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Pelosi Statement on Holocaust Remembrance Day

April 21, 2017

Contact: Ashley Etienne/Caroline Behringer, 202-226-7616

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which will begin Sunday evening:

"On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the memory of six million Jews who were murdered because of who they were and what they believed; we listen to the stories and wisdom shared by those who survived; and we rededicate ourselves to uphold a sacred promise that ‘never again' will the world stand silent in the face of anti-Semitism, hatred, and bigotry.

"Holocaust Remembrance Day requires us to carry forward the message of those forever silenced. We honor the memories of the millions of Jews and others targeted by the Nazis and their collaborators by ensuring no nation ever again commits the savage brutality born of hatred and xenophobia that claimed the lives of men, women, and children.

"At the dedication of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the late Elie Wiesel explained the meaning of his words inscribed on the edifice: ‘For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.' ‘For not only are we responsible for the memories of the dead,' he emphasized, ‘we are also responsible for what we are doing with those memories.' As the last generation of living witnesses of the Holocaust passes out of the world, we have a special responsibility to sustain the memory of this vast, almost incomprehensible crime. On this solemn occasion, let us honor the memories of the victims by working together to preserve freedom for all faiths, offer safe haven for victims of persecution, and confront hatred and violence in all its forms."

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