Prime Minister Mark Carney says Holocaust Remembrance Day is a moment to remember the consequences of ignorance and hatred.
Speaking Tuesday in front of the National Holocaust Memorial in Ottawa to mark the day, Carney said Canada was complicit in the murder of millions of Jewish people during the Second World War due to its silence.
He said the history must be remembered to ensure it is never repeated.
"The liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau exposed the scale of Nazi crimes to the world and became symbols of the horrors of the Holocaust, the guilt of the enablers and the resilience of the survivors," Carney said.
"Today, we acknowledge that looking away is not a passive act, but an act of betrayal."
Holocaust Remembrance Day was created by the United Nations in 2005 to remember the millions of lives lost under the Nazi regime.
Carney said Canadians have a responsibility to reflect and act on the lessons of that period and support the survivors and their families who continue to live with the fallout.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking after Carney, said antisemitism is on the rise in Canada and around the world, and is spreading through educational institutions.
"We must stand up for the right of Jews to live safely, peacefully and openly with the Star of David on their chest, with a mezuzah on the door, with a kippah on their heads, proudly proclaiming their Judaism and celebrating who they are as both Canadians and Jews," Poilievre said.
"When we do that, and when every single Jew feels safe and accepted in this country, then and only then will we have lived up to our oath — never again."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
