The Canadian Prime Minister caused a storm of social media fury after his official statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day appeared to contain no mention of Jews. Justin Trudeau has already faced scrutiny for his Government’s handling of Canada’s relationship with Israel, especially when compared to that of the previous pro-Israel Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
His statement reads:
“On this day, we pay tribute to the memory of the millions of victims murdered during the Holocaust. We honour those who survived atrocities at the hands of the Nazi regime, and welcome their courageous stories of hope and perseverance.
“The Holocaust is a stark reminder of the dangers and risks of allowing hate, prejudice, and discrimination to spread unchallenged. It also reminds us that silence must never be an option when humanity is threatened.
“As we pause to educate ourselves and our families on the bitter lessons of the Holocaust, we also strengthen our resolve to work with domestic and international partners to continue defending human rights and condemning intolerance.”
The fact that there was no direct mention of the six million Jews who died during the Holocaust caused a stir on social media, with some users claiming that he was forgetting history.
Of course, Jews were not the only group targeted by the Nazis. Others to face murder in the concentration camps included homosexuals, the disabled, communists and Jehovah's Witnesses, among others. However, the fact that around two thirds of the Jews in Europe—around one third of the Jews worldwide at the time—were exterminated has forever linked the Holocaust with the Jews.
In response to the outrage, Trudeau posted a link to his statement on Twitter alongside a note about fighting anti-Semitism.
See below, via Twitter.
Trudeau refusing to mention Jews when talking about the holocaust is like refusing to mention blacks when talking about slavery. #cdnpoli
— Mike Pincoe (@MikePincoe) January 29, 2016By omitting Jews in @CanadianPM Trudeau #InternationalHolocaustRemembranceDay statement is devoid of history.https://t.co/Lv5g3qvhM7
— George Berger (@GeoBerger) January 29, 2016Trudeau supporters: 6m Jews murdered is the only thing most people know about Holocaust-how does he miss this? https://t.co/BtWsiJLDks
— Rory Gilfillan (@RoryGilfillan) January 30, 2016"Dear Mr Trudeau: Jew. Jews. Jewish. Judaism. Antisemitism. Regards" Disgusting. #justintrudeau #cowardice https://t.co/PJuINz06yl
— Mark Kaiser (@leforcat) January 29, 2016On this #HolocaustMemorialDay, we honour its victims & vow to fight intolerance and anti-Semitism. Full statement: https://t.co/RsX9iMxCdG
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 27, 2016
