The National Assembly of Quebec marked Holocaust Remembrance Day by adopting a motion stating « That the National Assembly recognizes that today, April 19th, 2012, is Yom Hashoah, the International Day of Commemoration for the Victims of the Holocaust ». The Israeli Consul General in Montreal Joël Lion, Yitzhak Vaknin, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, and MK Daniel Ben Simon were guests of the National Assembly; the Centre’s Vice-President (Québec) Luciano G. Del Negro and Associate Director for Government Affairs (Québec) Jonathan Kalles also joined for a private meeting subsequent to the motion being passed.
Speaking for the Liberal Party of Quebec, D’Arcy-McGee MNA Lawrence Bergman said that Yom Hashoah is an opportunity to « remind all of our leaders in our democratic societies that they must always denounce racism, intolerance and anti-Semitism ».
Speaking for the Parti Québécois, Richelieu MNA Sylvain Simard stated « it is important that we and our descendents remember forever the horror of the Holocaust in order for all forms of anti-Semitism be eradicated and that violence against Jews, in any form, never return to Quebec or elsewhere ».
On behalf of the Coalition Avenir Québec, Deux-Montagnes MNA Benoit Charette stressed « the capital importance to remember this dark page of our history in the name of the Jewish people, but also in the name of all of humanity ».
A minute of silence was then held in honour of all those who perished.
