Holocaust Remembrance: Israel Gave Jews a Voice Among the Nations

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and members of Congress honored dozens of Holocaust survivors Thursday at a special ceremony on Capitol Hill.

Each year during The Days of Remembrance, political leaders join with victims of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution to light a memorial candle to honor the 6 million Jews who died.

Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said anti-Semitism has persisted in the world, but this time it's different because the Jewish people are no longer stateless or powerless.

"The establishment of Israel is neither the cure for, nor the cause of anti-Semitism, but the establishment of Israel did give the Jewish people the ability to fight back against anti-Semitism," Dermer said. "It gave Jewish people a voice among the nations."

This year's ceremony marks the 71st anniversary of the liberation of concentration camps by Allied Forces. About 60 Holocaust survivors attended the ceremony.