U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized Thursday at the Murdered Jews of Europe Memorial in Berlin the importance of learning from the Holocaust.
As part of the new U.S.-German initiative, Blinken met with German Counterpart Heiko Maas at the Memorial, located next to the U.S. embassy.
“By launching the U.S.-Germany dialogue on the Holocaust, we are helping to ensure that current and future generations learn about the Holocaust and also learn from it,” Blinken said, according to Reuters.
Seventy-six years after World War II, the U.S. and Germany are launching a high-level dialogue on Holocaust issues to discuss global action to combat anti-Semitism and counter Holocaust distortion. We proudly stand together and condemn all forms of anti-Semitism. pic.twitter.com/tuG9PSoA3J
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) June 24, 2021
Blinken and Maas signed a document on the U.S.-German initiative and said that both governments will work to strengthen education and counter Holocaust denial and distortion.
“This dialogue will help us remember all that can be lost, but also help us to see all that we can save if we choose – if we choose – to stand up rather than stand by,” Blinken said, according to Voice of America.
“Together, we honor those who were killed. They were not indistinct numbers, even if a number is seared in the minds of many of us,” he added, according to Reuters. (RELATED: Pro-Palestinian Group Attacks Jewish People Outside Of LA Restaurant, Video Appears To Show. Police To Investigate)
Blinken said that Holocaust denial and antisemitism align with homophobia, xenophobia, racism, and other forms of discrimination, Voice of America reported.
“That’s why we have to find innovative ways to bring the history of the Holocaust to life, not only to understand the past, but also to guide our present and to shape our future,” Blinken said, according to Voice of America.