Debate: Formal sitting – International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Date: THURSDAY, 27 JANUARY 2022
Speaker: Ursula von der Leyen
Language: EN

But your testimony, Margot Friedländer, and your energy at 100 years shows that dignity and identity are indestructible. I can’t even imagine how hard it must be, liebe Frau Friedländer, to bring these memories back to the surface. And I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is the greatest service, the greatest act of love for all of us and future generations. Because you make us see. You make us free. Our freedom is built on the memory of the Holocaust. Because the very reason why our Union was founded lies in two simple words: never again.  My gratitude is even greater, as a German with Europe in her heart. Because I feel the deep scar in my country’s history and the indelible responsibility in our collective history. We want to keep our eyes wide open. We want to understand what happened and why, so it never happens again. And you, liebe Frau Friedländer, made us see and made us understand. There is one thing about your life that strikes me immensely – you spoke about it. Indeed, right after the war, you decided to leave Germany and Europe because the pain was too big and the past would never get past you. But then, 20 years ago, you decided to come back. Even if the memory was still alive – in fact, precisely because the memory had to remain alive – you came back so that history could never come back. And you explained your decisions, as we’ve just heard, with the words: what happened can’t be changed. But now it’s up to you, the next generation. And yes, the next generation deserve to hear your story. They became your mission. And today I would like to tell you that your mission is our mission too. It is because of this mission that we have to come up with our thoughts and our work. And this is why we came with our first strategy to combat anti—Semitism and to foster Jewish life in Europe. We have listened to the warning that is coming from the people like you. Anti—Semitism has not disappeared. It still poisons our societies. A stunning 70 percent of European Jews don’t feel safe when wearing a kippah or a star of David. And throughout the pandemic, Jews have been the target of all sorts of conspiracy theories and hate speech. But this time we won’t close our eyes.  Preserving the memory is the first step to avoid that history repeats itself. With the strategy, we are working so that all schools in Europe teach the history of the Shoah. We want to raise youth ambassadors of remembrance as the next generation who will keep the memory alive. And we will encourage students to learn about Europe’s Jewish culture and tradition. For instance, just 10 days ago, Jewish people around the world planted trees to celebrate Tu BiShvat, the year of trees. Our children should know about it, because it’s part of our European culture and history and because it teaches us to take care of our planet and our future. Liebe Margot Friedländer, honourable Members, today we have listened to the story of how life and dignity were taken away from millions right here in Europe. People were killed and humiliated, their names replaced by numbers on their forearm – and all of this just because of who they were. The Union we want to build is a place where everyone can be whoever they want to be. A place where a Jewish woman like Simone Veil, a survivor of the Holocaust, can rise to become the President of this proud European Parliament. A place where everyone is entitled to the same rights and is treated with the same dignity. And this is what keeping the memory alive truly needs: a continent that is finally united in its beautiful diversity.