Eesti alalalise esindaja ÜRO juures, Margus Kolga sõnavõtt Peaassamblee antisemitismi vastu võitlemisele pühendatud kohtumisel
22.01.2015
Estonia,
among other countries, is deeply concerned about the growing manifestations of
hatred, intolerance, discrimination and anti-Semitism in Europe and elsewhere.
We, all countries around the world, we the United Nations, must step forward
and play a pivotal role in combating those manifestations, in combating
anti-Semitism, as well as other forms and manifestations of racism, xenophobia
and religious intolerance.
My
Nation condemns the attacks in Paris earlier this month, the shooting in the
Jewish Museum of Belgium last year, and other acts of terror occurred recently.
Nevertheless the Holocaust remains a part of living memory we see with alarm
that Jewish communities around the world are once again under attack. Estonia
condemns these acts of violence and is united with the international community
in mourning the victims.
In
Europe, as well as in Estonia, we are resolute and united in defending our
values, of which freedom of expression is an inseparable part, as well as in
resisting evil, hatred and violence that denies this freedom.
As
there is a direct link between anti-Semitism and the Holocaust, Estonia also
reaffirms our strong and unconditional support for the principles of the
Stockholm Declaration of the year 2000, and the solemn commitments which our
governments then undertook. According to the declaration, it is our
responsibility to combat genocide, ethnic cleansing, racism, anti-Semitism and
xenophobia.
The Estonian Government
has repeatedly condemned the crimes of Nazis and other totalitarian regimes and
takes all occurrences of Nazism, racism and xenophobia very seriously. We are
determined to continue to develop our international cooperation on Holocaust
education, remembrance and research to prevent future genocides. This said I
think that the long term key is in education, in education given at school and
education given at home.
We in Estonia are proud
of the fact that in 1926, Estonia was the first country in the world to declare
cultural autonomy to its Jewish community. This noble past, as well as the
tragic fate of Jewish community during the Holocaust, obliges us also today. In
independent Estonia, after half a century of foreign occupations, the Jewish
community once again holds an important place in our society and in our economic
and cultural life. Today, Jews – like all other minorities– are guaranteed the
freedom to practice their faith and to maintain their cultural heritage. Well
integrated Estonian Jews consider Estonia to be their safe homeland, where
anti-Semitism has never existed on the governmental level – this fact, as well
as good cooperation with state representatives, has repeatedly been publicly
stated by the leaders of the Estonian Jewish community.
Today, on the eve of 70th
anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camps, the commemoration
of the darkest days in Europe, we are here to solemnly pledge that
anti-Semitism shall not have a place in our free and tolerant society, and we
will do everything in our power to fight against it. Let the dark shadows from
the past never appear again.
 
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