16 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • FEBRUARY 2020
COMBATTING ANTI-SEMITISM
STOP HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF
BY TOM SUOZZI
U.S. Rep. for NY District 3
As a member of the Bipartisan Task
Force for Combating Anti-Semitism,
I’ve been helping to lead the fight
against anti-Semitism and hate since
being elected to Congress, as I have
throughout my life.
Anti-Semitism — feeling or showing
hostility toward or discrimination
against Jews as a cultural, racial,
or ethnic group — is growing and
the rallying cry, “Never Again,” is,
sadly, not assured. Philosopher and
Holocaust survivor Hannah Arendt’s
description of the “banality of evil”
seems more too likely to reoccur now
than at any time since World War II.
We recently commemorated the 75th
anniversary of the liberation of the
German Nazi Concentration and Extermination
Camp Auschwitz and the
murder of about 6 million Jews and millions
of others as part of the most brutal
genocide in history. We cannot let the
evil of anti-Semitism and hate become
normalized, commonplace, or “banal.”
Why, when overall crime rates continue
to decrease, are anti-Semitic
and hate crimes increasing? Divisive
rhetoric at the national level, the misuse
of social media, and ignorance
are major contributors. Divisive
rhetoric must be combated with
reasoned civil discourse.
We must root out the misuse of
social media by those who seek to
sow hatred, including foreign adversaries.
Earlier this month, I led the
entire Long Island Congressional
delegation in sending a letter to top
national security officials calling for
an investigation into foreign adversaries
continuing to use social media
and other efforts to foment hate and
civil unrest across America.
Most importantly, education is our
best weapon to combat and prevent
acts of anti-Semitism and hatred
from becoming normalized. The U.S.
House of Representatives recently
passed the Never Again Education
Act. This bipartisan legislation, of
which I am a cosponsor, gives teachers
the resources necessary to teach
our children the invaluable lessons
of the Holocaust and the horrific
consequences of intolerance.
We must continue to support local efforts
to enforce our laws and support
efforts to increase federal funding
for law enforcement and security at
houses of worship. Equally important,
we must each stand every day for
American values. We are all created
equal. We all have been endowed by
our creator with a divine spark and
we must be free to practice our faith,
or no faith, whatever it may be.
We must embrace our diversity and
come together to make our communities
safe for those who live, look,
love, or worship differently. Ignoring
the lessons of history imperils our
society. History needs to serve as a
tool to navigate our future, ensuring
that “Never Again” is assured.
“Ignoring the lessons of history imperils our society.”
POINT OF VIEW
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