79th Anniversary of Auschwitz Liberation; Survivors of Nazi Death Camps Honor Holocaust Victims

On the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a group of survivors from Nazi death camps gathered at this camp in southern Poland to honor the victims of the Holocaust. Approximately 20 survivors from death camps established by Nazi Germany across Europe participated in the ceremony, laying flowers and lighting candles while paying tribute to the Holocaust victims and engaging in prayer. More than one million people, most of whom were Jewish, died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. According to available statistics, nearly six million European Jews were killed during the Holocaust, the mass extermination of Jews and other groups, before and during World War II by the Nazis. January 27 (Bahman 7) is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and various programs are held worldwide on this occasion. In Germany, people commemorated the victims of Nazi crimes, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that Germany will continue to accept its responsibility for this 'crime against humanity.' He urged all German citizens to defend the country's democracy and combat anti-Semitism. In his weekly video message, the German Chancellor emphasized the need to confront anti-Semitism and racism in Germany. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is fighting against Russia's military aggression, also issued a message on social media 'X' for this occasion. Zelensky, who is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust, stated that 'every new generation must be familiar with the truth of the Holocaust.' He honored the memory of Holocaust victims and added that 'the value of human life must remain the highest for all nations of the world.' In Italy, Holocaust remembrance events included a large march and official statements from senior political leaders. Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, said that the country's nationalist conservative government is committed to eradicating anti-Semitism, which she claimed has 'resurfaced' amid the Israel-Hamas war. Critics have long accused Meloni and her party, 'Brothers of Italy,' which is said to have 'neo-fascist' roots, of not doing enough to atone for their dark past. Leftist parties in Italy, while honoring Holocaust victims in a torchlight march, paid tribute to all those, including Jews, Roma, sexual and gender minorities, and political opponents, who were killed in Nazi death camps. This ceremony took place under conditions where police forces were on standby to counter potential protests from Palestinian supporters. The Nazis, who occupied Poland during World War II, initially used old military barracks in Auschwitz-Birkenau as a forced labor and death camp for Polish resistance fighters. However, in 1942, gas chambers and crematoria were added to the complex to exterminate Jews, Roma, and Russian prisoners of war. The Red Army of the former Soviet Union liberated Auschwitz on January 27, 1945, with about seven thousand prisoners, women, children, and individuals who were on the brink of death due to severe weakness and hunger. The Germans had previously marched tens of thousands of other prisoners out of Auschwitz on foot, many of whom died along the way due to exhaustion, hunger, and cold. The Auschwitz-Birkenau camp has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Source: Associated Press. German Chancellor: Anti-Semitism is a threat to democracy. On International Holocaust Remembrance Day; Biden: We are witnessing a concerning rise in anti-Semitism worldwide. Joe Biden: We will continue to provide military assistance to Israel until they rid themselves of Hamas. Israeli President thanks the U.S.; Jews around the world must be safe.