Premier David Eby has issued the following statement in recognition of Yom HaShoah:

“Tonight at sundown, British Columbians will join Jewish communities and others in Canada and around the world in observing Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. We remember and honour the six million innocent Jews who were imprisoned, tortured and murdered by the Nazis and forces working with them.

“The Holocaust, known as the Shoah in Hebrew, was a merciless crime of cruelty and depravity, destroying families and wiping out communities. The loss to the world is unimaginable. Millions more were murdered simply because of their ethnicity, sexual identity, disability or opposition to the Nazi regime. It is our duty to ensure the victims are never forgotten and this despicable crime never forgiven.

“On Yom HaShoah, we are challenged once again to fulfil the pledge of ‘Never again.’ To do so means standing together today and every day to reject hatred, bigotry and antisemitism. A monstrous hatred continues to spread its poison. It must be confronted and challenged if ‘Never again’ is to have meaning.

“On this dark, somber day, I encourage all British Columbians to listen to the stories of survivors who keep the memories of the Shoah’s victims alive. We have a shared responsibility to continue to pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust and ensure that their stories continue to resonate with generations to come. As we remember, we must once again dedicate ourselves to building a more just and equitable province where everyone is safe, and the horrors of the past remain a lesson on the consequences of complacency.”