senselessly murdered here. And never, never ever forget,’ Anita Lasker Wallfisch emphasized.
President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda extended his honorary patronage over the events commemorating the anniversary. In his address he emphasized that thanks to modern technology we are today able to honour the memory of the victims.
‘However, this year's commemoration makes us realize in a very powerful way the significance of the material evidence of the genocide as well as its horrendous reality. The crimes committed in German concentration and extermination camps were real, real people were suffering an unimaginable but genuine pain and they were really dying. They were really murdered. The suffering and the death of the Victims were, are and will remain real,’ Andrzej Duda said.
‘It is our obligation to preserve all material evidence, memorabilia and signs of Their existence, Their life and martyrdom to make sure that humanity never forgets about Them,’ the President added.
‘The authorities of the Republic of Poland are carrying out their mission of preserving the evidence of that biggest crime in human history. When the threat of the deadly disease has passed, we will once again stand in Auschwitz-Birkenau on this soil soaked with the blood of over 1 million Victims. What one can see here is an answer to oblivion, to the illusion of non-reality, to the lie of denial,’ Andrzej Duda emphasized.
Then the representatives of Israel and the Russian Federation took the floor.
‘Many things have changed in the years that have passed, but hatred and antisemitism are still an issue we have to face today. Antisemitism isn't just a Jewish problem. It is everyone's responsibility to fight it. Hatred, xenophobia and intolerance towards others are things that tend to spread, poisoning societies. And as we remember today, might lead to deadly results,’ said Chargé d'affaires Tal Ben-Ari Yaalon.
‘We must do everything in our power to make sure such horrors won't happen again... to anyone. Regardless of gender, religion, race, colour or sexual preferences. It is up to us,’ she added.