World Holocaust Forum 2020

23 January 2020
Jerusalem, Israel

Under the auspices of:

President of Israel

Organised by:

As we mark seventy-five years since the end of the Holocaust, the most horrific tragedy in human history, a new wave of antisemitism unseen since World War II poses an existential threat to European Jewry. Today, antisemitic incidents have hit record highs in countries such as France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Jewish citizens again do not feel safe on European streets, with 38% considering emigrating because of antisemitism. Moreover, a third of Europeans knows only ‘a little’ or ‘nothing at all’ about the Holocaust.

In these times of upheaval, commemorating the Holocaust and emphasising the urgency of joining forces against antisemitism and racism is of crucial importance.

More than ever, the world cannot afford to forget where hatred and extremism can lead. More than ever, world leaders must renew their commitment to stand up against antisemitism and prejudice and to ensure that such tragedy never happens again.

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THE EVENT

Highlights of the Event

We are together today, united in our words and in our belief for a future free from antisemitism, racism and xenophobia. together we will plant the seeds of trust and belief so that our daily prayers for salvation will be answered.
Excerpt from the speech by Dr. Moshe Kantor

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SPEAKERS

"Antisemitism is a chronic disease. It comes from left and right, taking on and discarding forms during history. Antisemitism has not changed. It is us who have changed."

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H.E. Mr Reuven Rivlin
President of the State of Israel

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Mr-Benjamin-Netanyahu-Prime-Minister-of-Israel

"I am concerned that we have yet to see a unified and resolute stance against the most antisemitic regime on the planet – a regime that openly seeks to develop nuclear weapons and annihilate the one and only Jewish state."

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H.E. Mr Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister
of the State of Israel

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"More than 80% of them feel unsafe in Europe today, while more than 40% are considering leaving Europe entirely and in recent years 3% have done so annually."

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Dr. Moshe Kantor
President of the
World Holocaust Forum Foundation

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"May we all together inspire our youth today so that they find courage and stand up, proud of our values, and so that they say, knowing all that they will have seen, experienced and understood, “Never again! Never again!” "

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H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron
President of France

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"And, finally, we must have the courage to recognize all the leaders and all the nations that are gathered here that, today, we have the responsibility and the power to ensure that what we remember here today can never happen again."

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H.E. Mr. Michael R. Pence
Vice-President of the
United States of America

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"The lessons of the Holocaust are searingly relevant to this day. Seventy-five years after the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, hatred and intolerance still lurk in the human heart, still tell new lies, adopt new disguises, and still seek new victims."

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HRH Charles
Prince of Wales

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"Here at Yad Vashem, I renew this promise before the eyes of the world. And I know that I am not alone. Today we join together to say: No to antisemitism! No to hatred!"

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H.E. Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier
President of Germany

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"Destruction of the past and lack of unity in the face of threats can lead to terrible consequences. We must have the courage to be straight about this and do everything to defend peace."

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H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin
President of the
Russian Federation

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"Tackling antisemitism today requires a range of policies and tools – locally, nationally and internationally. International forums, such as ours here today fortify a united front against any expressions of racism, anywhere."

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Mr. Avner Shalev
Chairman of
Yad Vashem Directorate

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"We do believe that this evening here in Yad Vashem in Yerushalayim can be a bridge for mankind as whole, not only around the Holocaust, but around survival of the world of mankind."

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Rabbi Israel Meir Lau
Chairman of
Yad Vashem Council

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The Location
Warsaw Ghetto Square,
Yad Vashem

The Wall of Remembrance consists of two sculptures set in a wall of red bricks, which symbolize the ghetto walls. In the center of the first sculpture, entitled “The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising”, stands the leader of the uprising, Mordechai Anielewicz. The second sculpture, entitled “The Last March”, depicts the mass deportation of the Jews to the death camps.

Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, is the ultimate source for Holocaust education, documentation, commemoration and research. From the Mount of Remembrance in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem’s integrated approach incorporates meaningful educational initiatives, groundbreaking research and inspirational exhibits. Its use of innovative technological platforms maximizes accessibility to the vast information in the Yad Vashem archival collections for an expanding global audience.

Yad Vashem is at the forefront of unceasing efforts to safeguard and impart the memory of the victims and the events of the Shoah period; to document accurately one of the darkest chapters in the history of humanity; and to grapple effectively with the ongoing challenges of keeping the memory of the Holocaust relevant today and for future generations.