'Witness to History's Greatest Crime:' Wiesel Mourned

Reaction is pouring in to the death of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, 87, author of Night. Highlights, via the AP:

• "The state of Israel and the Jewish people express sorrow over the death of Elie Wiesel. Elie, a master of words, gave expression to the victory of the human spirit over cruelty and evil with his unusual personality and captivating stories. In the darkness of the Holocaust when our brothers and sisters perished—the 6 million—Elie Wiesel served as a ray of light and an example of humanity that believes in the goodness of man."—Benjamin Netanyahu
• "He was a guide for us all. One of the Jewish people's greatest sons, who touched the hearts of so many, and helped us to believe in forgiveness, in life, and in the eternal bond of the Jewish people." —Israeli President Reuven Rivlin
• "Wiesel ... endured the most serious atrocities of mankind—survived them and dedicated his life to conveying the message of 'Never Again.' May his memory be a blessing to us all." —Former Israeli President Shimon Peres

• "He raised his voice, not just against anti-Semitism, but against hatred, bigotry and intolerance in all its forms. He implored each of us, as nations and as human beings, to do the same, to see ourselves in each other and to make real that pledge of 'never again.'" —President Obama
• "Elie (Wiesel) shouldered the blessing and the burden of survival. In words and deeds, he bore witness and built a monument to memory to teach the living and generations to come the perils of human indifference. As he often said, one person of integrity can make a difference." —Bill and Hillary Clinton
• "Elie Wiesel spent his life in service to humanity, keeping the memory of the Holocaust's horror alive. It is for us all to carry this torch." —Canadian PM Justin Trudeau
• "We have lost the most articulate witness to history's greatest crime." —World Jewish Congress' Ronald S. Lauder
• "We had a champion who carried our pain, our guilt and our responsibility on his shoulders for generations. Now he's gone. It's hard to fathom. So I guess it's up to us now. To fight for the disenfranchised. To speak truth to power and to never forget how cruel man can be to man." —George Clooney
• "Elie Wiesel reached out to us Germans and worked tirelessly with us to make a better world possible." —Angela Merkel

(More Elie Wiesel stories.)