President Donald Trump. Photo: Reuters / Jonathan Ernst.

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day this weekend, the White House on Friday issued a statement marking the solemn annual commemoration.

The White House said:

We take this opportunity to recall the Nazis’ systematic persecution and brutal murder of six million Jewish people. In their death camps and under their inhuman rule, the Nazis also enslaved and killed millions of Slavs, Roma, gays, people with disabilities, priests and religious leaders, and others who courageously opposed their brutal regime.

With its mention of the genocide of Jews, it appears the White House took to heart the criticism it received following its omission of such a specific reference in last year’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day statement.

This year’s statement continued:

Our Nation is indebted to the Holocaust’s survivors. Despite the trauma they carry with them, they continue to educate us by sharing their experiences, strength, wisdom, and generosity of spirit to advance respect for human rights. Although they are aging and their numbers are slowly dwindling, their stories remain with us, giving us the strength to combat intolerance, including anti-Semitism and all other forms of bigotry and discrimination.

Every generation must learn and apply the lessons of the Holocaust to prevent new horrors against humanity from occurring. As I have said: “We will stamp out prejudice.  We will condemn hatred. We will bear witness, and we will act.” In this spirit, we must join together across our nations and with people of goodwill around the world to eliminate prejudice and promote more just societies. We must remain vigilant to protect the fundamental rights and inherent dignity of every human being.

On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we acknowledge this dark stain on human history and vow to never let it happen again.