As the world celebrated International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Saturday, January 27, US President Joe Biden pledged to confront antisemitism and stop attempts to deny or distort the Nazi genocide. His forceful statement comes amid renewed attacks on Jews linked to ongoing clashes between Israel and Hamas militants.Scourge of antisemitism in US: BidenWhite House released a statement on Saturday commemorating Holocaust victims with Biden saying that the U.S. pauses and mourns to reflect on one of the darkest chapters in human history. He mourned the millions murdered by Nazis and honored those who risked their lives to save innocent people.Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we mourn one of the darkest chapters in history, when six million Jews and countless others were systematically murdered.Its our responsibility to stand up to Antisemitism and hate-fueled violence everywhere. pic.twitter.com/7EFgIpgleZ— President Biden (@POTUS) January 27, 2024This year, the charge to remember the Holocaust, the evil of the Nazis, and the scourge of antisemitism is more pressing than ever, Biden saidBut Biden warned that the imperative to remember is now more pressing than ever given a recent spike in antisemitic incidents globally and in America. He pointed to the October 7 Hamas missile attack that killed 1,200 in Israel — the deadliest strike against Jews since the Holocaust.We cannot remember all that Jewish survivors of the Holocaust experienced and then stand silently by when Jews are attacked and targeted again today, the statement added.Biden vows to counter denial of Hamas atrocitiesBiden also issued an unambiguous rebuke of attempts to deny, distort, or minimize Hamas war crimes. He specifically cited efforts to downplay the terrorist groups large-scale use of rape as a weapon during recent fighting.Without equivocation or exception, we must also forcefully push back against attempts to ignore, deny, distort, and revise history, his statement reads.=The president vowed to stand up to antisemitism and fulfill the promise of Never Again taught to him by his father. Biden said hes passed that same lesson to his grandchildren while meeting with Holocaust survivors and families victimized by Hamas.On this somber International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we hold the Jewish community and the people of Israel close in our hearts, Biden concluded.US officials echo call to counter antisemitismOther high-ranking administration officials also marked the remembrance day with posts calling out Jew hatred.Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Holocausts lessons must be applied to combat all forms of intolerance. US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy urged people to stand against antisemitism. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said Americans have a daily duty to root out hatred in all its forms.Their comments come as Blinken continues urgent diplomacy to halt the Israeli-Palestinian fighting that has claimed over 2,000 lives since October.At the presidents direction, the U.S. has provided billions in military financing and defensive aid to support Israel against Hamas rocket barrages targeting Israeli civilians. Biden has forcefully defended the assistance while pushing both sides to agree to a ceasefire.
