Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 27 January 2020
Germany urged to fight anti-Semitism

to avoid Jewish exodus

has become part of ev-
eryday life now for Jews in
Germany and "it doesn't
surprise me that nearly ev-
ery second Jew in Germa-
ny has thought about leav-
ing the country."
"We must urgently take
countermeasures so that
such thoughts don't turn
Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte attends a meeting with
Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte at Palazzo Chigi government's into bitter reality and it
office, in Rome, Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020. doesn't come to a mas-
sive exodus of Jews from
Dutch premier Germany," he wrote. "That
people of Jewish faith no
issues historic apology German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas arrives for a meeting of longer feel at home here is
a real nightmare — and a
at Holocaust memorial EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels, Monday, disgrace, 75 years after the
liberation of Auschwitz."
Jan. 20, 2020.
Maas said too few Euro-
Associated Press
pean Union countries have
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Dutch helped Jews to hide from By GEIR MOULSON day before the 75th anni- national commissioners
Prime Minister Mark Rutte the Nazi occupiers and BERLIN (AP) — Germany's versary of the Soviet libera- against anti-Semitism. He
apologized Sunday for the workers who went on strike foreign minister is call- tion of the Nazis' Auschwitz said when Germany holds
failure of officials in the Na- in support of Jews, Rutte ing for strengthened ef- death camp and at a time the EU presidency later this
zi-occupied country during said it was collectively not forts against anti-Semitism of rising concern in Germa- year, it will step up the fight
World War II to do more to enough. to ward off the possibility ny and elsewhere in Europe against online hate and
prevent the deportation "Too little protection. Too that many Jews decide to about anti-Semitism. disinformation.
and murder of just over little help. Too little recogni- leave the country. In October, a man tried to He said the security of Jew-
100,000 Jews. tion," the premier said. Heiko Maas said in an ar- force his way into a syna- ish facilities and commu-
Rutte made the historic "Now the last survivors are ticle Sunday for the weekly gogue in Halle on Judaism's nities must be improved
apology at the country's still among us, I apologize Der Spiegel that German holiest day, later killing two throughout Europe. Ger-
annual Holocaust com- today on behalf of the gov- politicians must do more passers-by before being ar- many will give the Organi-
memoration in Amsterdam ernment for the authorities' "but there is one thing they rested. The suspect posted zation for Security and Co-
that came on the eve of actions at the time," Rutte can't do: replace solidarity an anti-Jewish screed be- operation in Europe 500,000
the 75th anniversary of the added. Holocaust survi- in everyday life." fore the attack. euros ($551,000) this year to
liberation of the Auschwitz vor Zoni Weisz told Dutch Maas' comments came a Maas said anti-Semitism that end.q
Nazi death camp. national broadcaster NOS
While he praised resis- that it was an emotional
France reports 27% increase
tance fighters, citizens who moment.q

Zelenskiy marks in anti-Semitic acts

Auschwitz anniversary PARIS (AP) — Anti-Semitic bal threats, are an intolera- compared to 541 the pre-

honoring survivors acts increased in France ble attack on our common vious year. The account by
last year by 27%, acts project, the foundations the interior ministry showed
against Muslims inched of our social ... pact," the that 151 of the acts were of
KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — are strong and incredibly higher while anti-Christian statement said. the most severe category,
Ukrainian President Volody- courageous. So you are an acts remained stable but To mobilize against forces "actions," meaning attacks
myr Zelenskiy paid tribute example that we should highest of all, France's in- of hate, and its banaliza- on people or their posses-
Sunday evening to Holo- follow," he said through an terior minister said Sunday, tion, the ministry is creating sions, theft or physical acts.
caust survivors, telling them interpreter. "The Holocaust denouncing the situation a network of special investi- There were 536 threats.
on the eve of the 75th is named the dark period as intolerable. gators around France. And Anti-Muslim acts were
anniversary of the death in the history of humanity. On top of that, acts de- it has designated experts counted at 154 compared
camp's liberation that they And you are the rays of scribed as bearing a racist on racism and anti-Semi- to 100 in 2018. Anti-Christian
are an example to human- sunshine that penetrated and xenophobic charac- tism in gendarmeries and acts were stable in 2019,
ity. the darkness." ter, mostly threats, more departments, the state- but the figure was high at
Zelenskiy spoke of the im- Zelenskiy, who is of Jew- than doubled between ment said. 1,052, mainly attacks on
portance of protecting ish descent and has family 2018 and 2019 — increas- The statistics revealing goods or property with a
humanitarian values and members who perished in ing from 496 to 1,142, ac- the "permanence of anti- religious character.
freedom against the ha- the Holocaust, is to attend cording to a statement by Semitic hate" take on a An online platform that
tred that threatens civiliza- commemorations Monday Interior Minister Christophe particular meaning as the would allow investigators
tion in a short speech at a at the site of the Auschwitz- Castaner. world marks the 75th anni- to chat with witnesses and
dinner in Krakow organized Birkenau former death "Expressions and acts of versary of the liberation of victims of hate is being set
by the World Jewish Con- camp, where 1.1 million hate, whether they target the Auschwitz Nazi death up, among a series of new
gress. He received a stand- people were murdered by origins or religious beliefs, camp, he noted. measures now in place or
ing ovation for his words. Nazi German forces. Most whether they take the form A total of 687 anti-Semitic in the works, the statement
"You are truly amazing. You of the victims were Jews.q of physical violence or ver- acts were counted in 2019, said.q