JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Monday not to allow Holocaust deniers to carry out a second Holocaust against the Jewish people.
Speaking at the ceremony marking Israel’s annual memorial day for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazis and their collaborators during World War II, Netanyahu also described a U.N. anti-racism conference under way in Geneva as an anti-Israel event.
The hawkish prime minister, who took office about three weeks ago, criticized the president of Switzerland for meeting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the conference. Netanyahu called Ahmadinejad a Holocaust denier who wants to perpetrate another massacre of Jews.
“We will not allow the Holocaust deniers to carry out another Holocaust against the Jewish people. This is the supreme duty of the state of Israel. This is my supreme duty as prime minister of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
The ceremony was clearly influenced by the gathering in Geneva, perceived in Israel as a meeting of anti-Semites trying to blacken Israel’s name. The convening of the conference on the eve of the annual Holocaust memorial day featured in public remarks by officials as well as comments in Israeli media.
In his address, President Shimon Peres criticized the anti-racism conference for hosting Ahmadinejad, whom Peres called a Holocaust denier. “It’s an absolute disgrace,” Peres said.
Earlier Monday at the conference, the hard-line Iranian president took aim at Israel, accusing the Jewish state of being the “most cruel and repressive racist regime.”
The memorial day, which began after sunset, continues Tuesday with the sounding of air-raid sirens for a nationwide minute of silence in memory of the victims, followed by an official wreath-laying ceremony at Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust memorial center in Jerusalem.
In honor of the solemnity of the day, restaurants, bars and places of entertainment are closed across the country.
Associated Press – April 20, 2009
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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posted April 20, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I’m not denying the holocaust I’m just sick of hearing about it when so many other’s are currently dying why does Israel have to keep the center stage especially while they themselves are killing innocents.
posted April 20, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Yes, I’m with you on that cknuck. If talking about the Holocaust so much prevented other such horrors I’d be for it but look at Darfur and various other places where similar bad things have happened. Our being aware of the Holocaust hasn’t led us to do much about those things.
But Israel does use awareness of the Holocaust to enable them to steal Palestinian land and murder and abuse Palestinians and prevent a political solution which their leaders apparently think would be to their disadvantage.
And it’s their right to do that but it’s our right to stop being their patsies, stop funding and providing weapons for their terror operations and stop providing them cover in the UN. Only then will they be forced to act like a nation among nations and make peace with their neighbors.
posted April 20, 2009 at 9:55 pm
It’s a ace up their sleeve, that trumps every horrible act they do to others.
posted April 21, 2009 at 7:09 am
Beware, If you curse God’s people, he will curse you.
Don’t let your mouth harm you and yours. God gave them the land they sit upon. Be fearful of the The Almighty and be a servant of him and believe in his son Jesus and be saved.
posted April 21, 2009 at 9:18 am
beware, you don’t scare cknuck or me.
But the way you tried to shows one of the ways the Israeli lobby (some Jews, some fundamentalist Christians, probably some arms makers and some who profit from the lands being stolen from the Palestinians) gets its way by making the superstitious afraid.
posted April 21, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Jesus actually came along and made the point it is not about land, buildings, temples, or money it is about loving one another and all people are God’s people. People have abused that phrase long enough, there were no Jews when God created the earth only man and woman. Jesus came to remind us of that “love thy neighbor as yourself.”
posted April 21, 2009 at 4:11 pm
beware:
Who is supposed to be worried by your “warning”?
Actually Israel as a country was created after WWII, rightly or wrongly.
Hope I live long enough to see peace between Israel and a new country, Palestine. Too much fighting, too many deaths.
posted April 22, 2009 at 8:48 am
the peace we pray for may never come in our time, but only in His.
posted April 22, 2009 at 10:03 am
“His”?
Whatever that’s supposed to mean it doesn’t sound useful to the Palestinians and Israelis whose lives are being disrupted and worse.
posted April 22, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Or HERS, YN, at 8:48 AM 22 April; Why is a diety male?
Anyhow, as nnmns says, it certainly doesn’t sound useful to the Palestinians and Israelis whose lives are being disrupted and worse. Think waiting for divine intervention is a waste of time. What is it some like to say “God helps those who help themselves”? How about it is all up to human beings to determine their fate. The humans in this case are in Israelis and Palestinians.
posted April 22, 2009 at 4:57 pm
pagan quote: “Or HERS, YN, at 8:48 AM 22 April; Why is a diety male?”
Why shouldn’t He be a He? Me thinks the lady protests to much, or whatever that saying is. Fortunately you guys don’t get to say who Gos is for us.
posted April 22, 2009 at 8:59 pm
cknuck: “Fortunately you guys don’t get to say who God is for us.”
) And what is even better…all of us have the choice to choose who or if we want some deity to worship or not and what gender we would like that deity to be if we feel the need for one.
Personally, I think He is supposed to be a He because a male human decided that. Many religions have traditionally been male dominated, Christianity among them. However women have, until recent times, traditionally been the primary caregivers thus it makes more sense to me that a deity should be female.
posted April 22, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Read more there have been many pagan godess or female idols in this male human world. I respectfully disagree with your position but probably not for the reasons you think.
posted April 23, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Oh yes, cknuck, there are many goddesses as well as gods. Well aware of that.
posted April 24, 2009 at 8:52 am
Adama Created Adam according to Genesis and Adama is feminine.