January 27, 2021

Andrew Campbell 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proclaimed the global alliance against the rise of neo-Nazism and white supremacy. The UN chief warned of the recent resurgence of xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and hate speech spiked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On January 27in the International Holocaust Remembrance Service, UN Guterres delivered an online speech at the Park East Synagogue to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in the Second World War. It is an important occasion that the UN honors the memory of the six million Jews and millions of other victims who were systematically murdered by the Nazis and collaborators during the Holocaust in the Second World War.

The UN chief called for international action to fight propaganda and disinformation which wrongfully linked Jews with the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the coronavirus crisis, Guterres indicated dangerous ideologies in neo-Nazism and white supremacy are on the rise tragically in Europe, the US, and elsewhere. Guterres stated that although there is no vaccine for anti-semitism and xenophobia, the world's best weapon remains the truth. In other words, it is necessary to increase education on Nazi actions during World War II; two-thirds of young Americans are not familiar with the tragic Holocaust 76 year ago. Furthermore, Guterres suggested create a world of equality, justice and dignity for all, the best tribute for the victims in the Holocaust.

Photo:Webshot.