At the state ceremony held Wednesday evening at Yad Vashem to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli President Isaac Herzog used his address to issue a heartfelt call for unity, warning that the internal fractures within Israeli society are becoming dangerously deep. “I call upon you from the bottom of my heart: Let us unite together, the entire House of Israel,” Herzog implored. “Let us turn these days – the Ten Holy Days – from now until Independence Day, into a moment of National responsibility. Let us lower the flames. Let us mend our hearts.”
Herzog described his frequent interactions with Holocaust survivors, many of whom share painful memories. Despite the trauma, their messages always center around a plea for harmony. “President, please, we beg, we demand — the division within us is terrible. Let there be unity in the people,” he quoted them as saying.
The president also issued a stark warning to those he believes are contributing to the unraveling of the nation from within. “History will not forgive those who behave irresponsibly and dismantle us from within,” Herzog declared. “We must not allow the poison of social media, and the experts in smearing and polarization, to take over the soul of the people and destroy us from within.”
His speech was delivered against the backdrop of escalating domestic tensions fueled by prolonged conflict and divisive judicial reforms, which have drawn widespread protests and criticism for allegedly eroding democratic foundations.
This year’s memorial service marked 80 years since the Holocaust ended, commemorating the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. The theme, “Out of the Depths: The Anguish of Liberation and Rebirth,” guided the ceremony.
Referencing the atrocities of October 7, Herzog noted that while no tragedy can equal the Holocaust in scope and systematic cruelty, the echoes of horror experienced on that day are hard to ignore. “It’s impossible not to be exposed to the terrifying testimonies from the heart of the horror on October 7… and not be shocked by the echoes of that historical catastrophe.”
Nonetheless, Herzog expressed a sense of collective triumph in the continued existence and resilience of the Jewish people. “I talk to [survivors] and am exposed to incomprehensible life stories. And suddenly I find myself saying – sometimes silently – to myself, sometimes aloud – to them: Here – you won. Here – we won.”
Following Herzog’s speech, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the crowd, comparing the Hamas terror organization to the Nazi regime and pledging to bring back those held hostage in Gaza. “Indeed, They are exactly like the Nazis, just like Hitler,” Netanyahu stated. “They wish to kill and destroy all of the Jews, and they openly declare their intention to destroy the state of the Jews. They say so out loud, but it’s not going to happen. We are determined to annihilate the monsters of Hamas, these monsters who committed the worst massacre that we’ve experienced since the Holocaust.”
Netanyahu defended his government’s actions, pointing to last year’s operation in Rafah as an example of Israeli resolve in the face of international pressure. “Exactly a year ago, I stood in this very same place, and I spoke adamantly against those elements in the international community who sought to tie our hands. They warned us that if we enter Rafah, they will impose an arms embargo on Israel,” he said. “I said that, as the Prime Minister of the State of Israel, no one will prevent us from defending ourselves. No one will tie our hands. If we need to stand alone, we shall stand alone.”
He contrasted the helplessness Jews experienced during the Holocaust with today’s strong, independent Jewish state. “During the Holocaust, we were like dust carried away by the wind,” he said. “Today, we have a powerful force that protects us, respected by the whole world. We have a country, we have an army, we have security forces.”
“We will never surrender,” Netanyahu asserted. “Victory demands resilience. Thanks to the resilience and unity of all of the citizens of Israel, we have already achieved great achievements, and we will achieve further achievements until victory comes.”
Netanyahu reflected on a recent visit to Hungary, where he and his wife stood at the Shoes on the Danube memorial. “What a terrible sight, what a terrible monument,” he said. “My wife and I looked away momentarily to the stickers with the images of our heroes, from the reminders of the Holocaust to the Israeli flags and the yellow ribbons demonstrating to the whole world our commitment to bring back all of our hostages.”
Reaffirming his determination, Netanyahu added: “We will bring back all the hostages. We will triumph over Hamas, and we will prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons. We will fight the zealot regimes threatening the entire world, we shall fight forcefully against those regimes threatening the whole world, and to do so on time. That is the main lesson learned from the Holocaust.”
He described the Iranian regime’s nuclear ambitions as a danger not only to Israel, but to all of humanity. “The struggle between us and the terror empire in Tehran will decide the fate of all free societies.”
