We are present here today, in the Romanian Parliament, to open the first of a sequence of events which mark one of the most painful pages in the Romanian history.
We solemnly commemorate seventy years since the deportation to the death camps of hundreds of thousands of innocent Jews from Northern Transylvania, a territory then annexed to Hungary and occupied by the Nazi Germany.
Entire Jewish families from Transylvania are among the six million victims of the extermination plan operated by the Nazi regime and their collaborators.
Before 1940, a numerous and vivid Jewish population lived in the Northern Transylvania flourishing villages, towns and cities. Historically, its presence here dates back to the earliest antiquity. Their influence on the economic, social and cultural life was remarkable and their contribution to the society, tremendous. They were a vivid part of the history of Transylvania.
When the war was almost over, our brothers and sisters, mothers, fathers and children, from Transylvania were confined into ghettoes and within days they were hastily murdered with the help of the local authorities, either killed on the spot or huddled in the trains of death to Auschwitz, where they found their death in the gas chambers. The few survivors that came back testified about the horrors and humiliation they suffered together with their families.
We honor those who survived; and we also pay tribute today to those few who, during the Shoah, were prepared to risk their lives to save Jews from death.
They are being honored with the “Righteous among nations” award, which is the highest title provided by the State of Israel through Yad Vashem the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust.
It honors such non-Jewish personalities in recognition of their courage to help their suffering fellow men and women at a time of persecution and great tragedy.
The Holocaust has shaken the very foundations of modern civilization, but out of the ashes of the greatest evil committed by mankind, the State of Israel arose as the homeland of the Jewish people. The State of Israel, which is now an island of democracy, of progress and prosperity has committed itself to protect Jews around the world and to fight relentlessly against discrimination in all its forms.
The Shoah represents a universal lesson, which strongly resonates in our hearts and should be seen as a warning.
Anti-Semitism can still be felt in our modern days, and thus, we are faced with an obligation to the future: to combat racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism, in order to guarantee that the Holocaust will never happen again.
We should not forget that even nowadays there are still people around the world who, out of ignorance or maliciousness, deny the Holocaust. There are also people who deny the fact that it took place in Romania.
This is a battle fought by the State of Israel and by our entire nation. This is not just a Jewish battle; it is, and should be, fought by governments and citizens around the world. In this respect, I would like to express my appreciation to the Parliament and Government of Romania for being our partners in this important battle.
Learning about the Holocaust represents not only becoming aware of this terrible chapter in human history, but also an opportunity to pass on to the youth important values and provide the necessary guidelines for understanding diversity, minorities, and cultural pluralism.
It is my belief that both our countries, which have been enjoying excellent relations and strong cooperation in diverse sectors, will continue to join forces in educating future generations about the past, in the spirit of tolerance and peace.
We must never forget that Holocaust happened in the North of Transylvania. The memory of the numerous victims should remain prominent in our minds and hearts as a promise to uphold the sanctity of life.
Vă mulțumesc!