Romania and the fight against anti-Semitism

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has decorated professor Yehuda Bauer, honorary president of the International Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust with the "For Merit" National Order in Rank of Grand Officer, for "his significant contribution to the research of the Holocaust phenomenon, with the purpose of keeping alive the memory of this tragedy that the world should never experience again and for his fruitful and prodigious collaboration with Romania."

On this occasion, Yehuda Bauer, now aged 90, has warned over the consequences of not knowing about the atrocities committed during the Holocaust. According to Yehuda Bauer, any human action aimed at exterminating the Jews is a result of the human will. Consequently, what happened during the Holocaust might happen again. In his opinion, this should make us all try to do our best to diminish, if not neutralize, all actions directed not only against the Jews but against any individual.

President Iohannis spoke at the ceremony about Romania's efforts, in the past few decades, to improve legislation in the field and support initiatives aimed to discourage anti-Semitism. Klaus Iohannis has also said that through their actions Romanian leaders have proven that they want responsible citizens, that they want to preserve the historical memory of the Holocaust and that they honour the memory of the Holocaust victims.

We believe in a society of tolerance, the President went on to say, able to successfully pass the test that the European and international society has been putting us to lately, such as the refugee crisis, the terrorist attacks and the anti-Semitic, xenophobic and racist actions.

Iohannis has reminded that 75 years since the most terrible actions against the Jews on Romania's territory took place, known as the Iasi Pogrom, will be marked next month. Against this background, Iohannis has reiterated Bucharest's firm commitment to further combat any anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic actions.

The head of state has also mentioned that Romania took over, in 2016, the presidency of the International Alliance for the Memory of the Holocaust. The priorities of the new presidency are collaborations with the media and social media in raising awareness over the Holocaust, fighting extremism, discrimination, xenophobia, racism and anti-Semitism, consolidating education and promoting academic research in the field. According to Iohannis Romania will organize, at the beginning of 2017, an international summit devoted to joint action against anti-Semitic and extremist behaviors.