Canadian Parliament
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B’nai Brith Canada called on the Canadian government to finally release its archive of historical documents about Nazi war criminals residing in the country.

As the world observes Holocaust Remembrance Day, B’nai Brith made the request while testifying before a parliamentary committee. The advocacy organization also urged the government to create a public archive of Holocaust records.

David Matas, B’nai Brith Canada’s Senior Legal Counsel, along with two members of B’nai Brith’s Matas Law Society, pressed the government to treat the issue with urgency.

Explaining why action is needed immediately, Matas and the Law Society’s Michael Wenig submitted Bn’ai Brith’s position on the matter before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on Tuesday.

“We must remember the victims of the Holocaust,” Matas said. “We must also not forget their murderers. While the murderers are alive, that means bringing them to justice. Once they are gone, it means providing public access to the record of their atrocities.”

B’nai Brith also called on the government to release unredacted copies of other reports regarding Nazi war criminals residing in the country. Wenig called the period a “dark stain” on Canada’s history.

“Members of the Committee have an opportunity to adopt key recommendations that are aimed at filling out the public record regarding Canada’s actions and inaction with respect to Nazi war criminals in Canada,” Wenig said. “A public accounting of this dark stain on our nation’s history is critical at a time when social media amplifies Holocaust denial and distortion, as outlined in B’nai Brith’s latest Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.”

The newest Audit of Antisemitic Incidents found antisemitic incidents against Canadian Jews continue to occur at an “unacceptably high” rate, describing the trend as “shameful.”

“The Matas Law Society is committed to ensuring justice for victims of the Holocaust,” the organization’s David Rosenfeld said. “Unfortunately, the government’s policies fundamentally fail in establishing a transparent history of Nazi war criminals in Canada. We must do everything we can to ensure that the government diligently archives and makes available its collection of records. There is no reason whatsoever to keep these documents private at this point.”