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As Holocaust Remembrance Day began on Sunday evening, the official state ceremony was held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem.
Those attending the ceremony included Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, the chairman of Yad Vashem, dignitaries, and Holocaust survivors
The ceremony was broadcast live on the Yad Vashem website with direct translation to English. It began with the lowering of the Israeli flag to half-mast.
The ceremony opened with a prayer for the hostages who are currently held in Hamas captivity and for the safety of soldiers fighting on the borders of Israel.
Herzog: I believe in the eternity of the Jewish people
“We embrace the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones during the war,” Herzog began.
“This is not an ordinary year or an ordinary anniversary remembering the Holocaust. Israel is at war. Over 200 days have passed since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. We will not rest until our sons and daughters return home,” Herzog added.
Herzog continued to tell stories of survivors who endured the horrors of the Holocaust. He then addressed what he believes will happen to the Jewish nation during the Israel-Hamas war.
“People ask me what will happen now during the war. I say that I believe in the eternity of the Jewish people. On this day we must commit ourselves to relying on pillars that had weakened before October 7. These are the pillars of self-defense, unity, hope, and faith.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu: Hamas can be compared to the Nazis
Prime Minister Netanyahu then went on stage and began his speech. “Never again means now! 80 years after the murder of the Jews, evil people have murdered our people. The Nazis drove to kill the Jews until the very last ones. Hamas are the same. We are determined to take those in Hamas captivity, both dead and alive, out of that terrible dark abyss. We are determined to bring them back to their families.”
“We will fight against the monsters of Hamas. They are proud of their murders and atrocities and stream them live. Our soldiers found a copy of Hitler’s Mein Kampf translated to Arabic,” he continued, highlighting the strength of the IDF.
“In contrast to the atrocities of the Holocaust, we now have an army that can fight back. And we have fought back. After October 7, we stood together, filled with determination.
Netanyahu addresses the surge in antisemitism
Netanyahu then addressed the surge in antisemitism throughout the world. “Our test is to continue to stand together during these times. We are fighting at a double front against Iran along with the terrible antisemitic burst that has hidden in Western countries since the Holocaust emerged, and we see its ugly face again. Today, libels are being spread about that we are starving those in Gaza, but we have allowed trucks with food and medicine to enter Gaza to prevent starvation. These false accusations are leveled at us because of the mere fact we exist. Because we are Jews. Lies have become truth, and truth have become lies.”
“The terrible situation has reached the most prestigious universities in the world. Jewish scholars are beaten. We stand together and face the hatred here and there,” he continued. “Another terrible scandal might occur between the ICC and the Hauge. No destruction of any international forum will prevent Israel from defending itself.”
The lighting of the torches and the stories of Holocaust survivors
Six torches were lit by Holocaust survivors to represent the six million Jewish lives lost in the Holocaust. After telling their story, each survivor continued to light their touch.
This year’s touch lighters were Michael Bar-On from Poland, Raisa Brodky from Ukraine, Arie Eitani from Hungary, Allegra Gutta from Libya, Pnina Hefer from Romania, and Izi Kabili from Yugoslavia.
Following the lighting, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau recited psalm verses, and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef led the Kaddish prayer.
The ceremony concluded with the unified singing of Israel’s national anthem, “Hatkiva.”
The two-minute siren to remember the lost lives in the Holocaust will be sounded throughout Israel on Monday at 10 a.m. If an actual rocket or infiltration alert is issued at the same time, the siren will immediately switch to a rising and falling sound.
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