Israel marks coronavirus-clouded memorial day

The 2020 Holocaust Remembrance Day was an unusual one, as its events were shrouded with an eerie silence, forced on them by the public health directives concerning the coronavirus outbreak.

Major state ceremonies, which began on Monday evening, were held as planned but devoid of an audience over coronavirus-related restrictions. Most cities, however, canceled traditional ceremonies, in line with the Health Ministry’s restrictions on public gatherings.

A two-minute siren wailed nationwide on Tuesday morning, honoring the victims. It was followed by the wreath-laying ceremony in Jerusalem, at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising monument, which was also held sans an audience.

The main ceremony at Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, was prerecorded. The event was held in front of an empty Warsaw Ghetto Square, a far cry from the traditional ceremony attended by dignitaries and Holocaust survivors.

Only the master of ceremonies and artists who performed songs were present, while the keynote speakers sent video messages.

In his message, President Reuven Rivlin said all Israelis must remember the Nazi genocide of some 6 million Jews in World War II.

“The Nazi beast conquered bodies, but not spirits. In the paths of tears, in the valleys of hell, in a disintegrating world devoid of solidarity, when death was among them every day, our brothers and sisters put their lives at risk to save the weakest among them,” he said.

“They proved time and again that even at the lowest point, one can and must choose to be human, to hold the most fundamental Jewish value of life, of mutual responsibility. And so they were the angels in the heart of hell,” he added.

Recalling the World Holocaust Forum in January, which attracted dozens of world leaders to Jerusalem, the president underscored the need to remember the atrocities of the Holocaust.

“We recognized a simple truth, that we must stand together, global leaders and citizens of the world, against racism, anti-Semitism and fascism, defending democracy and democratic values,” he said.

He further cautioned against rising anti-Semitism, whose malignant spread he compared to that of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke via video after Rivlin, said Israel embraces its Holocaust survivors, but could not do so this year in person.

“Our brothers and sisters, Holocaust survivors, we all embrace you at this time, and we do so with profound appreciation and love. We grieve the Holocaust survivors who were recently taken from us by the coronavirus and we send our condolences to their families. We share in your pain.

“We face many difficulties at this time, but they cannot and do not compare – by any measure – with the methodical, diabolical extinction of six million Jews. We are currently facing a dangerous plague but plagues ravaged the ghettos and camps. The confinement of tens of thousands of Jews in a very small area claimed countless victims who died from typhus and dysentery,” he said.

“Of course, the situation today is entirely different. Today, we have a national home, we have our own country – a strong, advanced and highly appreciated country.

“Three months ago, we hosted the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, and leaders from all over the world marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I saw them. I spoke with them. They were deeply impressed with our success in transforming helplessness into strength and tremendous achievements.

“And all the leaders who were there committed to fighting against antisemitism and other expressions of racism. Of course, we all welcomed that, but at the same time, and this was my central message at the Holocaust Forum, Israel must always be responsible for its own destiny. In any event, at any time, we must have the strength and the willingness to defend ourselves by ourselves.”

He continued: “The coronavirus outbreak requires a global fight against the virus and it demonstrates the importance of national sovereignty. Unlike the Holocaust, this time we identified the danger in time. Our accomplishments serve as a role model for many countries around the world.

“The lessons of the Holocaust obligate us to be as alert as ever. Radical Islam, led by Iran, continues to threaten to destroy us. These threats did not dissipate in the coronavirus storm.

“They still exist, and we are as determined as ever to respond to them. The IDF and the other security bodies are currently helping citizens through the coronavirus crisis, but make no mistake: we are as careful as ever to maintain our operational readiness to stop any danger on our borders and far beyond them,” Netanyahu said.

Jewish population still short

Eighty-one years after the Holocaust, the global Jewish population is still short of the 16.6 million estimated to have been alive on the eve of the war in 1939, with Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reporting ahead of Yom Hashoah that there were 14.7 million Jews worldwide at the end of 2018.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the global Jewish population is 100,000 short of the 1925 figure, with 45 percent living in Israel (6.7 million).

The United States has the second-largest Jewish population at 5.7 million, followed by France (450,000), Canada (392,000), the United Kingdom (292,000), Argentina (180,000), Russia (165,000), Germany (180,000) and Australia (116,000).