(New York, NY) – Counter Extremism Project (CEP) CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace released the following statement thanking President Trump and all members of his important delegation for their recent visit to CEP’s Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at the former house of the Commandant, on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Monday, January 27, and to the President for issuing an Executive Order confronting antisemitism:
On behalf of the Counter Extremism Project, I wish to express what an honor it was to host President Trump’s delegation and other distinguished persons at ARCHER at House 88, which opened its doors for the first time to the public on the same day as the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945. Their visit underscores the importance not only of remembering the atrocities of the past but also of taking concrete action against the rising tide of antisemitism and extremism today. The transformation of this house from a place of unspeakable evil into a center for education and action sends a powerful message: we must not ever again allow hatred to become ordinary.
Greeting each delegate—Steven C. Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East; Howard Lutnick, nominee for U.S. Secretary of Commerce; Charles Kushner, nominee for U.S. Ambassador to France; Isaac Perlmutter; Laura Perlmutter; Allison Lutnick; Robert Book; Michael Friedman; Boris Epshteyn; Ellen Germain, U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, and; Daniel Lawton, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., U.S. Mission to Poland—successively embracing the mezuzah now affixed to the doorpost of House 88, step through that literal and symbolic threshold, and walk with them through the rooms was a truly humbling, unforgettable collective experience. And for President Trump’s delegation to be among the first to touch the mezuzah and walk through that portal is a resounding testament to this Administration’s commitment in the fight against antisemitism. This is a doorway that once concealed one of the century’s most infamous mass murders responsible for the systematic extermination of more than one million Jews, firmly closed to the prisoners forced to labor as slaves at the camp next door—and sealed from the world since 1945—but is now truly open and welcome to all.
I am profoundly grateful for their recognition of the importance of this project and its willingness to stand with us in our mission. I thank each member for their visit and their commitment to ensuring that ‘never again’ is not just a phrase, but a call to action.
I likewise applaud President Trump’s decision yesterday to sign an Executive Order aimed at combating "the explosion of anti-Semitism” since October 7, 2023. Its goal to quash the surge of “pro-Hamas vandalism and intimidation” across campuses and in our streets is especially welcome. This is a hugely promising sign of the President’s seriousness with respect to confronting the horrific profusion of anti-Jewish actions in America over the past 16 months.
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Click here to view a selection of photographs documenting the historic visit of President Trump’s delegation to ARCHER at House 88.