PRESS RELEASE:
Proclamation by Vermont Governor to recognize January 27TH as Holocaust Remembrance Day
MONTPELIER – Today, Governor Phil Scott proclaimed January 27th, 2020 the official Holocaust Remembrance Day in Vermont. The proclamation also recognizes the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism – on International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th, the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration and death camp. The definition reads as follows:
“Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred towards Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, towards Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
In 2016, the working definition was adopted by the U.S. State Department and has since, been recognized by 34 countries around the world. This specific language defines a growing problem, educates the public and represents the most widely accepted definition of anti-Semitism and its manifestations.
The State of Israel is grateful to the Governor of Vermont Phil Scott for this important gesture of recognition and for standing with Jewish communities around the world and for proactively combating the rise of global anti-Semitism.
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