Premier David Eby has issued the following statement marking Yom HaShoah:

“At sundown tonight, British Columbians join people around the world in observing Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“We stand with Jewish communities everywhere in remembrance and mourning. We honour the memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Today we also mourn the lives of millions more who died because of their ethnicity, sexual identity, disability or opposition to the Nazi regime.

“During the Holocaust, known in Hebrew as the Shoah, Jewish communities across Europe were systematically persecuted, confined to ghettos and sent in cattle cars to concentration camps built solely for the purpose of human extermination.

“We must reject the poison of disinformation and denial and ensure that all future generations know the truth of this dark period in human history. Our government is working with the Jewish community here in B.C. to ensure that all high school students in the province learn about the Holocaust as part of their education about injustices and discriminatory practices in Canada and around the world.

“Our government condemns the rise in antisemitic acts that followed the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel, and we are committed to ensuring that our province is safe and welcoming for people of all faiths and backgrounds.

“Each of us has the right to safety, dignity and a life without fear of unjust persecution. On this solemn day of reflection, we must recommit ourselves to the eternal pledge of ‘Never again.’”