Veliaj and the President of Israel visit the Holocaust Memorial in Tirana: Your country proves to us that peace between people is possible
2024-09-12 19:08:24
TiranaPost
The President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, ended his first visit to Albania at the Holocaust Memorial in Tirana's Lake Park. In this visit, he was accompanied by the Mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, who said that on a day like this, not only Albania, but the whole world reflects on the Holocaust, so that such events do not happen again.
"Today we commemorate one of the most tragic events in our human history, the extermination of 6 million Jews. The mistakes of the past should not be repeated. "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it," wrote George Santayana. Whether you are a mayor, a president, an ambassador, or even a simple merchant... we must understand that what we say today may not really cause instant physical rifts or clashes, but in the long run, it poisons society. It's like cancer that develops slowly, without being noticed, cell by cell, until a moment comes when it may be too late, if you don't do regular check-ups to identify it and take appropriate measures beforehand. Therefore, it is very important not to repeat the mistakes of the past, but to learn from them", said Veliaj.
President Herzog expressed his gratitude to the Albanians who saved the Jews during the Second World War and thanked Mayor Veliaj for his contribution to commemorate the heroic generations. "This commemoration is extraordinary! Arm in arm, heart in heart, people of different faiths stood together against evil, refusing to allow ignorance and hatred to distort their emotions and beliefs in human beings. Today, while the tide of hatred, anti-Semitism and terror has turned again against Jews around the world and in Israel, Albania further extends its tradition of tolerance, dignity and respect. I thank the entire Albanian nation and I thank you, dear mayor, and your city, for such an incredible, fruitful and strong friendship. This country has remained a beacon of goodwill and decency. Albania reminds us that Jews and Muslims, Bektashis and Christians, can live together in harmony and mutual respect. The Albanian experience proves that peace between people is possible", he said.
Mayor Veliaj recalled the important role that Albania played during the war, becoming the home of hundreds of Jews.
"A few days ago I was talking with some friends about this very topic and we thought about how, in 1934, Herman Bernstein, the United States ambassador to Albania, wrote: 'There is no trace of discrimination against the Jews in Albania, because Albania it is one of the rare countries in Europe today, where religious prejudice and hatred do not exist, even though the Albanians themselves are divided into three faiths'. Albania is probably the only country in Europe where, after the end of the war, the number of Jews was many times higher compared to the period before the war. If before the war there were 200 to 300 Jews in Albania, after the war there were almost 2 thousand Jews. People came here from the former Yugoslavia, Greece and other countries. This shows the hospitality of the Albanians who protected the Jews who were with them", said Veliaj.
He concluded his speech with an appeal that, as citizens of this nation and as part of a global community, we make sure that we work to ensure that such tragedies never happen again. "Remembrance is an obligation, not only to honor the victims of the Holocaust, but also to ensure that their suffering was not in vain. It is an ongoing commitment to fight against hatred and discrimination, wherever and whenever they appear. This visit today, here, is a strong reminder that we must always be ready to protect the humanity and dignity of every individual. It is a call to unite against injustice and strive for a more just, humane and loving world. This is our responsibility towards future generations - to give them a world where hatred and division have no place", said Veliaj.
Albania is one of the few countries that during the Second World War opened its door to the Jews who were persecuted by the Nazis. Therefore, in memory of those Jews who lost their lives in Europe in those dark years and in honor of those Albanian citizens who opened their homes to shelter and protect them, Tirana has a memorial in the hills of the Great Artificial Lake Park .
