The Foreign Affairs News The Leading News Portal
International
Jan 28, 2025

International Holocaust Remembrance Day marked

Avatar photo
FA Correspondent
Ambassadors of Israel and United States of America to Nepal and DCM at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany speaking at the International Holocaust Remembrance Day event organized on January 27, 2025 Monday at the greenery garden of the Israeli Ambassador’s residence in Kathmandu. EoI Photo based

Ambassadors of Israel and United States of America to Nepal and DCM at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany speaking at the International Holocaust Remembrance Day event organized on January 27, 2025 Monday at the greenery garden of the Israeli Ambassador’s residence in Kathmandu. EoI Photo based

Kathmandu based Embassy of State of Israel joining hands with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany marked the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, 2025 Monday at the greenery garden of the Israeli Ambassador’s residence in Kathmandu. This year marks 80 years since the Holocaust’s end and 80 years of efforts to preserve the memory of its victims.

The Holocaust known in Hebrew as the Shoah was the genocide of European Jews (have lived in Europe for more than two thousand years) during World War II was believed the systematic state-sponsored killing of six million Jewish men, women, and children and millions of others by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1941 and 1945, across German-occupied Europe.

The murders were carried out primarily through mass shootings and poison gas in extermination camps, chiefly Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Belzec, Sobibor, and Chełmno in occupied Poland. This is estimated around two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population.

The day is commemorated in memory of the victims of the Holocaust with a solemn “Memorial Event and Exhibition titled Auschwitz- A Place on Earth”.

The United Nations designated January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day in 2005, weighing a multifaceted annual program observed globally in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

During the memorial, six candles were lit, honoring the six million Jewish people, who were brutally and systematically murdered during the Holocaust. A moving testimony from a Holocaust survivor was also screened, providing a powerful first-hand account of unimaginable suffering and survival.

Speaking at the Memorial Day event, Ambassador of State of Israel H.E. Mr. Shmulik Arie Bass said “Humanity must commemorate this day in memory of the victims to educate younger generations, emphasizing that a tragedy of such magnitude is never repeated.”

“On January 27, 2005, the United Nations General Assembly held its first special session to commemorate the Holocaust, marking the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz,” he informed.

“For the first time, a Yad Vashem Museum exhibition was displayed at the UN building in New York, and the anthem of hope, “Hatikvah,” was sung. That year marked a pivotal effort to promote Holocaust remembrance within the UN, supported by then-Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Member States,” he informed.

Expressing solidarity, the Ambassador of the United States of America H.E. Dean R. Thompson stressed standing against anti-Semitism, racism, and all forms of hatred and intolerance.

The US envoy also conveyed greetings from the US Secretary of State of Marco Rubio, who reaffirmed his unwavering support for the Holocaust survivors and their heirs saying “I am confident that we will continue to be a partner in remembering and honoring the period of such devastation”

Speaking at the event, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany Mr. Benjamin Siedel remarks, “While today is primarily a day of remembrance, it is also a call to action. The Holocaust did not begin with gas chambers; it began with words- words of hate, division, and dehumanization. The sobering reality underscores our shared responsibility as democratic citizens to stand resolutely against anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and all forms of discrimination.”

Member of the National Human Rights Commission Dr. Surya Prasad Sharma Dhungel said that “The Holocaust was not merely a tragedy of the Jewish people or Europe- it was a failure of humanity itself. It serves as a reminder of what can happen when hatred is normalized, when prejudice goes unchecked, and when justice is denied.”

The event continued with a choir performance by students of Himali Boarding School and a musical piece performed by students of Kathmandu Pragya Kunja School, both of which added to the reflective atmosphere of the gathering.

Students performing at the event. EoI Photo

The event also featured the exhibition, “Auschwitz- A Place on Earth”aiming at educating about the human-made brutality and delivering the message that such cruelty should never be repeated.

The exhibition will remain open to the public at Himali Boarding School from January 28- to February 2, 2025 and Kathmandu Pragya Kunja School from February 3 to 9, 2025. The exhibition will also be open at other sites as well.

The memorial gathering served as a reminder of the importance of remembrance, solidarity and the global commitment to “never forget, never again.”

In Washington D.C., delivering a message by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, designated by the United Nations to mark the anniversary of the January 27, 1945, liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi concentration and death camp.

“We solemnly remember the six million Jews who were systematically murdered across Europe by the Nazis and their collaborators, as well as the millions of others who were killed. We honor those who survived, thank the liberators, and renew our shared commitment to human freedom and justice.”

“This year marks 80 years since the end of World War II and the Holocaust. It may be one of the last years survivors are able to share eyewitness accounts of the horrors they experienced. As Secretary of State, I will continue my unwavering commitment to support Holocaust survivors and their heirs,” he added.

Meanwhile, at an event in the United Nations in New York Monday, honouring the victims of the Holocaust and those who survived the Nazi death camps, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said “Remembrance is not only a moral act, remembrance is a call to action. The lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.”

The UN chief also urges all to “speak-up against hate”, stand-up for the human rights of all, and “make those rights a reality as hate continues to grow and the world must do more to fight against growing antisemitism.”

Prayers and a moment of silence at the United Nations Observance of International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust. Credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elías

“More than 15 months on from the 7 October terror attacks by Hamas in Israel, the UN will continue doing its utmost to ensure it leads to the release of all hostages and to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” UN chief stressed.

Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said “80 years after the Holocaust, “it is time to acknowledge that challenging our right to exist is not diplomacy, it is plain antisemitism with deep faith and hope.”

“Our nation rose from the flames of the crematorium not to live forever by the sword, but to build, to repair, to add light, to heal. I hoped peace agreements could be reached between Israel and its neighbours across the region with all people of the Middle East, Israelis, Palestinians, others living peacefully to defeat darkness and hatred working together to ensure building of a shared future,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog stressed.

At the program, the survivors of the Holocaust also shared their horrific experiences of forced labor, starvation, disease, and constant terror at the Nazi death camps.

(Kathmandu event was based on the press release of the Embassy of Israel)