6 Jan 2012

SOAS's Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy has linked with the Wiener Library for the study of the Holocaust and Genocide are to launch an initiative to combat Holocaust denial and anti-semitism by remembering a WW2 statement by many nations condeming the extermination of the Jews.

Speaking at a special Holocaust Memorial Day lecture at the library Jan 26th, Centre Director, Dan Plesch will say,

"We are asking the EU, NATO, the OSCE and the UN and their member states to reissue a public condemnation issued many nations in December 1942 of the Nazi's extermination of the Jews.' The Holocaust memorial day theme is 'Stand Up and Speak Out', we need to remember that nations did stand up and speak out at the time and reissue this statement on its 70th anniversary.' We hope that come 17th December 2012, the UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and his US and Russian counterparts will solemly re-state that,

'the German authorities, not content with denying to persons of Jewish race in all the territories over which their barbarous rule has been extended the most elementary human rights, are now carrying into effect Hitler's oft repeated intention to exterminate the Jewish people in Europe.'

Dr Plesch's lecture draws on his acclaimed book, 'America Hitler and the UN' and on recent archival research at the UN in New York.