On Yom Hashoah, Israel honors role of survivors

JERUSALEM, April 22 (JTA) — This year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day commemoration here focused on the contribution of Holocaust survivors to the State of Israel. The observances, which began Wednesday night with a torch-lighting ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, come a week before Israel’s 50th anniversary. Speaking at the Yom Hashoah ceremony, President Ezer Weizman spoke about the survivors’ struggle when they immigrated during the chaotic years of the founding of Israel. “The survivors did not speak of what they underwent, but focused on learning the language and fitting in.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech spoke of Israel’s Holocaust survivors, whom he termed heroes. “Sitting here among us are survivors, resistance fighters, who are survivors, not just today, but every day, in the towns, cities and kibbutzim around Israel. With their help, we built a strong and prosperous country,” he said. In his speech, Netanyahu also remarked on the relationship between the Holocaust and the establishment of the State of Israel. “The State of Israel was not established because of the Holocaust, but despite the Holocaust,” he said. This year’s torch-lighters were chosen for their contributions to education, the defense of the state, science and technology. Observances were to continue Thursday morning with a two-minute siren for the 6 million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis. Name-reading ceremonies of those who were murdered in the Holocaust were slated to be held around the country throughout the day. As part of the commemoration, Israel also honored diplomats who risked their careers and livelihoods to rescue Jews from German-occupied Europe. Some 20 percent of all Jewish survivors of the Holocaust are believed to have been saved by diplomats who granted them visas and travel documents to reach other countries. In many cases, these actions were taken without the approval of their home countries.