“If Israel, God forbid, loses this campaign, the Western countries will be next in line,” Netanyahu warned. “The tide of fanaticism will overtake them, and it will happen much faster than they think. But Israel will not lose. Israel will not give up. Israel will not surrender.”
Due to a security matter, Netanyahu arrived late to the ceremony. Initially, organizers considered delaying the start to wait for him, but the decision was made to proceed on schedule. Other officials, including Shin Bet head Ronen Bar — recently at the center of controversy following Netanyahu’s push for his dismissal — were present on time.
On the eve of the event, Netanyahu and his wife met with the survivors selected to light the memorial torches. “Your personal stories are incredibly moving — and they are also our collective stories,” Netanyahu told them, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, Netanyahu referenced a historic debate between British historian Arnold Toynbee and Ambassador Yaakov Herzog, uncle of the current president. Herzog challenged Toynbee’s assertion that the Jewish people were merely a relic of the past. “We are not a fossil. We possess a life force… a great life force that allowed us to overcome the most terrible events in the history of humanity and to return and rebuild our land and our state,” said the prime minister.
He spoke admiringly of young Israeli soldiers he has met during visits to conflict zones. “This generation—your descendants, your grandchildren and great-grandchildren—is simply extraordinary,” he said. “They know they are fighting for our future and the survival of our people… They are ready to fight with immense power.”
“I don’t want people to love us,” Netanyahu added. “I’d be glad if they did, but that’s not my goal. I want them to respect us. Nations may hate one another — but they don’t attack each other if there’s mutual respect. If you are strong enough, you are respected. If you are weak, they may love you — and still destroy you. That’s what they did to the Jews. They eulogized us,” he concluded.
Six survivors were selected to ignite torches in memory of the six million Jews who perished during the Holocaust.
Arie Durst, born in 1933 in Lwów, survived by assuming false identities and narrowly escaping death numerous times. After the war, he made aliyah, became a trailblazing IDF doctor, and was instrumental in establishing Israel’s transplant system, leading efforts that inspired the creation of the Adi organization.
Monika Barzel, a Berlin native born in 1937, lived through Nazi bombings, illness, and the loss of her grandmother. She narrowly avoided deportation to Auschwitz while in a Jewish children’s hospital. Following the war, she rebuilt her life, became a dentist, and later settled in Israel, where she continued serving the public for many years.
Felix Sorin, born in 1932 in what is now Belarus, endured life in the Minsk Ghetto, fled alone, and passed as a non-Jewish orphan until liberation. Reuniting with surviving family, he pursued a career in research and education, eventually immigrating to Israel to continue sharing his story.
Rachel Katz was born in Antwerp in 1937. After her father was killed in Auschwitz, she and her family hid with the help of courageous locals and resistance members. She moved to Israel post-war and became a leading figure advocating for Holocaust survivors’ welfare and rights.
Arie Reiter, born in 1929 in Romania, experienced the horrors of forced labor and later joined Zionist youth efforts. After helping his brothers settle in Israel, he joined them in 1951 and built a career in finance while spearheading community initiatives in Be’er Sheva.
Gad Fartouk, born in Tunisia in 1931, survived Nazi persecution after his mother’s death, hiding and enduring hardship. He later joined a Zionist youth group, made aliyah, fought with the Palmach, co-founded a kibbutz, and became a successful photographer. He offered a heartfelt prayer for the hostages before lighting his torch.
Eva Erben spoke on behalf of the survivor community. Deported to Theresienstadt and later Auschwitz, she survived by assuming an older age and being separated from her mother. After forced labor and a death march, she was rescued by a compassionate Czech couple. Erben went on to become a nurse, marry a fellow survivor, and share her testimony worldwide.
Yehuda Hauptman recited the traditional El Maleh Rachamim prayer in memory of those murdered. Born in 1938 in Slovakia, Hauptman’s family fled to Hungary, surviving ghettoization and his father’s forced labor. After the war, he and his sister were taken to Austria and then brought to Israel. He served in the IDF and later settled in Moshav Tkuma, remaining steadfastly connected to the land even after being evacuated during the October 7 attacks.
National remembrance events continued today with a two-minute siren at 10:00 a.m., pausing daily life across the country. Yad Vashem will remain open for a series of commemorations, with additional ceremonies being held throughout the day, culminating in an 8:00 p.m. memorial at the Ghetto Fighters’ House.
{Matzav.com Israel}
