Jewish Agency honors victims of anti-Semitism

Family members of those killed in Paris and Copenhagen attacks gather in Jerusalem to remember loved ones

The Jewish Agency for Israel on Wednesday, Memorial Day, commemorated casualties of anti-Semitic attacks around the world.

Family of those killed in recent attacks on members the French and Danish Jewish communities gathered in the courtyard of the Jewish Agency building in Jerusalem, along with French Ambassador Patrick Maisonnave, Counsellor to the Danish Ambassador Signe Biering Nielsen, Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky and other representatives of various Zionist organizations.

During a candle-lighting ceremony, Valérie Braham, whose husband was killed in an attack on a kosher supermarket in Paris on January 9, addressed the assembled crowd.

“My husband, Phillipe, was taken from me and from our children in the terrorist attack at Hyper Cacher in France. He was murdered for one reason: Because he is a Jew,” she said. “Today we all feel the same pain.”

The four victims of the Paris Hyper Cacher attack, from left to right: Yoav Hattab, Yohan Cohen, Francois-Michel Saada, Philippe Braham. (photo credit: Courtesy)

Sergeot Uzan, the father of Danish volunteer security guard Dan Uzan who was killed in an attack outside a synagogue in February, said: “My son was murdered while he was protecting the Jewish community in the synagogue in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen Jewish community guard Dan Uzan, killed in a February 15 terrorist attack (screen capture: Channel 2)

“His message was to dare to be good. My hope is that the democratic world will unite for this lofty goal, and by doing so will be able to live in peace.”

Some 200 Jews have been killed in anti-Semitic attacks outside Israel since 1948, the Jewish Agency said in a press release.

The names of the Paris and Copenhagen victims were unveiled on a Jewish Agency memorial during the ceremony.

Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky also spoke at the ceremony.

“What protects us in Israel is conventional weapons: the power of the Israeli army,” he said. “In the Diaspora, what protects us is an unconventional weapon: the solidarity of the Jewish people.”