At Holocaust Remembrance Day Conference, Danon Condemns Apathy

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon condemned the indifference of the international community to anti-Semitism at the U.N. International Holocaust Remembrance Day conference on Monday.

“Calls for the destruction of the Jewish people continue in full force,” Danon said in a speech. “They reveal themselves on the walls of synagogues; on the gravestones in Jewish cemeteries; on the sides of Iranian missiles. The Jewish people around the world cannot feel completely safe. They make it so that the Jewish people cannot have a single year without a case of anti-Semitism. This is what happens when the world chooses apathy.

“Apathy is the enemy of humanity. Apathy means allowing a U.N. member state to develop nuclear weapons, when it clearly states its intention to destroy the Jewish state.”

Inge Auerbacher, a survivor of Terezin camp, spoke about her experiences before the General Assembly: “My hope, my wish and prayer is for every child to grow up in peace without hunger and prejudice. I plead with you, world. Make good choices. The antidote to hatred is education. No more anti-Semitism!”

After the event, the Israeli Mission to the United Nations, together with the Missions of Peru and Portugal, held an event to open an exhibition devoted to diplomats who are Righteous Among the Nations. The U.N. Secretary-General and the families of diplomats who were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations participated in the event.

In his speech, Secretary General Guterres condemned the rise of anti-Semitism in the world, and the importance of standing up against it: “We reaffirm our resolve to fight the hatred that still plagues our world today. It is necessary more and more that we sound the alarm. Inevitably, where there is anti-Semitism, no one else is safe.”