POLAND AND GERMANY OVER THE WEEKEND. LAYING -- A CONCENTRATION CAMP WHERE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS WERE KILLED DURING THE NAZIS RAIN DURING WORLD WAR II. THIS COMES AS THE WORLD MARKS INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY, DURING A TIME WHEN THERE HAS BEEN A CONCERNING RISE OF ANTISEMITISM IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD, AHEAD OF INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY. WE SEDAN WITH ALLEN GERMAN, STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HOLOCAUST ISSUES. >> WE LIKE TO SAY IN MY OFFICE THAT OUR MISSION IS SEEKING A MEASURE OF JUSTICE FOR HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AND THEIR HEIRS. MOST DIRECTLY RELEVANT TO HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY'S SUPPORTING ACCURATE HOLOCAUST COMMEMORATION. THAT IS A BIGGER AND BIGGER CHALLENGE THESE DAYS, BECAUSE THINGS LIKE HOLOCAUST DISTORTION AND DENIAL ARE ON THE RISE. >> SINCE WE ARE OVERSEEING SUCH A SCARY LEVEL OF ANTISEMITISM, THE ANTI DEFAMATION LEAGUE LAST YEAR FOUND THAT ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH IN 2021. WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO AMERICANS RIGHT NOW, WITH YOUR EXPERTISE WHO SEE THOSE NUMBER, EXPERIENCE THAT IN THEIR LIVES, WHO ARE SHOCKED, WHO ARE SCARE? >> THE FIRST MESSAGE IS THAT WE STAND WITH YOU, AND WE STAND BEHIND YOU. THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN CLEAR AND UNEQUIVOCAL IN CALLING OUT ANTISEMITISM, AND ALL KINDS OF HATE SPEECH. IN SAYING THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED, REALLY AS WE ALL HAVE TO SPEAK OUT. WORDS DO MATTER. >> WE SEE ENTERTAINERS LIKE KANYE WEST SHARING ANTISEMITIC TROPES. EVEN TRUMP HAD DINNER WITH A PROMINENT HOLOCAUST DENIER, HOW DOES THAT KIND OF HIGH-PROFILE SPEECH, HATE SPEECH IMPACT YOUR WORK AS A STATE DEPARTMENT? >> AS A SPECIAL ENVOY, I FOCUS ABROAD. WE ARE FOCUSED ABROAD. OBVIOUSLY, I AM WELL AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THAT INFORMS THE WORK THAT WE DO OVERSEAS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. >> SO MUCH OF OUR CONVERSATION HERE ON FOREIGN ISSUES HAS BEEN ON THE WAR IN UKRAINE. WE HEARD VLADIMIR PUTIN TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE DENAZIFICATION AS PART OF HIS REASONING FOR BEING IN UKRAINE. AT THE SAME TIME, WE SAW HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS FLEEING THEIR HOMES IN FACE OF THAT WAR. WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO THAT, AND WHAT IS IT LIKE TO DO YOUR WORK WHERE PEOPLE ARE INVOKING THE HOLOCAUST IN THE NAME OF A NEW WAR TODAY? >> THAT IS A CRYSTAL CLEAR EXAMPLE OF HOW HOLOCAUST DISTORTION HAPPENS. FOR PRESIDENT PUTIN TO CLAIM THE DEMOCRATIC UKRAINE MEETING NEEDS TO BE DENAZIFYING IS AN INSULT TO HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS, AND TO ALL OF THE VICTIMS OF THE HOLOCAUST. IT REALLY SHOWS HOW MUCH OF A DANGER HOLOCAUST DISTORTION HAS BECOME IN RECENT DAYS, AND RECENT YEARS. PRESIDENT PUTIN, USING THE PRETEXT OF UKRAINE BEING A HOTBED OF NEO-NAZISM AS AN EXCUSE FOR THIS UNPROVOKED WAR AGAINST UKRAINE IS HORRENDOUS. WE HAVE TO GRAB THAT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW WHY HOLOCAUST ISSUES STILL MATTER TODAY. THEY MATTER FOR OUR FOREIGN POLICY. >> THE THEME FOR THIS YEAR'S HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY IS HOME. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS TO YOU, AND HOW YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR WORK WITH THE SPECIAL ENVOY ON HOLOCAUST ISSUES IN GENERAL THESE DAYS? >> I THINK THAT IS A VERY PERSONAL THEME. IT REALLY CONNECTS TO ALL OF THE ASPECTS OF MY WORK AS SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HOLOCAUST ISSUES. WE WORK ON TRYING TO GET COUNTRIES TO DO COMPENSATION AND RESTITUTION FOR JEWISH PROPERTY THAT WAS SEIZED BY THE NAZIS DURING WORLD WAR II. THESE PEOPLES ENTIRE LIVES WERE UPROOTED. THEY WERE DEPORTED, TORTURED, KILLED, THEY WERE TAKEN AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES. AND SO FOR SURVIVORS AND SOMETIMES FOR THEIR ERRORS, TO HAVE THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT YES, THIS BUILDING DID BELONG TO YOUR GREAT GRANDMOTHER, WHERE THIS SHOT DID BELONG TO YOUR GREAT UNCLE. THAT'S VERY MEANINGFUL FOR SURVIVORS, AND I'VE HEARD THAT FROM MANY PEOPLE. IT'S REALLY EMOTIONAL WHEN YOU HEAR THAT. IT MAKES A VERY PERSONAL. >> WHAT'S YOUR MESSAGE TO PEOPLE THAT SAY THAT I WANT TO BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION OF MAKING SURE THAT WHAT HAPPENED IS NOT FORGOTTEN? >> EDUCATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AND STUDY WHAT LED UP TO THE HOLOCAUST, SO THAT MAYBE WE CAN IDENTIFY THE SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT LEAD UP TO IT. WE CAN SEE THAT GENOCIDE DOES NOT HAPPEN INEVITABLY. IT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CHALLENGED, IT'S SOMETHING THAT MIGHT EVEN BE ABLE TO BE PREVENTED IN THE FUTURE. THE OTHER THEME IS COMMEMORATION. IT IS A WAY OF SAYING TO SURVIVORS THAT WE SEE YOU. WE UNDERSTAND, WE RECOGNIZE WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU. WE WANT TO TRY TO PREVENT SUCH HORRIFIC ATROCITIES FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. >>