PRESS RELEASE BY THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TOURISM: Malta marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day

A day to remember that the Holocaust did not begin with death camps, but with words" - Deputy Prime Minister Borg

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Tuesday, 27^th January, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism Ian Borg joined the Tayar Foundation and the embassies of Germany and Israel for an evening of remembrance, reflecting on the innocent victims who lost their lives during the Holocaust.

Dr Borg noted that this Remembrance Day is a call to confront the consequences of hatred, racism, dehumanisation, and indifference. "It reminds us that the Holocaust did not begin with death camps, but with words, with exclusion, and with the gradual erosion of human dignity," he stated.

The Deputy Prime Minister explained that as time goes by, remembering these dark moments becomes a shared responsibility, passed on through education, dialogue, and a firm determination to reject all forms of hatred. He affirmed that "the Holocaust is a memory that cannot be confined to history books or annual ceremonies - it must continue to shape our values and guide our choices and actions".

Last year, through its second National Action Plan Against Racism, Malta placed the fight against antisemitism and other forms of hatred and racism at the centre of the country's ongoing efforts towards a more cohesive and inclusive society.

Tuesday's commemoration was also addressed by Sir Bernard Eder KC, who shared his family's experience as wartime refugees in Malta, after fleeing the Nazis from Vienna. Historian Nathaniel Calleja Gera spoke about Malta's policy on immigration during World War II.

Photos (ODPM-MFT/DOI)

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