President Barack Obama
President Barack ObamaReuters

US President Barack Obama released a statement on Thursday in time for Holocaust Remembrance Day, saying the day marks a time "to reaffirm our responsibilities to ourselves" and to future generations.

"Today, with heavy hearts, we remember the six million Jews and the millions of other victims of Nazi brutality who were murdered during the Holocaust," Obama said.

He emphasized the phrases "never forget" and "never again," urging the world to remember them.

"Yet, even as we recognize that mankind is capable of unspeakable acts of evil, we also draw strength from the survivors, the liberators, and the righteous among nations who represented humanity at its best," Obama added.

"With their example to guide us, together we must firmly and forcefully condemn the anti-Semitism that is still far too common today," he concluded. "Together we must stand against bigotry and hatred in all their forms. And together, we can leave our children a world that is more just, more free, and more secure for all humankind."