Operational Updates

President Issues Message Commemorating International Holocaust Remembrance Day and Pledges Federal Action Against Anti‑Semitism

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Key takeaways

  • The statement commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day and honors victims of the Nazi regime and others targeted during the Holocaust, including Jews, Slavs, Roma, people with disabilities, religious leaders, LGBTQ people, and political prisoners.
  • It marks the 81st anniversary of the January 27, 1945 liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau by Allied forces.
  • The president affirms a pledge that such evil will never again take hold in the West and honors survivors who share their experiences.
  • The administration says it directed the Federal Government to "use all appropriate legal tools to combat the scourge of anti‑Semitism."
  • The message states the administration will be a "steadfast and unequivocal champion for Jewish Americans" and for the right of every American to practice their faith freely.

Follow Up Questions

What is International Holocaust Remembrance Day and why is it observed on January 27?Expand

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is the United Nations–designated day to commemorate victims of the Holocaust; it is observed on January 27 because that is the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz‑Birkenau camp by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945 (UN General Assembly resolution 60/7, 2005, formally established the day).

What happened at Auschwitz‑Birkenau and why is it particularly significant in Holocaust history?Expand

Auschwitz‑Birkenau was the largest Nazi concentration and extermination complex in German‑occupied Poland where roughly 1.1 million people were deported and murdered (about 1 million of them Jewish); it included gas chambers/crematoria, forced labor, starvation, and medical experiments—its liberation on January 27, 1945 revealed the industrial scale of the Nazi genocide and made the site emblematic of the Holocaust.

What kinds of actions or "legal tools" can the federal government use to combat anti‑Semitism?Expand

Federal "legal tools" include criminal prosecution under federal hate‑crime statutes (e.g., the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, 18 U.S.C. §249), civil‑rights enforcement (for example Title VI enforcement in education settings), FBI investigations and prosecutions by the Department of Justice, civil remedies and injunctions, and provision of grants/technical assistance to state and local authorities. Agencies also issue guidance and use executive actions to direct enforcement priorities.

Which federal agencies would typically implement or enforce measures the administration refers to when addressing anti‑Semitism?Expand

Measures are typically implemented or enforced by the Department of Justice (Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney offices) and the FBI (investigation/prosecution), the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (enforcement of Title VI in schools and universities), and other agencies that support security and threat‑response (e.g., DHS components and CISA for protective guidance).

Who is meant by the phrase "the 47th President of the United States" in this message?Expand

In this White House message the phrase "the 47th President of the United States" refers to the President identified on the White House website where the statement appears—President Donald J. Trump. (The message is posted on the White House site listing President Donald J. Trump in the Administration menu.)

How does the U.S. government define "anti‑Semitism" for the purpose of policy and enforcement?Expand

The U.S. government has not enacted a single statutory definition of "anti‑Semitism;" instead federal agencies use operational definitions in policy guidance. For enforcement purposes the Department of Education (OCR) treats antisemitism as discrimination based on shared ancestry/ethnic characteristics under Title VI and (in guidance and in implementing Executive Order 13899) instructs officials to consider widely used working definitions such as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition when assessing incidents.

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