Israel assumes presidency of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Dani Dayan to serve as chair

Israel is assuming its yearlong presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), taking over from the United Kingdom, which held it previously in the rotation.

Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan will serve as chair of the IHRA through February 2026. A ceremony is being held today at the Foreign Ministry to mark the occasion.

As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, Israel’s presidency will focus on the theme “The Crossroads of Generations,” a reference to the rapidly approaching reality in which Holocaust survivors and firsthand witnesses are no longer available to educate future generations.

The IHRA is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting Holocaust education and research and combating antisemitism. Its working definition of antisemitism has become an accepted criterion for defining antisemitism in 40 countries and 1,200 cultural and academic institutions, along with local and regional authorities.

“The voices of victims and survivors demand that we honor their legacy by standing firm against Holocaust denial, distortion, and hatred,” Dayan says. “In a world witnessing a dramatic rise in antisemitism and grappling with the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies, our obligation to historical truth has never been more critical.”