Yad Vashem head urges stop to ‘atrocities’ in Syria

The head of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum says the world must put an end to the killing in Syria.

Speaking at an academic conference devoted to the plight of Jewish refugees in the Holocaust, Avner Shalev expresses “deep concern over the appalling images of massacres of human beings” in Syria.

The comments mark a rare venture into contemporary affairs for a body devoted to commemorating the World War II genocide of 6 million Jews.

A Syrian boy sits with belongings he collected from the rubble of his house in Aleppo on December 17, 2016, after pro-government forces retook the area from rebel fighters. (AFP/Youssef Karwashan)

Shalev notes how after World War II world leaders enacted universal principles and instituted organizations aimed at preventing future crimes against humanity.

“The global community must put a stop to these atrocities and avert further suffering as well as provide humanitarian assistance to the victims seeking safe haven,” he says.

— AP