Holocaust Museum Issues Statement After Controversy Over WH Omission
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has issued a statement today on Holocaust Remembrance Day that seems to come in response to the new White House controversy without specifically saying so.
The White House statement last week came under fire for, in reflecting on the horrors of the Holocaust, not specifically bringing up the suffering of the Jewish people. Reince Priebus defended the statement by saying they weren’t trying to whitewash anything, and Sean Spicer today said the criticism they’re getting is “pathetic.”
The museum released the following statement this afternoon:
The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. Nazi ideology cast the world as a racial struggle, and the singular focus on the total destruction of every Jewish person was at its racist core. Millions of other innocent civilians were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis, but the elimination of Jews was central to Nazi policy. As Elie Wiesel said, “Not all victims were Jews, but all Jews were victims.”
The Holocaust teaches us profound truths about human societies and our capacity for evil. An accurate understanding of this history is critical if we are to learn its lessons and honor its victims.
A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevention genocide, and promote human dignity. Its far-reaching education programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. Learn more at ushmm.org.
[image via Shutterstock]
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