Tal
Högnivåsymposium på Yad Vashem, The International Institute for Holocaust Research, i Jerusalem. 26 juni 2012
Erik Ullenhag, Integrationsminister

The Living Legacy of Raoul Wallenberg

First of all I would like to thank Yad Vashem and Chairman Shalev for the invitation. It is a great honour for me to be here and to talk about the living legacy of Raoul Wallenberg, at Yad Vashem which has recognized Wallenberg as a Righteous among the Nations, and which plays such a crucial role in efforts to remember and learn from the horrors of the Holocaust. I am grateful to Deputy Minister Ayalon for being here to represent the Israeli Government, to Mr Michael Wernstedt who is a member of Raoul Wallenberg's family, and to the members of the Swedish community for being here today. I am particularly honoured by the presence of those of you who are survivors yourselves and who join in today's tribute to Wallenberg.

It has always been impossible for me to understand the evil behind the Holocaust. How was it possible that millions and millions of individuals were killed so systematically? How could ordinary men and women become the perpetrators in the worst crime against humanity?

And I can never fully understand how it feels. How it feels to have been subjected to the inhuman treatment of the Nazis. How it feels to be a son of someone who has survived the Holocaust but who is marked with a big scar for the rest of his life.

Even though it is impossible to fully understand, we have a duty to the victims to try to understand. We have a duty to commemorate all the victims. And we have a duty to act - to secure that the history is never forgotten and that the necessary lessons are learned for the future.

We must never let the Holocaust deniers win. Those who were murdered in the death camps of the Nazis must not also be deprived of their deaths. The Holocaust deniers have an interest in twisting the history. And unfortunately the survivors are getting fewer. Now when memories of the Holocaust become history, when fewer and fewer can tell us what actually happened - all good forces need to fight for the true history.

Even if it is hard, we must find the words to keep on telling the story and to make history part of today.

But we must also tell the story of human beings who actually made a difference. Like Raoul Wallenberg. To remember Wallenberg and his determination to do the right thing is also a way of keeping history alive. His courage should in every way possible be highlighted and remembered in the fight against intolerance and in the fight against anti- Semitism of today.

I'm so proud to represent the same country as Raoul Wallenberg. But to be honest, I can't be proud of Swedish history concerning Wallenberg. I am sorry we left the Wallenberg family too alone. I am sorry that we did not for a long time tell the story of Raoul Wallenberg. I am sorry we didn't dare to do enough to find out what happened to the brave Swedish diplomat.

This year Raoul Wallenberg would have turned 100 years old. Now, Sweden is determined to give Wallenberg the place in history that he deserves. We have in the Swedish Government decided to commemorate Raoul Wallenberg throughout 2012 and many activities are currently underway in Sweden and abroad. This event is an example of that.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In the spirit of the work and legacy of Raoul Wallenberg the Swedish Government stands firm in its commitment to fight anti-Semitism, xenophobia and related intolerance. Experience shows us that the fight for tolerance, openness and humanity must be a never-ending process. The work is never done and completed. Every day we must stand up for human rights and democracy. Every day we must promote an open and tolerant society.

Sadly, anti-Semitism is still alive in Europe. Populist political parties are growing in several European countries. In some cases, these parties have been allowed to shift the entire political map. Established parties have adapted to the intolerant messages. Those who stand up for openness and tolerance have been far too quite. We have seen the patterns before. But we cannot risk paying the price of not doing anything. As Europeans, as democrats, as people deeply committed to human rights, we need to meet this challenge.

Also in Sweden we have a xenophobic party in the parliament. However, for the Swedish government it is clear - we will not let this party gain influence on politics in Sweden. We will not let them move the political map towards intolerance.

No country is free from racism and intolerance. In my own country, despite strong traditions of democracy and respect for human rights, we still face instances of anti-Semitism, as well as intolerance towards other groups, such as Muslims and Roma.

In the city of Malmö, in southern Sweden, there has been a rise in the number of Jews who have suffered anti-Semitic harassment and some Jewish families have even left the city.

"Why do they yell these things dad? Do they try to be cool?"

It is the children of the Rabbi in Malmö Shneur Kesselman that pose the question. Kesselman has suffered from over 70 anti-Semitic incidents in one year.

What would I answer if it was my kids that posed the question? How would I try to explain the hatred from unknown people? I sincerely don't know. But I do know that we have a duty to fight anti-Semitism. To teach our children not to hate. To teach the lessons of the past. No one should be afraid of meeting the pure hatred in a street in Sweden - the country of Raoul Wallenberg.

The message from the Swedish government concerning the situation in Malmö is crystal-clear - we will never accept anti-Semitism. We stand firm in our commitment and will continue to combat anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance. As Minister, I work closely with the vibrant Jewish community of Sweden on these issues. All Swedes must be able to live their lives without fear of threats or harassment. Sweden should be a good country to live in for Jews and all other minorities. It is the responsibility of the public and local authorities, the police and the justice system.

The Swedish Government will also in the coming years intensify efforts to teach children and young people about xenophobia and intolerance, an essential part of combatting hatred. In order to strengthen the security for the Jewish population, the Government has also, sadly I must say, provided financial support to the Jewish community in Sweden.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Political leaders have a responsibility. We need to take concrete actions to stop intolerance. The schools and the educational system are key areas. We appreciate the long and close cooperation that Swedish schools and educators have had with Yad Vashem on how to teach the lessons of the Holocaust. Further, we need to stand up and take the debate in order to protect and promote the open society.

When fighting fanaticism I believe that we need to focus on the moderate part of the population. And the good thing is that they are often in majority. Saying this, it is of course important to try to have an impact also on the fanatics for example populist political parties and individuals that are promoting xenophobia and other intolerant views. But we must not forget the public in general, the ones who could be the bystanders. We must do our best to see to that more individuals say no to intolerance. We need more individuals who stand up for openness, democracy and human rights.

Many of us know the following lines by the German Martin Niemöller:
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Raoul Wallenberg showed us that one man can make a difference. Raoul Wallenberg decided that he did not want to be a bystander saying that he had no choice. Instead he said - To me there's no other choice. Wallenberg's bold methods put him in great danger. The last time he met his colleague Per Anger he said

"I've taken on this assignment, and I will never be able to go back to Stockholm without knowing inside myself that I'd done all a man could do to save as many Jews as possible".

We need more individuals like Raoul Wallenberg. We need more courage and humanity. Not all can be heroes like Wallenberg. But all of us can do something.

The greatest danger to a society is not the evil from the evil people. The greatest danger is when the good people are silent.

Each and every one of us has a role and a responsibility to fight anti-Semitism, racism and intolerance of today. That is the best way we can honour the living legacy of Raoul Wallenberg.

Thank you!