Italian President Mattarella, Minister of Education Valditara, UCEI President Di Segni and Senator for Life Segre Commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day
“In the Italian Republic, there is no place for the poison of racial hatred, the germs of discrimination, the antisemitism that still comes dangerously to the surface, those who preach violence, or those who cultivate ideologies of oppression.” These were the words of Italian President Sergio Mattarella as he commemorated Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Quirinale Palace on January 27.
He emphasized that remembering the Shoah “means forcefully renewing our civic pact, founded on brotherhood, respect, and coexistence. It means firmly repeating that we will never again allow indifference, fear, or complicity to open the doors to that or any other abyss.” Mattarella then called for “rigorous action” against antisemitism. He emphasized that “Italian and republican patriotism make us custodians of the unique, indelible and inalienable dignity of the human person in all moments and circumstances.” “The recurrence and spread of manifestations of racism and antisemitism is an indication of a high level of danger. This calls for rigorous action on the part of authorities throughout the European Union,” Mattarella concluded.
During the ceremony, he praised UCEI President Noemi Di Segni “for her long, passionate, and efficient leadership of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities.” Mattarella also expressed “solidarity, esteem, and affection” to 95-year-old Italian Life Senator and Holocaust survivor Liliana Segre, who participated in the ceremony with other Holocaust survivors, Edith Bruck and Sami Modiano. Mattarella blasted the abuse Segre is frequently subjected to. “I renew the Republic’s gratitude to Senator Segre for her precious testimony of the horrors she experienced and for her message, which is always marked by a rejection of hatred, revenge, and violence,” the president said.
In responding to the questions of some students, life senator Liliana Segre described Holocaust Remembrance Day as an anniversary marked “by lights and shadows.” While the attention of schools is encouraging, “a certain rituality and repetitiveness” in the commemorations casts a shadow. She spoke of the last two years with pain. The “retaliations” against Holocaust Remembrance Day are based on “the repugnant idea that past victims have perpetrated a new genocide.” According to Segre, “We can and must speak about Gaza. We can speak about Iran and Ukraine and all that calls into question our humanity. However, Gaza should not be used against Holocaust Remembrance Day.”
Senator Segre explained that she misses her relationships with young people very much. However, she decided to quit her bearing witness because of the “mental wear and tear” and a sort of dissociation between the woman she is now and the 13-year-old she was when she was deported. Regarding the international scenario, she emphasized that “everything appears more fragile and precarious.” Nonetheless, she hopes that the European Union “will rise to the challenges.”
UCEI president Di Segni reminded students that “remembering is imperative, not just for knowledge and listening, but also for shaping your identity and acting with responsibility and coherence.” She denounced “the clamor of squares and classrooms where antisemitic hatred is once again being extolled.” Regarding the antisemitism bills under consideration, she called for a “collective” effort that could serve as a cornerstone for withstanding the social and existential challenges we are facing.
Di Segni concluded with a message to young people: “I appeal to you, young people, to gather your stone of memory. Not the philosopher’s stone, but the stone of your human intelligence, not artificial intelligence.”
The Minister of Education, Giuseppe Valditara, emphasized that Holocaust Remembrance “should be of substance and concreteness.” Any ritualism risks vilifying memory, he said. This is especially true in a time of a rising antisemitism that is “increasingly blatant, especially in Europe,” where the extermination was planned and carried out. Valditara continued, “Antisemitism also manifests itself when there are calls to drive an entire community out of the Land of Israel.” If we have learned anything from the past, “let’s make sure it wasn’t all in vain.”
Adam Smulevich