TEL AVIV, Israel (Washington Insider Magazine) – Early Thursday, sirens rang across Israel as the nation came to a halt in an annual rite commemorating the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust.
They came to a standstill where they were strolling, and drivers came to a halt to exit their vehicles as individuals bowed heads in respect of the Holocaust victims. All through the day, events were scheduled at Israel’s parliament, the national Holocaust memorial, and other locations.
In the aftermath of the Holocaust, Israel was established in 1948 as a safe haven for Jews. In Israel, some 165,000 survivors exist, a decreasing community that is generally respected but impoverished.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, speaking at Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, later Wednesday urged the world to avoid equating the Holocaust to other historical catastrophes. He commented after the leaders of Russia and Ukraine made comparisons between their current conflict and World War II slaughter.
He also advised the country not to let its deep divisions pull the country apart. The address, which took place on one of Israel’s most mournful days of the year, was also delivered in a highly personal setting. His family got a letter with live ammunition and a death warning on Tuesday. Israeli officials increased security around Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his family while conducting an investigation.
Israel makes a concerted effort to commemorate Holocaust victims and to elevate survivors to the status of heroes. According to ABC NEWS, cafes and places of amusement were closed on Holocaust Memorial Day, radio channels play solemn music, and television networks dedicate their broadcast to documentaries and some other Holocaust-related content.
Challenges loom for them. This year’s commemoration takes place while Israel and most of the rest of the world recovers from the coronavirus outbreak, which put Holocaust survivors’ health at danger while also causing widespread isolation and sorrow.
According to an organisation that advocates Holocaust survivors, around 1/3 of Israel’s Holocaust victims live in poverty, with many surviving on government allowances and charities.
Antisemitism grew globally throughout the pandemic, despite their expertise and massive awareness campaigns, according to a research released Wednesday.
It blamed lockdowns, social networking sites, and a backlash towards Israel’s harsh air attacks on the Gaza Strip in last year’s 11-day war for the rise in anti-Semitism.
Survivors lighted six candles — one for each of the 6 million people killed by the Nazis and their accomplices — at Wednesday’s event, which included comments by Bennett, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and others. Baerbel Bas, the German parliament’s speaker, was also there as a special guest.
