International Holocaust Remembrance Day: “Every Human Life is the Universe Itself”

Noa said something that stayed with me: “Every human life is the universe itself.”

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: speech by the singer Noa – Multimedia Centre

© European Union 2026 – Source: EP

The singer and activist spoke these words today, the 27th of January, in the European Parliament’s special plenary session marking the 81st anniversary of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This year’s theme was “through the eyes of a child.”

That sentence struck a chord with me. It lingered in my mind in that hemicycle long after she finished performing Nicola Piovani’s “Beautiful That Way” from the film Life Is Beautiful.

The plenary addressed the liberation of Auschwitz on the 27th of January 1945. It is held each year as the Parliament’s official commemoration of the Holocaust. It followed the usual structure: an opening speech by the President, the testimony of a survivor, musical performances, and a minute of silence for the victims.

© European Union 2026 – Source: EP

This year’s focus on children gave the commemoration a particular weight. The plenary honoured the past, although present-day conflicts cast a shadow that could not be ignored.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day: speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President – Multimedia Centre

Metsola emphasised that today’s generation is the last that will hear survivors speak in person. She warned that antisemitism still persists and changes form. She said that the phrase “never again” must not become an empty promise, and that the European Parliament must always speak up against antisemitism and hatred.

She also referred to Simone Veil, noting that the first woman to lead the Parliament showed that Europe cannot remain neutral in the face of oppression.

Tatiana Bucci, who was deported to Auschwitz as a young girl, is part of the last generation of survivors who can still give their testimony directly to members of the European Parliament. Bucci mentioned children being killed. She referenced Ukraine, Palestine and Africa. Noa also referenced Palestine in her remarks.

Simone Veil speech on lessons from the Holocaust | European Parliament – YouTube

During the plenary, I also thought of Simone Veil, also an Auschwitz survivor, who became the first female President of the European Parliament in 1979.

In a 1995 speech to the European Parliament, on the 50th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, she warned:

“Nazism came through democratic channels,” Veil said. “I often thought that if Briand and Stresemann had been listened to, I would never have ended up in Auschwitz.”

She continued:

 “There were things that, although obvious, we did not want to face between 1933 and 1940. By the time we took them seriously, it was too late, but we had known for a long time.”

She argued that Nazism arrived through democratic means because certain ideas were allowed to spread without being challenged early enough. She also described European integration as the most important political development of the previous fifty years, because it was meant to prevent a return to such crimes.

Her message was clear: we cannot by any means tolerate exclusion, racism and xenophobia.

Sitting in that hemicycle, I wondered if we, united by the European Union’s values, had learned anything at all.

Holocaust remembrance is often seen as a moral duty to commemorate the atrocities of the past. Today, I believe this is also a political responsibility. The same institution that honoured memory was also debating policies that affect human lives in real time.

In recent years, Parliament has passed resolutions on the war in Ukraine, condemning Russia’s full-scale invasion and expressing support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and for international law.

Moreover, Parliament also adopted resolutions on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, condemning the attacks by Hamas, calling for the release of hostages and for respect for international humanitarian law, while urging an immediate improvement in humanitarian access and supporting a two-state solution.

If “through the eyes of a child” is our lens, then it must apply consistently. If principles shift by ally, geography or political cost, it reads like double standards. “Never again” must be a standard, not a slogan.

“Every human life is the universe itself,” Noa said.

If we truly believe that, then remembrance must lead to action. Otherwise, “never again” becomes a commemorative slogan rather than a governing principle. Institutions are judged by what they do, not what they solemnly applaud.