Top U.S. Political Figures Voice Firm Bipartisan Support for Israel and Ukraine at Third-Annual Kyiv Jewish Forum

The third-annual Kyiv Jewish Forum featured on Wednesday two distinguished guests from the United States, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland and Representative Doug Lamborn of Colorado, both strong advocates of strong American ties with Israel and Ukraine and leaders in the global fight against antisemitism. 

Senator Cardin, a Democrat who serves as chair of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, said, “Today we celebrate the special relationship between these two nations, and the enduring support of the U.S. for both.”

Referring to the recent 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre in Kyiv, in which more than 30,000 Ukrainian Jews were murdered by the Nazis, Senator Cardin noted, “The mass grave there is a painful reminder of the incredible human suffering of the Holocaust. We revisit these difficult memories so as not to forget the horrors, [and] to prevent such a thing from ever happening again.”

“The United States has long been committed to Holocaust remembrance, but we all must do more than just remember,” he added. “We must continue to combat antisemitism in all of its forms today.”

Watch Senator Cardin’s full remarks here:

Congressman Lamborn, who represents Colorado’s Fifth District, said, “The history of Ukraine’s Jewish population puts into stark relief the dangers of antisemitism. Villainizing people based on who they are is the prerequisite for ethnic violence. The shocking evils we witnessed in the early and mid-20th century directed at Ukrainian Jews underscores the importance of ‘Never Again.’”

“But ‘Never Again’ can’t be an empty and toothless slogan we recite at memorials,” he emphasized. “If we are serious about this statement, we must support the inalienable rights of Jewish communities around the world to defend themselves. We must remain vigilant in the fight against the oldest hatred.”

Representative Lamborn also highlighted Ukraine’s flourishing current-day Jewish community and its close relationship with Israel.

“How a nation views Israel and the Jewish people says a great deal about the character of that nation, and in recent years our Ukrainian friends are emulating the noblest traditions of their country’s history,” he said.

Watch Representative Lamborn’s full remarks here:

The two-day virtual Kyiv Jewish Forum was co-hosted by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine, the Center for Jewish Impact, the Combat Antisemitism Movement, and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress.

For more information on the Kyiv Jewish Forum, visit: kyivjewishforum.com