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Published on 10 July 2015
Lauder: The lesson from Srebrenica is that we can't stand by when people are butchered
Published in the World Jewish Congress Website July 9, 2015
On the 20th anniversary of the massacre of more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica, World Jewish Congress (WJC) President Ronald S. Lauder has called on the world to do more against the on-going slaughter of innocent people in many countries, notably in the Middle East.
Lauder declared: “Today, the Jewish people are mourning the victims of the massacre in Srebrenica in 1995, the senseless murder of thousands and thousands of men and boys who were killed just because they were Bosnian Muslims. As all of this happened right under the eyes of United Nations soldiers, it should have been a defining moment for the international community. However, given the events we are witnessing today in so many places, I am wondering if the world has really learnt the lessons of this event.
“What took place 20 years ago in Srebrenica is taking place again today, in places such as Syria, Iraq, or Nigeria. The world knows of all those atrocities, but all too often, it remains silent or moves on quickly - until the next massacre happens.
“The lesson from Srebrenica is that we cannot just stand by when people are butchered by genocidal forces. It is important to bring the perpetrators to justice, as was done after Srebrenica with some success. But it is even more important to prevent such genocidal massacres in the first place. There is a moral obligation to intervene in time and to use robust force against those who plan or commit genocide”... Read more.