Gov. Endorses Anti-Hate Campaign

Reinforcing his commitment to Holocaust education and combating hate crimes, Governor James E. McGreevey today endorsed the Anti-Defamation League’s “Break the Wave of Hate” campaign by signing the group’s national petition and presenting it with an official Proclamation.

Joined by Abraham H. Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Governor said this campaign is needed now more than ever due to a wave of anti-Semitism that has recently swept through Europe and the Middle East.

“It is unconscionable that fifty-seven years after the Holocaust, anti-Semitic acts are on the rise throughout Europe and the Middle East,” said McGreevey. “These acts are reminiscent of the evils that occurred in Nazi Germany prior to the Second World War. People failed to act against hate, and instead chose to be bystanders watching the evil occur.

“The lessons of the Holocaust –and our own recent experiences with evil—serve as stark historical reminders for future generations that our moral obligation is to ensure that such atrocities never again occur,” continued McGreevey. “This increase in anti-Semitism demonstrates that the Holocaust is not merely a history lesson of the past. Now is the time to break the wave of hate.”

The goal of the “Break the Wave of Hate” campaign is to heighten awareness, mobilize New Jerseyans and persuade political, religious and community leaders to combat global anti-Semitism through community meetings and information sessions with media. The ADL plans to hold seven community meetings throughout the State by mid-July.

A critical aspect of the campaign will be a national petition circulated by the ADL urging Congressional leaders to encourage the U.S. Government to take action against the growing threat to Jews around the world, which the Governor signed today.

At the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) annual policy conference in April, the Governor stated the need to stand strong against any and all acts of anti-Semitism. He also demanded that more action be taken by governments throughout Europe against acts of hatred and bigotry.

As a legislator, the Governor sponsored the law that created a permanent New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education. New Jersey is one of the first states to develop a Holocaust Education program in public schools.

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Author: Paul Aronsohn