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| Israel-Palestine | |
| Schwarzenegger Honors Holocaust Victims | |
| 2004-05-02 | |
| JERUSALEM (AP) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger paid tribute Sunday to the millions of Jews killed in the Holocaust and helped dedicate a planned museum of tolerance during a whirlwind visit to Jerusalem. In an emotional speech at the museum site, Schwarzenegger said that in a world of violence and suicide attacks, the museum would stand as a "candle to guide us." "The world should know we are not building a bunker. We're building something that breathes with life, just as God breathed life into us," Schwarzenegger said. "We look past the suicide bombers, the terrorists, past the blood. ... We look ahead to the time people can live side by side." Schwarzenegger, wearing a yarmulke, later laid a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, a ceremony in which he also rekindled the memorial's symbolic eternal flame. The governor bowed his head and stood in silence for several minutes in the vault-like chamber, which has the ashes of Holocaust victims buried beneath its marble floor. Israelis, many of whom feel isolated after 3 1/2 years of violence with the Palestinians, were thrilled with Schwarzenegger's visit. He was cheered at every stop in his busy day, whether by office workers in government buildings or the crowd at the museum ceremony. Responding to criticism from Arab-Americans back home that he was not spending time with Palestinians on this trip, the governor said he planned to stop in Jordan on Monday and have lunch with King Abdullah II, a personal friend who has visited the governor at his home in Los Angeles. The tolerance museum, scheduled to open in 2007, is being built by the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights advocacy group to which Schwarzenegger has contributed $1 million over the years. It will be a sister museum to the Wiesenthal Center's Southern California Museum of Tolerance. During the groundbreaking ceremony, Schwarzenegger recalled his home country of Austria, where "intolerance and ignorance led to atrocities and heartaches." "I want to do whatever I can to promote tolerance around the world," he said. Speakers at the ceremony praised Schwarzenegger. Vice Premier Ehud Olmert called him "a great friend of the Jewish people." The governor got one of his loudest cheers when he ended his speech with the Hebrew saying, "Am Yisrael chai" - the nation of Israel lives - gave the crowd a thumbs up, and added his signature movie line, "I'll be back." The governor has also met with Israeli business leaders. On Saturday he announced five agreements with Israeli companies to expand or create business in California. After his stop in Jordan, Schwarzenegger plans to travel to Germany to visit U.S. soldiers wounded in Iraq.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 Let's stay open minded about this so called Holocaust. I'm sure AntiWar has a few thoughts this. |
| Posted by: Gentile 2004-05-02 8:58:15 PM |
| #1 Let's stay open minded about this so called Holocaust. I'm sure AntiWar has a few thoughts this. |
| Posted by: Gentile 2004-05-02 8:58:15 PM |