‘Never again means now’: Trump marks Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day
In statement mostly focusing on rise of antisemitism post-Oct. 7, US president says it ‘has no place in a civilized society,’ commits to ‘swiftly punishing’ violators
US President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Wednesday night for Holocaust Remembrance Day, declaring that “never again means now” and lamenting the rise of antisemitism in the US, especially on university campuses, in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
“We honor the blessed memories of the six million Jewish men, women, and children who were viciously slaughtered by the genocidal Nazi regime and their collaborators — one of the bleakest hours in human history,” the statement read.
“We also remember the Roma and Sinti, peoples of Slavic and Polish ancestry, persons with disabilities, Soviet prisoners of war, Jehovah’s Witnesses, persons targeted based on their sexual orientation, and countless other innocent victims of this tragedy,” the statement said, mentioning the non-Jewish victims of the Nazi regime.
“The price to humanity of the lives lost during the Shoah can never be fully grasped or understood. Yet, even in the wake of the Holocaust, a self-determined Jewish homeland rose from the ashes as the modern State of Israel,” it continued.
“Sadly, our Nation has borne witness to the worst outbreak of antisemitism on American soil in generations,” Trump stated.
“Nearly every day following the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Jewish Americans were threatened on our streets and in our public square — a reminder that the poison of antisemitism tragically still exists,” he said, referring to the Hamas-led invasion that killed over 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of 251 hostages back to Gaza, sparking the ongoing war.
“For that reason, my Administration is proudly upholding the basic truth that antisemitism has no place in a civilized society,” Trump added, detailing steps he has taken, including working to deport foreign students accused of leading such sentiment.
“We are also steadfastly committed to investigating and swiftly punishing all antisemitic discrimination in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities,” he said, referring to anti-Israel protests in Ivy League universities, some of which have featured antisemitism and support for terror.
“During these Days of Remembrance of Victims of the Holocaust, we reflect upon the dark affront to human dignity posed by Nazis. We cherish the eternal memories of all those whose lives were lost to the deadly scourge of antisemitism. Above all, we vow to never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust. We declare that never again means now.”
Trump’s statement, which largely focused on the rise of antisemitism on university campuses, came amid an escalating battle between his administration and several universities, most notably Harvard, which the White House claims the institutions are not doing enough to address the issue, among other grievances.
The administration also notes that protests against Israel’s war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza that swept across US college campuses last year were rife with anti-Jewish sentiment and support for Palestinian terrorism.
Last week, Trump decided to significantly cut federal funding to a number of universities, recently freezing $2.2 billion in federal funds to Harvard, sparking a lawsuit from the school, which argues that the cuts are unlawful.
“Make no mistake: Harvard rejects anti-Semitism and discrimination in all of its forms and is actively making structural reforms to eradicate antisemitism on campus,” Harvard’s lawsuit stated.
Columbia University in New York — an epicenter of the protests — capitulated to similar demands from the Trump administration last month and agreed to oversight of its Middle Eastern studies department after being threatened with a loss of $400 million in federal funds.
While the Trump administration’s moves have heartened some Jewish supporters, particularly when it comes to canceling the visas of students who have engaged in anti-Israel activism, many have also come out against them, claiming Trump is “weaponizing antisemitism” to influence academia and stymie free speech.
Agencies contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.