By Israel Hayom—
The central event of the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem took place on Thursday, with dozens of world leaders in attendance to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin was the first dignitaries to speak, saying he was going to speak in Hebrew rather than English because of the special event.
“Thank you for your solidarity, and for remembering those who perished,” he told world leader. “Today we also remember that the international community worked together then, in World War II, and we must do the same today in the face of radical forces,” he continued.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his job as prime minister, his ultimate job is to prevent another Holocaust and to ensure that “this is not an empty slogan, but a constant imperative.”
He further said that the Holocaust would not happen today because the Jews were no longer defenseless and have the means to fend off threats.
“For many, Auschwitz is the ultimate symbol of evil, but for Jews, it’s more than the symbol of evil – it’s also the symbol of Jewish powerlessness. The culmination of what happens when our people have no voice, no land and no shield,” he said. “But today we have a voice, we have a land, and we have a shield.”
Netanyahu further reiterated the dangers of ignoring Iran’s nuclear program calling it the “most anti-Semitic regime in the world.”
Following Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin took the podium, saying that the Holocaust “is a tragedy we will never forget.” He said that some of the Nazi collaborators were worse than the Nazis themselves, recalling the many Jews that were murdered under Nazi-occupied areas of the Soviet Union.
“We all bear the responsibility that tragedies don’t repeat themselves. We must remember the siege of Leningrad, and Babi Yair, when the first signs of anti-Semitism reared its ugly head; we can’t ignore it. We must do everything in our power to protect the peace,” he continued. Continue Reading….