The sentiment “Never Again,” once a solemn vow against repeating the horrors of the Holocaust, has eroded in the face of rising global antisemitism and the ideological tides that now threaten the Jewish people and the State of Israel. This is a day not of remembrance but of “non-remembrance”—a stark reckoning with the betrayal of that promise.
Antisemitism manifests itself today through a coordinated assault on Israel, a nation surrounded by hostility on multiple fronts. Globally, antisemitic ideologies flourish, infiltrating academia, workplaces and cultural institutions. This widespread animosity belies the hollow commemorations of the Holocaust, as performative gestures by some nations contrast sharply with actions that vilify and discriminate against modern Jewish communities.
The Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023—marked by atrocities against civilians, including children—laid bare the resurgence of genocidal hate. It is a grim reminder of the dehumanization that fueled the final solution of Jews that Nazi Germany worked so hard to achieve. Hamas’s actions—filmed and disseminated for propaganda—mirror the worst atrocities of the past, albeit with modern tools and a chilling openness. The cries of “From the river to the sea” and “Kill the Jews,” heard in protests across Europe, the United States and elsewhere, echo the rhetoric of annihilation.
While the scale and methodology of these acts differ from the Shoah, the intent to demonize and eradicate remains disturbingly familiar. The Holocaust’s haunting images—a mother clutching her child moments before death in Ivangorod, Ukraine—resonate with the horrors of families slaughtered in their homes or burned alive in October. These parallels challenge us to confront a painful truth: The anti-Jewish hatred that fueled the Holocaust is alive and adapting to modern contexts.
The failure to uphold “Never Again” is evident in the political opportunism and ignorance surrounding responses to contemporary antisemitism. Institutions that claim to honor Holocaust memory often simultaneously endorse narratives that demonize Israel. For example, universities expel Israeli representatives, while activists call for a “free Palestine” without addressing the human-rights abuses within Hamas- and Palestinian-controlled territories. Such contradictions erode the credibility of Holocaust remembrance and embolden those who perpetuate hate.
Yet there is a version of “Never Again” that persists—a version embodied by Israel’s resilience. After Oct. 7, Israel wages what has been called its “Second War of Independence,” affirming its right to defend its citizens and its sovereignty. This battle is not merely against Hamas but against the broader forces of antisemitism threatening democratic values worldwide. Unlike the Jews of the Holocaust, Israel today possesses the means to fight back, and it does so in defiance of those who would see it fall.
However, for “Never Again” to regain its universal meaning, action is required beyond Israel’s borders. Governments, institutions and individuals must address bigotry with tangible measures: cutting funding to organizations that promote hate, holding propagators of violence accountable and ensuring that history is taught accurately. UNESCO’s classification of Jerusalem as an Islamic heritage site, erasing its Jewish and Christian history, exemplifies the distortions that must be challenged.
This day of “non-remembrance” is a call to reclaim the essence of “Never Again.” To honor such a vow, we must reject performative memory in favor of substantive action. The legacy of the Holocaust, as well as the survival of democratic values, demands nothing less.