LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Arnold Schwarzenegger has been honored by Holocaust Museum in LA for his relentless commitment and fight against antisemitism and bigotry.
The ‘Terminator’ star was chosen for the inaugural Award of Courage at the annual gala on Monday, November 6, at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
27 Holocaust survivors attended the event
27 Holocaust survivors were honored as guests of the evening with Holocaust Museum LA, marking the 15th Annual gala.
It is also the oldest Holocaust museum in the US. Board chair member Guy Lipa started off the event saying, “Our community is devastated by the atrocities committed by Hamas. We are angry and scared when we see violent antisemitism in our backyard and around the globe, but I am heartened seeing our community come together tonight.”
Schwarzenegger took on the stage as producer Mike Medavoy bestowed the award on him, reports THR.
The former Governor of California wanted to fight “for inclusion against hatred and speak out about hatred and how wrong it is to not look at everyone’s life equally. And to attack each other because of someone’s religion and religious background or their color or their sex, whatever it is.”
Arnold further said, “I felt it was very important, especially since I come from a country that is known to be a big part of the second World War and had the most vicious Nazis during the second World War and beforehand. I thought it is important to go out and to let people know that the next generation doesn’t have to be the same, that the next generation can change.”
A Jew who helped Arnold Schwarzenegger with his American dream
The 76-year-old recalled the moment when his father expressed his displeasure for buying a Jewish publisher’s magazine during his teens.
Interestingly, the same outlet owner helped him set up his base in America years later.
“I have to go and fight that, I have to go and speak out about hatred, I have to go and get involved in this issue,'” he said.
“And the more I became a celebrity, the more I became a movie star and a bodybuilding star and all that, the more I felt like, ‘Oh, I have another power', in being a public voice against antisemitism,” he added.
Schwarzenegger, in his speech, also said, “There’s all this chatter out there and all this stuff and all this negativity and hatred that we have to speak up and confront them. The more we speak out about that issue, the better it is. So every day you have to talk about that, you have talk about it over and over again because we cannot let them get away with those lies and with this hatred.”
“You’ve got to talk to them, and talk them down and let them know that the only way to go is through love… hatred you never ever win; love in the end always wins," he continued.
