Broadcast May 2 2008
My diary says today is Holocaust Martyrs Remembrance Day. I’d never heard of it, so I looked it up – turns out it was yesterday and my diary is wrong. But this ceremony is held each year in Israel as they remember those who died in that grim tragedy.
It’s a long time since the Holocaust, yet I reckon these kinds of days are important for human beings not just because they promote a sense of solidarity, but because there is always the need to learn from history and to encourage us to challenge injustice. In the UK, the annual Remembrance Day is increasingly questioned as the
years pass. How many people are around who were alive during the two world wars? Of course, in a few years there will literally be no one in that category. Yet I think it’s important to keep that day and to remember not just these wars, but all who suffer in wars and conflicts, and to commit ourselves to peace.
This is a special year for Israel as next week they celebrate the 60th anniversary of the modern state. Yet for the Palestinians in the Occupied territories there is little to celebrate. The much vaunted “Road Map for Peace” heralded by George W Bush seems to have been forgotten about once more. And the violence continues - fuelled in part by insecurity, mistrust, aggression and a sense of injustice.
To coincide with next week’s anniversary, a statement called justpeace60 will be released - signed by many Christians across the world (including Archbishop Desmond Tutu). This statement urges Israelis and Palestinians to recognise that any peaceful settlement must be based on the foundation of justice. In the Old Testament (which is sacred for both Christians and Jews), we read, “that justice provides peace and lasting security.” (Is. 32:17). You don’t need to be religious to see the truth in that.
Real peace based on justice for all in Israel and Palestine, must surely be the hope for all people in that region. And it would be the best possible way to honour the memories of those denied the most basic justice in the Holocaust.