YEREVAN (A.W.)— Jan. 27 marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the biggest Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz in southwestern Poland. Over the years, Jan. 27 has come to be known as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this occasion, Armenian President Serge Sarkisian issued a statement paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and standing in solidarity with the Jewish people. Sarkisian also highlighted the fact that the Armenian people will be commemorating the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide in 2015, and that Armenians empathize with the pain of the Jewish people.
A commemoration event co-organized by the Armenian Foreign Ministry, the United Nations Armenia office, and the Jewish community in Armenia was held at Yerevan’s Holocaust Memorial on Jan. 27, reported ArmRadio. Participants placed flowers at the memorial, said prayers, and held a candlelight vigil. The second part of the memorial ceremony was held at the National Library of Armenia, where an exhibit featured posters and publications on the history of the Holocaust.
During World War II, the Nazi regime and its collaborators carried out the death of an estimated 6 million Jews, 1 million Roma, 250,000 mentally and physically disabled people, and 9,000 homosexual men.
Below is the full text of Sarkisian’s statement.
Sarkisian statement
The genocide committed against the Jews during World War II was truly one of the cruelest and most tragic pages in human history. January 27, which symbolizes the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, became one of the most important thresholds in putting an end to the evil of the Holocaust.
Paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and the condemnation of that crime is relevant as long as various expressions of hatred and intolerance based on national or racial origin and religious background continue to reappear, and as long as the threat of recurrence of such crimes against humanity has not dissipated.
It is an unequivocal truth that consigning victims of genocides to oblivion and denial, particularly on the state-level, is a stage of that crime. That is a double crime committed against both the innocent victims and the current and future times. Perhaps it might have been possible to prevent the crimes committed under the veil of World War II had the crimes against humanity committed during World War I earned unequivocal international condemnation, and had those responsible for them been duly punished.
Once again, I pay tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of Holocaust, and express our support and solidarity to the Jewish people, and the Jewish community of Armenia. This year, the Armenian people are commemorating the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide, and we, more than anyone, empathize with the pain of the Jewish people.
I reiterate our commitment to jointly struggle for the prevention of crimes against humanity, determined to proclaim “never again.”
{“On this occasion, Armenian President Serge Sarkisian issued a statement paying tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and standing in solidarity with the Jewish people.”}
Meanwhile, “…Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, formerly an outspoken advocate of Israel’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide, decided not to renew his signature on an annual petition calling for Israel to officially recognize the mass killings as genocide.”
(from Asbarez).
Apparently the Turkophile leaders of Israel are still on their knees, bowing and scraping in front of IslamoFascists, hoping to get some crumbs from the Neo-NaziOttoman Erdogan, in exchange for their continual collaboration in the vile worldwide campaign of Armenian Genocide denial.
Congratulation to Armenian President.
Armenians all around the world are also waiting , for many years now , the official declaration from Israel Government.
I hope that , while being alive at 70 . I will be happy to see the day where Israel will take this important step
and announce that a Genocide did happened to Armenians by Ottoman Turks in 1915, over 1.5 million
innocent people were massacred ( 10 million race )
people were massacred( more than 10 million race ) has been disappeared.
If I were in Sarkisian’s place, (and perhaps that is a good thing that I am not) I would return all the favors Israel is doing for Armenia on the international stage, an eye for an eye, instead of playing “Mr nice guy”. The foolish Armenian Genocide denying president of Israel had the audacity to insult all the real Genocide victims in WWI with talking about “Khojaly” at the end of his speech in front of the UN without any shame, thus, with my Holocaust statement would have come at the end: “The Holocaust must be a lesson to prevent future genocides, as is happening to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank today”. But then, that is just me, I don’t believe in kindness against the wicked.
It is high time that Jewish state recognize the Armenia Genocide.
Congratulations Mr sarkisian.
Bravo Hagop D. Spot on. But then that would show Yerevan has a real government with a real and effective foreign policy and diplomacy instead of this hopeless charade.