Recent events in the Middle East and around the world underscore the importance of this day.  Anti-Semitic and anti-Israel rhetoric and demonstrations continue in numerous countries.  And while we respect the right of every person to be heard, the hateful displays throughout the world that are directed at the Jewish people remind us that “Never Again” is not a guarantee, but a promise that we must uphold through education, dialogue, and determination.   It also reminds us that we must continue to strengthen the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel.  Moreover, we must redouble our efforts to bring lasting peace to the Middle East.  

“Never Again” means that we must combat hate wherever it exists.  We must never turn a blind eye to terror or discrimination.  We must demand that our government hold those who carry out acts of needless brutality accountable.  

While we must honor those who were lost during the Holocaust by carrying on and living honorable and productive lives, we must also honor them by carrying out measures to bring to justice those who were implicated and who profited from their suffering.  And we must do everything within our power to provide the utmost measure of restitution for those who survived the Nazi’s evil plan. 

The Holocaust was the most horrific human atrocity the world saw during the last century and perhaps in the history of the planet.  Millions of Jews and others were brutalized, raped, beaten, dehumanized, enslaved, robbed, and murdered.  While it is hard to grasp how terrible those events must have been, what all of our children, and us must do is to listen to the stories of those few remaining survivors of the Holocaust and ensure that their stories and their suffering are a permanent part of history. 

The Holocaust was not only the worst murder case in history, but it was also the biggest exploitation and theft.  Jews and others were enslaved-worked literally to death for various companies.  The Nazis liquidated millions of insurance policies with the assistance of insurance companies, and millions of bank accounts were seized.  I am sad to say that, to this date, there has been no restitution for the bulk of those crimes.  Every year we observe Yom Ha-shoah, we are also reminded of those survivors of the Holocaust who have passed away during the previous year.  

Negotiations to repay stolen assets are ongoing.  But, unfortunately, the process is slow and many have been deprived of at least some measure of justice after enduring so much.  Real and overdue progress on this front requires the complete cooperation of foreign governments and multinational corporations, who have yet to own up to their role in the crime of the last century.  The fact that some still deny responsibility or refuse full compliance with negotiations only adds to the suffering and prolongs the justice those survivors deserve.   

As members of Congress, a critical responsibility we have this year is to closely evaluate the status of efforts to gain restitution for insurance policies that were sold to victims and survivors of the Holocaust but were never paid.  

There are still some 10, 000 survivors in Illinois and roughly 1100 of them have filed claims for insurance.  To my knowledge, only a handful, 14 have received offers for payments. 

This is an issue that is beyond urgency.  There are serious problems that need to be resolved and Congress has a responsibility to make sure that is done so that those who have lived to recall the Holocaust may also have some measure of justice and dignity paid to them while they are still alive. 

We can not even attempt to repay them for the suffering and the loss.  What we can do is honor holocaust victims and survivors first, by never allowing our children and future generations to forget what happened and by denouncing in the strongest of terms, rhetoric and behavior that are tainted with the reminiscence of the Nazi era.

Today we honor and mourn those who perished. We vow to live our lives in a way that pays tribute to their memory and ensures others will not suffer their fate.