Page 28 - bon-dia-aruba-20220429

A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 29 aPriL 2022

Survivors unite to deliver message on Holocaust remembrance

faces widespread revulsion and accu- million Jews were killed in the Ho-
sations of war crimes over attacks on locaust and 48% could not name a
civilians in its invasion of Ukraine. It single death camp or concentration
also comes at a time when Holocaust camp.
survivors -- now in their 80s and 90s
-- are dying, while studies show that The 100 Word Project statement by
younger generations lack even ba- Holocaust survivors says:
sic knowledge of the Nazi genocide, “Today is Holocaust Remembrance
in which a third of the world’s Jews Day
were annihilated. We all survived the Holocaust
We are here to give voice to the six
“If we do not remember them, we are million Jews who were murdered
murdering them twice because we We are a reminder unchecked hatred
have forgotten them. And we have can lead to actions, actions to geno-
forgotten the tragic travesty that was cide
visited upon millions of people,” said Just over 75 years ago, one-third of
Ginger Lane, a Holocaust survivor the world’s Jews were systematically
who along with her siblings was hid- murdered
den in a fruit orchard near Berlin by Among them, over 1.5 million chil-
non-Jews. dren were killed in the name of indif-
ference, intolerance, hate.
“It is important to remember because Hatred for what was feared
(AP) — Holocaust survivors tion for victims of Nazi persecution it is a part of our heritage and our Hatred for what was different
across the world have united to and their heirs, and provides welfare legacy that we pass on to the younger We must remember the past or it will
deliver a message on the dangers for Holocaust survivors around the generation,” said Lane, whose moth- become our future
of unchecked hate and the impor- globe. er was killed at the Auschwitz death On Holocaust Remembrance Day
tance of remembrance at a time camp, and who has made it her life- we ask the world to stand with us and
of rising global antisemitism. “The world is full of strife – from long mission to educate others. remember.”
the pandemic to the crisis happening
In a video released Thursday to mark in Ukraine – on remembrance days “Holocaust denial, we know it has The annual remembrance known
Yom HaShoah -- Israel’s Holocaust like Yom HaShoah, it is so important always existed, but it seems to be on as Yom HaShoah is one of the most
Remembrance Day -- 100 Holocaust to stop and reflect,” Gideon Taylor, the upswing and ... a huge number of solemn on Israel’s calendar, with the
survivors asked people to stand with president of the Claims Conference, young people don’t even know what nation coming to a standstill dur-
them and remember the Nazi geno- said in a statement. the word Holocaust means … These ing a two-minute siren on Thursday
cide to avoid repeating the horrors of young people are eager to move for- morning. According to the Hebrew
the past. “The call to action these survivors put ward with their lives. But their lives calendar, Holocaust Remembrance
forth today is not only one of remem- today are shaped by the past. And Day marks the anniversary of the
The 100 Words project video was re- brance, but one of action, a reminder they need to know what happened in 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising — the
leased by the New York-based Con- that we do not have to be bystanders. the past.” most significant act of Jewish re-
ference on Jewish Material Claims We can all stand up in our own way sistance during the Holocaust. Al-
Against Germany, also referred to as and we can choose to not let our col- In a 50-state study of Millennials and though the uprising ultimately failed,
the Claims Conference. The group lective history repeat itself.” Generation Z-age people in the U.S. it is remembered in Israel as a symbol
represents the world’s Jews in nego- in 2020, researchers found that 63% of strength and the struggle for free-
tiating for compensation and restitu- The project is being released as Russia of respondents did not know that 6 dom in the face of annihilation.

California subpoenas ExxonMobil in probe of plastics waste

(AP) — California’s attor- Bonta will consider whether said it supports include re- practices, or making “green- “We’re really looking at the
ney general on Thursday petrochemical companies quiring all plastic packaging washing” illegal, Bonta said. underlying issue of non-
subpoenaed ExxonMobil violated the law with what in the U.S. by 2030 to in- recyclability, essentially, of
as part of what he called he called their “historic and clude at least 30% recycled A civil lawsuit could poten- plastics, and that is a major
a first-of-its-kind broader ongoing efforts to deceive plastic; making producers tially seek fines or damages, problem,” Bonta said. “And
investigation into the pe- the public.” Bonta said Exx- responsible for packaging to but Bonta said his main goal we’re investigating whether
troleum industry for its onMobil was subpoenaed help increase recycling; and is a legal order or a settlement that was fueled by a decades-
alleged role in causing a as a major source of global supporting a legally binding requiring companies to clean old campaign of deception.”
global plastic pollution plastics pollution and for its global agreement to confront up plastic waste, make plas-
crisis. alleged prominent role in the problem. tics manufacturing changes There is no timeline for the
public deception regarding and promote “non-deceptive completion of the investi-
Attorney General Rob Bonta plastics. But Bonta said the indus- ways of talking about plas- gation, but Bonta said it is
said the industry for decades try appears to have engaged tics.” proceeding “with a level of
has encouraged the develop- ExxonMobil and the Western in “greenwashing” for de- urgency.”
ment and use of petroleum- Plastics Association did not cades by leading consumers
based plastic products while immediately comment, and to believe that plastics were
seeking to minimize pub- the Western States Petroleum environmentally friendly —
lic understanding that their Association declined com- largely because they can be
widespread use harms the en- ment. recycled.
vironment and public health.
But the American Chemistry That marketing effort made
“Every week, we consume the Council representing plastics “people comfortable to con-
equivalent of a credit cards makers issued a statement sume more and purchase
worth of plastic through the saying that U.S. “plastic mak- more plastic,” he said. “And
water we drink, the food we ers are committed to a more that is really the heart of the
eat, and the air we breathe,” sustainable future and have deception that we’re going to
he said, citing a 2019 study proposed comprehensive and investigate.”
for the World Wide Fund bold actions at the state, fed-
For Nature environmental eral, and international levels.” Companies may have violat-
group. ed laws barring unfair com-
Initiatives the industry group petition, deceptive business