This International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember one of the darkest periods in human history and one of the gravest atrocities the world has ever witnessed. Today, we pay respect to the blessed memories of the millions of Jewish people, who were murdered at the hands of the Nazi Regime and its collaborators during the Holocaust- as well as the Slavs and the Roma, people with disabilities, religious leaders, persons targeted based on their sexual orientation, and political prisoners who were also targeted for systematic slaughter. We renew our resolve that freedom, justice, and the dignity of the human person will always conquer the forces of evil, tyranny, and oppression.
On January 27, 1945, 81 years ago today, Allied forces liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Nazi Regime's largest concentration and death camp in World War II, where over one million people were marched to their senseless deaths. Within the camp's barbed-wire electric fence, those imprisoned there were stripped of their clothing, personal possessions, and God-given dignity. Countless were immediately murdered, and others were subjected to forced labor, starvation, disease, torture, and medical experiments. The barbaric conditions knew no bounds.
The systematic murder of Jewish people across Nazi-occupied Europe remains an indelible blight on mankind. In remembrance of all who perished during the Holocaust and in honor of all those who survived and rebuilt their lives from the ashes, we renew our pledge that such evil will never again attain a stronghold in the West. After I took office as the 47th President of the United States, I proudly made it this administration's priority directing the Federal Government to use all appropriate legal tools to combat the scourge of anti-Semitism. My Administration will remain a steadfast and unequivocal champion for Jewish Americans and the God-given right of every American to practice their faith freely, openly, and without fear.
On this solemn day, we remember every man, woman, and child senselessly killed by the evil, depravity, and hate of the Nazi Regime-and we commend the survivors who dedicated their lives to sharing their stories while carrying the unimaginable burden of the seen and unseen scars. This International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and every day, we honor their enduring resilience, faith, and strength-and we recommit to the sacred truth that every human being is made in the holy image of God.
