the truth: The world did not care. That’s when he knew that he could build this factory of death. Evian led to Auschwitz.
That’s when he knew that he could build this factory of death. Evian led to Auschwitz. Kristallnacht led to Auschwitz. World anti-semitism led to Auschwitz. Thankfully, there were some people throughout Europe who had a moral decency and who acted differently. Ordinary people who risked their lives and their family’s lives to save other human beings sometimes people they didn’t even know.
At Yad Vashem in Jerusalem you will see 27,362 names of what we call: the Righteous Among Nations those gentiles who risked everything to save Jewish lives. We have not forgotten. These honorable men and women and we never will. Five years ago, at the 70th anniversary, I was very concerned. About the shocking rise of anti-semitism here in Europe. Today, you all know the attacks on Jews, the killings the vicious slanders have only grown worse and they have even spread to my country.
75 years ago when the world finally saw the pictures of the gas chambers here and the piles of bodies nobody in their right mind wanted to be associated with Nazis.
But now, I see something I never thought I would see in my lifetime: the open and brazen spread of anti-Jewish hatred throughout the world once again.
In 2020 we hear the same lies the Nazis used so effectively in their propaganda:
• Jews have too much power;
• Jews control the economy and the media;
• Jews control governments;
• Jews control everything.
We hear this madness online in the media and even from democratic governments. We will never eradicate antisemitism. It’s a deadly virus that has been with us for over 2,000 years. But we cannot look the other way and pretend this isn’t happening.
That’s what people did throughout the 1930s and that is what led to Auschwitz. I remember walking here once with a former inmate named Elie Wiesel. At one place, he stopped and he said something i will never forget, Elie told me that, “The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference. It is indifference that allowed Auschwitz to happen.”
There are 50 countries represented here today. I know each and every one of you is as disgusted by anti-semitism as I am. I also know that you, alone, cannot stop this. But all of you can certainly. Speak out forcefully against it. We can’t re-write history. But we can be much more forceful today.
All of us must remember those brave, moral people who tried to stop this. All world leaders, all politicians must lead in this effort. Words are not enough. Political speeches are not enough. Laws must be passed severe tough real laws that will put these hate mongers away in prison for a long, long time. Children must be educated and know where the hatred of Jews leads. Those are important but there is another vital way for world leaders today to fight this age old hatred.