Romanian President Klaus Iohannis
has decorated professor Yehuda Bauer, honorary president of the International
Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust with the For Merit National Order in
Rank of Grand Officer, for his significant contribution to the research of the
Holocaust phenomenon, with the purpose of keeping alive the memory of this
tragedy that the world should never experience again and for his fruitful and
prodigious collaboration with Romania.
On this occasion, Yehuda Bauer,
now aged 90, has warned over the consequences of not knowing about the
atrocities committed during the Holocaust. According to Yehuda Bauer, any human
action aimed at exterminating the Jews is a result of the human will.
Consequently, what happened during the Holocaust might happen again. In his
opinion, this should make us all try to do our best to diminish, if not
neutralize, all actions directed not only against the Jews but against any
individual.
President Iohannis spoke at the
ceremony about Romania’s efforts, in the past few decades, to improve
legislation in the field and support initiatives aimed to discourage
anti-Semitism. Klaus Iohannis has also said that through their actions Romanian
leaders have proven that they want responsible citizens, that they want to
preserve the historical memory of the Holocaust and that they honour the memory
of the Holocaust victims.
We believe in a society of
tolerance, the President went on to say, able to successfully pass the test
that the European and international society has been putting us to lately, such
as the refugee crisis, the terrorist attacks and the anti-Semitic, xenophobic
and racist actions.
Iohannis has reminded that 75
years since the most terrible actions against the Jews on Romania’s territory
took place, known as the Iasi Pogrom, will be marked next month. Against this
background, Iohannis has reiterated Bucharest’s firm commitment to further
combat any anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic actions.
The head of state has also
mentioned that Romania took over, in 2016, the presidency of the
International Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust. The priorities of the
new presidency are collaborations with the media and social media in raising
awareness over the Holocaust, fighting extremism, discrimination, xenophobia,
racism and anti-Semitism, consolidating education and promoting academic
research in the field. According to Iohannis Romania will organize, at the
beginning of 2017, an international summit devoted to joint action against
anti-Semitic and extremist behaviors.
