Rubio: Murders of Israeli embassy staff a reminder of importance of ‘never again’
Delegates from 40 countries attend Foreign Ministry’s antisemitism conference in Jerusalem, first major event of Israel’s yearlong IHRA presidency
Zev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.

The murders last week of Israeli embassy staff members Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were a reminder of the importance of the phrase “Never again,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told participants at an international conference on combating antisemitism in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
“Earlier this year, I stood beside Foreign Minister [Gideon] Sa’ar at the Yad Vashem [Holocaust] memorial and remembered the millions of Jews who were slaughtered, and reflected on the meaning of the words ‘Never again,'” Rubio said, referencing the slogan associated with remembrance of the Holocaust, in a recorded video message to the gathered ministers, delegates and Jewish leaders from 40 countries.
“The importance of those words was brought home to every American last week.”
Rubio said Americans must never forget that the suspected murderer, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, shouted “Free, free Palestine” as he was being arrested.
“These words now serve as a battle cry for the death of Jews, the destruction of Israel and the horrors we must never again allow,” he said.
The conference, a two-day event organized by Sa’ar and the Foreign Ministry, was planned months ago as the first major public event of Israel’s yearlong presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
It was held the same day as a report by President Isaac Herzog’s Voice of the People initiative for strengthening global Jewish ties showed that rising antisemitism has now become the most urgent concern for Jews around the world.
Israel assumed the presidency of IHRA in March, a role it holds for a year under a rotation system with other countries. Shuli Davidovich, Head of the Foreign Ministry’s Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions, said that as part of this presidency, Israel will hold an international plenary in Jerusalem in June and in Haifa in December, along with several smaller events.

The IHRA is an international body with dozens of member states whose goal is to combat antisemitism and commemorate the Holocaust. 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 conference is unrelated to the Diaspora Ministry’s international conference on combating antisemitism held in Jerusalem in March, Davidovich noted. That confab was seen as highly controversial for its inclusion of several far-right European politicians, and was boycotted by numerous Jewish leaders.
As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Holocaust, Israel’s IHRA presidency focuses on the theme “The Crossroads of Generations,” a reference to the rapidly approaching time when Holocaust survivors and firsthand witnesses will no longer be available to educate future generations.
“As we stand at this ‘crossroads,’ we must translate our sacred vow of ‘Never Again’ into action and use every tool at our disposal to fight for the safety of our communities and the wholeness of our human society,” Herzog told Wednesday’s conference.
“I always repeat: It starts with the Jews, but it never ends with them. History has taught us that when a fanatic regime calls for genocide against the Jews, it must be taken seriously.”

The conference began Tuesday night with a dinner attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sa’ar and returned hostage Tal Shoham.
“What Israel is fighting now is not merely a seven-front war. It’s a war of civilization against barbarism,” Netanyahu said. “The Nazis tried to hide their crimes. Hamas [attacked] with GoPro cameras, and they publicized it for the whole world to see. They were very proud of what they were doing.”
Sa’ar, referring to the murders of Lischinsky and Milgrim, commented that the young couple, who were about to be engaged, were added to the long list of victims of antisemitism.
“The founders of Zionism believed that a Jewish state in the Land of Israel would solve the problem of antisemitism,” Sa’ar said. “This did not happen. The new antisemitism targets the State of Israel.”
Over the course of the conference, Sa’ar held meetings to improve bilateral relations with several diplomatic representatives, including Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani and Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mihail Popșoi.

On Wednesday morning, Sa’ar and Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan led dignitaries on a tour of Yad Vashem, the national Holocaust museum and memorial, followed by a ceremony.
“Calls for the destruction of the State of Israel are coming not only from the lounges of power in Tehran but also from the lawns of Columbia University in New York and other places in the world,” said Dayan, who will serve as chair of the IHRA through February 2026. “This is a testing time not only for us — the Jewish people — but also for you, the leaders of the world. Action must be taken to eradicate it before it is too late.”
The Times of Israel Community.