Mr. President,
“Acknowledge the Tragedy, Consider
the Legacy, Lest We Forget.”
This is the message to be inscribed
on the Permanent Memorial in Honour of the Victims of Slavery and the
Transatlantic Slave Trade. By remembering the slave trade, we “acknowledge the
tragedy” and honor its victims.
Lasting over three hundred and fifty
years, the trans-Atlantic slave trade uprooted and relocated thirty million
people, who were driven into cruel and dehumanizing bondage. This period remains one of the longest and
most sustained assaults on the lives and dignity of human beings in history.
In human terms, the cost was
staggering. Many perished on the trek to ports along the African coast while many
more died onboard ship, on the so-called “Middle Passage”. When the survivors reached the New World, their
situation was little better. Treated as
property rather than human beings, they were bought and sold at auction, beaten
and abused. Generation after generation
were born, toiled and died without knowing freedom. But they do live on, in our memory.
Mr. President,
The Jewish people share the pain of
slavery. The Bible describes how the children of Israel emerged from bitter
enslavement in ancient Egypt to become a nation in the land of Israel. Because
we were born in slavery, we understand the yearning for freedom. Because we
suffered from persecutions, we cherish the sanctity of life and the value of
human dignity.
Unfortunately, Mr. President, the
long arm of slavery continues to touch the modern world. Slavery’s legacy lives on in discrimination
and inequality, racism and prejudice. The
most fitting tribute we can pay to slavery’s victims is by addressing these issues
and by committing ourselves to fighting modern-day slavery, in all its forms. Wherever a child is forced into hard labour,
wherever a woman is sold into prostitution, we must put into action the
responsibility that comes with memory.
Mr. President,
We cannot undo the past. We can, however, ensure that the tragedies of
the past serve as clear lessons for the future and we can honor slavery’s
victims by remembering them and what they endured.
In conclusion, Israel is proud to
have played its part in honoring the memory of the victims of slavery by contributing
to the Permanent Memorial and by cosponsoring the present resolution. We are grateful for this opportunity.
Thank you.