Yom Ha'Shoah: April 19, 2001
Ambassador David IvryEli, Eli…
Oh Lord, My G-d,
I pray that these things never end
The sand and the sea,
The rush of the water,
The crash of the heavens,
The prayer of the heart.Channa Senesh was a young Jewish poet who immigrated to the land of Israel at the beginning of the War. Shortly before her untimely death, she wrote this poem, which has become engrained in our collective consciousness.
Soon after settling on a kibbutz, Channa Senesh volunteered for a bold mission. To parachute alone in the dark of night into Nazi-occupied Hungary.
Her purpose was to save lives. To prevent the transfer of Jews to concentration camps like sheep to the slaughter. To encourage Hungarian Jews to join the Partisans and establish contact with the Allies. Unfortunately, Channa Senesh was turned in by an informer and tortured to death in prison.
President and Mrs. Bush, honored members of Congress, representatives of the diplomatic corps, the survivors here with us today, honored guests.As we commemorate sixty years since the onset of the Holocaust, it is essential to remember not only those who sought the destruction of the Jewish people, but also the heroes that contributed to our survival.
Channa Senesh became a symbol of idealism and self-sacrifice. She was driven by a deep inner conviction. The belief that one had to take a stand against the systematic destruction of European Jewry. That individuals had an obligation to rebel against the terrible Nazi machine, despite the slight prospect of survival.
She was not alone. The leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto, Mordecai Anielewicz, Abba Kovner, and Yitzhak Zuckerman, among many others came to the same conclusion.
These individuals had a moral awareness that was sadly lacking in world leaders of the time. While hundreds of thousands participated in the mass killings, millions more were bystanders who, through their silence, allowed genocide to unfold.
Six decades later, as fewer and fewer survivors of the camps remain, one can only hope humanity has learned the grave lessons of the Holocaust. Let us pray that the leaders of the twenty-first century will act promptly to prevent injustice.
As we enter the new millenium, time increasingly separates us from the tragic reality of six million deaths. In recent years, the voices of Holocaust denial have grown bolder, while the youth of today become more and more detached.
Our responsibility is to confer the lessons of the Holocaust onto future generations, to help them navigate through the moral challenges of the future.
The security of Jews, wherever they may be, can never be taken for granted. Hitler plotted not only the destruction of European Jewry, but an end to Jewish civilization itself.
The establishment of the State of Israel in the aftermath of the Holocaust was our collective response. Israel is the guarantee of Jewish continuity. In the words of Channa Senesh, the promise that "these things will never end."
We deeply appreciate the historic support of the American people for the preservation of the Jewish State. We are grateful to the President of the United States and his administration for their continued commitment to our defense and national security.
The United States and Israel will forever remain partners in ensuring democracy and freedom for all. As together we work for the well being of our people and the betterment of humanity.
Thank you.
