MINSK, 27 January (BelTA) – Israel highly appreciates Belarus' efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust victims, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Belarus Alex Goldman Shayman said as he attended a commemorative event timed to International Holocaust Remembrance Day that was held in the Yama (Pit) memorial complex in Minsk on 27 January, BelTA has learned.
Ambassador Alex Goldman Shayman pointed out the importance of systemic efforts to preserve the memory of the horrifying scale of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, the number of living witnesses to those events is dwindling. “Keeping the memory of the Holocaust tragedy alive is our obligation, our duty towards the survivors and those who did not live to see the liberation and the establishment of the Jewish state. This is also our duty towards future generations, because it is our responsibility to free the world from antisemitism, hatred, and xenophobia,” he stressed.
“We highly value Belarus' efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust. It is important that the country that lost many hundreds of thousands of people in the war, does not forget them,” the ambassador noted. “Today, when we are marking and commemorating such dark moments in the history, I would like to point out that there were also rays of light – the Righteous Among the Nations. Belarus can be proud of the people who rescued Jews in those terrible years. According to the official data, around 700 citizens of Belarus were awarded the title of the Righteous Among the Nations. However, there are many more people who sheltered Jews, risking their lives. We will never forget this and we will be forever grateful,” he added.
However, there are people who downplay or even deny the Holocaust and suggest an alternative view on the history, Alex Goldman Shayman said. “We cannot remain silent about this, because if we are silent today, we will forget, and if we forget then this tragedy will happen again tomorrow. The civilized world should draw lessons from the past, learn from them, and oppose any manifestations of hatred, Nazism, and racism,” the ambassador stressed.
Ambassador Alex Goldman Shayman thanked Belarus for organizing the event in the Yama memorial complex. “Israel highly values the cooperation with Belarus in preserving the memory of the Holocaust victims,” he noted.
Photos by Oksana Manchuk
