Foreign diplomats take part in virtual ceremony to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day

More than 100 foreign diplomats serving in Israel join Deputy Foreign Minister Idan Roll in a virtual ceremony to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, during which the envoys from Germany, Russia, the EU, Honduras, Thailand, and Cameroon light memorial candles engraved with the names of Jewish victims of the Shoah.

The event is held in cooperation with the “Our 6 Million” organization, which aims to commemorate Holocaust victims by lighting memorial candles engraved with their names and details. Over five million memorial candles have been lit in Israel and around the world through the organization, according to the Foreign Ministry.

“It is our duty to remember all those who lost their lives; but no less, to honor and cherish the survivors,” says Roll. “We must remember their faces, their names, and their personal stories in order to ensure that their legacy is passed on to our children and all future generations. All nations of the world must join hands and stand together in the fight against racism, antisemitism, and extremism, and defend the values of democracy and humanity for future generations.”

Germany’s ambassador Susanne Wasum-Rainer says that she is lighting the candle as the representative of the nation responsible for the Shoah.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day takes place tomorrow. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid is in Vienna to mark the day, and Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy is in Berlin to address the Bundestag.