David Hurley among world leaders will mark 75th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz in Jerusalem
Australia’s Governor-General David Hurley will join 30 heads of state from around the world have confirmed that they will participate in an event marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and International Holocaust Remembrance Day in January at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.
Frank Walter Steinmeier, President of Germany on an Official visit to Israel, Lay’s a flower bouquet at Yad Vashem – Holocaust Museum, Jerusalem, May 07, 2017 Photo By Hillel Maeir/TPS
Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen are among the leaders who have so far confirmed their attendance.
The event takes place as several countries around the world are experiencing a sharp rise in violent expressions of antisemitism, especially in Europe.
Governor David Hurley Photo: Henry Benjamin/J-Wire
Leading up to the historic, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev and World Holocaust Forum Foundation President Dr. Moshe Kantor spoke about the importance of the event and the need to fight against antisemitism and Holocaust denial during a press conference in Jerusalem.
Rivlin stated that the world leaders will “come together to think about how to pass on Holocaust remembrance to generations who will live in a world without survivors, and what urgent steps we must take to ensure the safety and security of Jews all around the world.”
Katz said that “holding this high-level event in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, as we mark seventy-five years since the liberation of Auschwitz, has great historical and personal significance. I am the son of Holocaust survivors Meir and Malka Katz.”
Katz’s mother was interned in Auschwitz and survived the Death March.
“Today, the State of Israel is strong and advanced. The IDF ensures that the Jewish People will never again stand defenceless against its enemies,” he stated.
Noting the “violent attacks against Jews, vandalized cemeteries, incitement, and the murder of Jews,” he called on the international community to “unite against the rise of antisemitism.”
Kantor lamented that “Jewish life is once again under threat in Europe. It is under threat from the day-to-day harassment and attacks, on the streets, in schools, at universities, online, and even in their own homes. It has become so bad that the overwhelming majority of Jews in Europe no longer feel safe.”
“Antisemitism is a hatred that knows no boundaries and has been adopted by multiple ideologies. Jews are relentlessly attacked by the Left, the Right, and the mainstream. This is another pivotal point in history where the leaders of the world have to stand up and act. Words are not enough, and I conceived of the World Holocaust Forum to be a place where we can create an action plan to aggressively fight back against antisemitism,” he said.
TPS/J-Wire
