Mogherini: Europe has duty to remember Holocaust victims

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Federica Mogherini, said Thursday that the world had a “responsibility to remember” the millions of Jews and others murdered in the Holocaust during World War II, and warned that racism and anti-Semitism were on the rise.

Her comments came ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, marked on January 27 every year, the date of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp in 1945.

In a press statement, Mogherini said that “anti-Semitism has not disappeared, and European Jews have too often come under attack,” while “discriminations based on religion and on ethnicity are worryingly on the rise.

“We remember the genocide committed here, on European soil, just two generations ago,” she continued, citing the late Israeli statesman Shimon Peres, “now sadly no longer with us, [who] once said: ‘We are their eyes that remember. We are their voice that cries out.’

“We have a responsibility to remember: a responsibility toward the victims, toward the survivors. A responsibility toward the future generations. And a responsibility toward Europe, and all European citizens,” she said.

Mogherini said that a united Europe “was the only way to ensure that ‘never again’ such tragedies would happen inside our continent” and that Europeans “must pass the message to younger generations [that] a peaceful and diverse Europe cannot be taken for granted. Anti-Semitism has not disappeared, and European Jews have too often come under attack. Discriminations based on religion and on ethnicity are worryingly on the rise. Each new generation needs to commit again to the foundations of our peaceful coexistence.”

Europe has seen a rise of far-right parties in recent years, as well as a string of deadly terror attacks that have claimed hundreds of lives.

Many eyes are now on France ahead of its presidential elections in the spring, where polls were currently showing far-right candidate Marine Le Pen qualifying for the second round of the presidential election in May where she is forecast to face — and lose to — conservative Francois Fillon.

European leaders were also closely watching UK developments on how British Prime Minister Theresa May’s may implement her country’s EU exit plans.

Meanwhile, Europe has been jolted by US President Donald Trump’s stinging comments on everything from NATO and German cars to the crumbling of the EU itself.

Trump has also said Britain’s decision to leave the 28-nation European Union would “end up being a great thing,” and predicted that other countries would follow suit.

Agencies contributed to this report.