BERLIN, GERMANY—Representative Eliot L. Engel, the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today released the following statement on the 77th anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass:
“On this night in 1938, the Nazi regime showed the world its true face as shattered glass from Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues littered the streets of Germany and Austria. As Nazis killed 96 Jews and deported 30,000 others to concentration camps, Kristallnacht served as a prelude to the horrors that would soon befall Europe’s Jewish community. Western governments failed to respond to such horror in a meaningful way, and the Nazis embraced their ‘Final Solution’ in humanity's darkest chapter, the Holocaust.
“Nearly eight decades later, the scourge of anti-Semitism can still be found within Europe’s borders, from attacks on Jewish sites to the rise of anti-Semitic political parties. We cannot become complacent as we once were, but must proactively raise concerns when troubling trends arise and call the evil of anti-Semitism by its name. Since the tragic events of the Holocaust, the Jewish people have indeed flourished. But such growth must not be taken for granted, and the international community must remain vigilant against all forms of hatred. From the streets that witnessed the beginning of the Holocaust, today I say never again shall we be passive. And never again shall we let such horrific events become reality.”
Ranking Member Engel attended the Israel Allies European Summit in Berlin, where he discussed Palestinian incitement, anti-Semitism, and anti-Israel sentiment with other Members of the German Parliament and Israeli Knesset.
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