Israel prepares to honor Diaspora victims of antisemitic attacks

For the first time, the Israeli government plans to commemorate the lives of non-Israeli Jews who were killed in antisemitic attacks outside the borders of the country.

The Diaspora Affairs Ministry said it created a special public committee to examine proposals for victims who should be remembered, including submissions from the public. The decision “reflects a new aspect of the Israel-Diaspora relationship,” a source at the Jewish Agency for Israel said.

The government already recognizes at least 155 non-Israeli Jews who have been killed in antisemitic attacks as of June 2024, nine of them killed since October 7, 2023.

People on the list will be remembered at certain national commemorations, such as those held on Memorial Day. There may also be an official state monument in the future.

The committee will implement a government resolution from May 2023 calling for official recognition of Diaspora Jews murdered in antisemitic attacks. The committee is chaired by World Zionist Organization (WZO) chairman Yaakov Hagoel and Diaspora Affairs Ministry Director general Avi Cohen Scali, under the direction of Jewish Agency for Israel Secretary General Josh Schwarcz. It also includes representatives from the Prime Minister’s office, WZO, Diaspora Affairs Ministry, National Security Council, and Jewish Agency.

Inclusion on the list is based on certain criteria, the Diaspora Affairs Ministry said. The victim must have been killed as a result of a hostile act committed by an organization or person considered hostile to the Jewish people, where the goal was to harm the person for being Jewish. The incident must also have been defined as antisemitic by the authorities in the state where the incident happened.

People interested in submitting additional names for inclusion were asked to send a letter summarizing the incident, along with relevant documents, to avivaz@jafi.org.