Mike Waltz, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, warned that the global body, created in the aftermath of the Holocaust, “must do far more now to confront this ancient poison” of antisemitism “to fulfill its founding promise and to protect every people, including the Jewish people.”
Waltz spoke at the U.N.’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day observance on Tuesday, recalling the atrocities American soldiers discovered and documented while liberating Nazi concentration camps in World War II.
The vow of “Never Again” must be put into action, the U.S. envoy said.
Waltz added that antisemitism “rages anew,” citing sharply rising levels of Jew-hatred in the United States and around the world.
“This wave of hate has left synagogues under siege. Jewish students, once again, hiding their identity. Whole communities living in fear,” he said. “I mean, what, are we back in 1933? This is absurd, and we have to call it out.”
While commending the United Nations for holding the ceremony, Waltz decried the growing reality of “Holocaust denial, its distortion, its rehabilitation in these historic narratives of Nazi collaborators, its the manipulation of history right here at the U.N. and elsewhere.” He linked that phenomenon to recent acts of violence, including the Bondi Beach Chanukah massacre in Sydney on Dec. 14 and the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Elie Wiesel once hoped that antisemitism perished in Auschwitz, and sadly, he lived to see its horrific resurrection,” Waltz said. “We cannot wait for another liberation.”
Waltz emphasized the importance of education and commemoration as critical tools in combating antisemitism, calling for greater efforts to elevate the voices of Holocaust survivors.
“You did not become a lifelong victim. You move forward and educate the next generation so that this can never happen again,” he said, addressing survivors in attendance.
He also urged countries to adopt the 2004 Best Practices for implementing the 1998 Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art, aimed at helping survivors and their heirs recover property seized by the Nazis. As of last month, 35 countries have endorsed the Best Practices.
“That should be celebrated, that should be applauded, but we should also ask, ‘Why only 35? Why isn’t there more?’ And I’m calling on all nations to join,” Waltz said.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, echoed those concerns, honoring the remembrance of the six million while warning that “today, memory is not enough.”
“While we stand here, Jews are being attacked, and hatred is spreading,” Danon said. “Never Again cannot remain a slogan. It must become action. Now.”
Danon also criticized what he described as bias within the global body itself.
“When antisemitic lies are told in the halls of the U.N., they receive an official stamp and turn into violence on the streets,” Danon said. “This is not freedom of expression. It is antisemitism.”
As part of the event, Holocaust survivor Sara Weinstein delivered testimony in Hebrew, marking the first time a speech was given in the language from the General Assembly stage, according to Israel’s U.N. mission.
