At the official Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem, President Isaac Herzog urged Israelis to come together amid rising internal divisions. “History will not forgive those who dismantle us from within,” Herzog warned, calling for national unity during the “Ten Holy Days” leading to Independence Day.
Herzog said Holocaust survivors repeatedly plea for unity in today’s fractured society. He condemned the destructive impact of social media and polarization, saying, “We must not allow poison to take over the soul of the people.”
Marking 80 years since the Holocaust, the ceremony’s theme—Out of the Depths: The Anguish of Liberation and Rebirth—echoed in Herzog’s reflections, especially when referencing the horrors of October 7, which he described as chilling echoes of past atrocities. Yet, he emphasized resilience: “You won. We won.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking later, compared Hamas to the Nazis, vowing to defeat them and return all hostages. “They openly seek to destroy the Jewish state. But that will not happen,” he declared. Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, referencing international pressure over Gaza operations.
He also drew a sharp contrast between Jews’ helplessness during the Holocaust and Israel’s current military strength, saying, “Today, we have a country, an army, and security forces.”
Netanyahu warned against Iran’s nuclear ambitions, calling it a threat to global freedom: “If Israel falls, the West is next. But Israel will not fall.”
Six Holocaust survivors lit memorial torches, each representing a story of survival and triumph. Their lives, marked by courage and rebuilding, were honored as symbols of the Jewish people’s enduring spirit.
