RSS
Israel Set to Commemorate Yom Hashoah Under the Shadow of War and Global Antisemitism
Flares burn in the empty square of Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial centre to mark the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day in Jerusalem amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions around the country April 21, 2020. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – As the sun sets on Sunday evening, Israel and Jewish communities worldwide will begin observing Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the millions of Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II.
This year’s Yom HaShoah carries a larger significance, coming just months after the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, and amid ongoing war in the Middle East.
Yom HaShoah has been observed in Israel since 1951, with the date anchored in law by the Knesset in 1959.
Across the country, solemn ceremonies will take place, including a state ceremony at Warsaw Ghetto Square in Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem, where survivors will light six torches to represent the six million victims of the Holocaust. The day will also be marked by services at schools, military bases, and other public institutions.
This year, however, Yom HaShoah takes on added symbolism.
It arrives in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught, which resulted in the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust. With as many as 100 hostages still held in Gaza and rising antisemitism globally, this year’s commemoration carries a heightened sense of urgency and remembrance.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the importance of remembering the Holocaust’s lessons and defending against present-day threats.
“If we do not defend ourselves, nobody will defend us,” Netanyahu stated. “Therefore, we will defend ourselves in every way. We will overcome our enemies and ensure our security – in the Gaza Strip, on the Lebanese border, everywhere.”
Reflecting on the significance of this year’s Yom HaShoah, Yad Vashem spokesperson Simmy Allen noted how the theme of “A Lost World: The Destruction of Jewish Communities” has taken on new meaning in light of recent events.
“This year’s Yom HaShoah is particularly poignant as we remember not only the victims of the Holocaust but also those who have suffered in recent attacks,” said Allen. “The resilience of survivors serves as a beacon of hope and strength in the face of adversity.”
In addition to traditional commemorations, the International March of the Living, an annual educational pilgrimage to Auschwitz, has adapted its approach this year.
Led by 55 Holocaust survivors, including some affected by the Oct. 7 attacks, the march aims to honor the memory of the Holocaust victims and educate participants about the horrors of the past. University presidents and chancellors from the United States and Canada will also participate, underscoring the importance of Holocaust education and remembrance.
US President Joe Biden also reflected on the solemn occasion, proclaiming May 5 through May 12, 2024, as a week of observance of the Days of Remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust.
“During Yom Hashoah and these days of remembrance, we mourn the six million Jews who were systematically targeted and murdered in the Holocaust,” Biden said.
“We honor the memories of the victims, the courage of the survivors, and the heroism of those who stood up to the Nazis, and we recommit ourselves to making real the promise of ‘Never Again.’”
The post Israel Set to Commemorate Yom Hashoah Under the Shadow of War and Global Antisemitism first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
RSS
After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
RSS
Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
RSS
Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.