“The Jewish people have learned the lessons of the Holocaust: that we cannot take threats to annihilate us lightly,” Netanyahu said.
By World Israel News Staff
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage on Thursday to address the dignitaries and attendees at the Fifth World Holocaust Forum.
Netanyahu used the opportunity to praise the valiant efforts of the Allies to defeat the Nazis during World War II.
“Israel is eternally grateful for the sacrifice made by the Allies. Without that sacrifice, there would be no survivors today,” Netanyahu said. However, he added, “We also remember that some 80 years ago, when the Jewish people faced annihilation, the world turned its back on us.”
“The Jewish people have learned the lessons of the Holocaust: that we cannot take threats to annihilate us lightly; to confront threats when they are small; and above all, even though we greatly appreciate the help of our friends, to defend ourselves by ourselves,” he added.
Netanyahu also addressed the Iranian threat to the region, by saying he is “concerned” that world leaders have not created “a unified stance against the most anti-Semitic regime on the planet.”
“Israel thanks President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence for confronting the tyrants of Tehran who threaten the stability of the Middle East and the entire world,” he said. “I call on all governments to make any effort to confront Iran.”
The Fifth World Holocaust Forum is being held in Yad Vashem in Jerusalem to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland and to show a resolve to fight a wave of current anti-Semitism.
World leaders from across the globe are in attendance at this historic event, including U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, Britain’s Prince Charles and the presidents of Germany, Italy, and Austria.