Rivlin, world leaders vow to stand united against racism, antisemitism

The King of Spain Felipe VI took the podium on behalf of the guests reunited at Rivlin’s residence, starting his speech by quoting 12th century Jewish thinker Moises Maimonined.

By ROSSELLA TERCATIN, GREER FAY CASHMAN
President Reuven Rivlin [C] and world leaders in a group photo taken in Jerusalem January 22 2020 (photo credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO)
President Reuven Rivlin [C] and world leaders in a group photo taken in Jerusalem January 22 2020
(photo credit: KOBI GIDEON/GPO)
President Reuven Rivlin invited world leaders gathered in Jerusalem on Wednesday to send a message that they stand united against racism, antisemitism and extremism.
Speaking at a gala banquet organized in the President’s Residence for the dozens of heads of states who are here to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Rivlin said historical research should be free of politics.
“Historical research should be left to historians,” he said. “The role of political leaders is to shape the future... I hope and pray that from this room, the message will go out to every country on earth, that the leaders of the world will stand united in the fight against racism, antisemitism and extremism.”
Rivlin called the gathering historic not only for Israel and the Jewish people but for all humanity. It embodies the commitment of all those who attend to pass on the awareness of what happened during the Holocaust to the next generations, he said.
The president spent much of Tuesday and Wednesday speaking individually with a steady stream of leaders. He emphasized that attacks against Israel are a form of contemporary antisemitism, adding that one cannot profess to love Jews and attack Israel, which is the Jewish homeland, or to love Israel and hate Jews.
Rivlin warned that antisemitism and all forms of racism and xenophobia constitute an attack on democracy.
He previously had a series of face-to-face meetings with world leaders who came to the funeral of former prime minister Shimon Peres in September 2016. But they had not all sat together and broken bread with him at the one table.
Spain’s King Felipe took the podium on behalf of the guests reunited at Rivlin’s residence, starting his speech by quoting 12th-century Jewish philosopher and Torah scholar Moses Maimonides, known as the Rambam.
“Maimonides, born in Sfarad [Spain], in the city of Cordoba, wrote all evils originate from ignorance,” Felipe said, adding that there is no greater ignorance than not knowing the simple truth that all men and women are created equal.
The king said the example set by Holocaust survivors has been enlightening humanity for decades, but remembrance itself is unfortunately not enough.
“We all know that barbarianism grows where it is least expected,” he said. “We cannot look away.”
Felipe denounced the surge of attacks against Jews all over the world.
“We will always need to persevere so that the words ‘never again,’ ‘leolam lo od,’ stay true,” he said.
Holocaust survivor and Yad Vashem Council chairman Rabbi Israel Meir Lau and historian Prof. Yehuda Bauer, who was one of the dinner speakers, arrived before the start of the VIP reception and waited in the second reception room with media and staff, mostly Foreign Ministry personnel.
Bauer told the world leaders gathered that,"Antisemitism is not a Jewish disease. It is your illness. Antisemitism is a cancer that is gnawing on your people and your countries. During World War II, 59 million people perished. Isn't that 59 million good reasons to fight antisemitism?
World Holocaust Forum Foundation president Moshe Kantor also spoke at the event. Kantor explained that he established the World Holocaust Forum because he realized that “antisemitism was not a ghost of the past” but a presence and a threat to the future.
Kantor added that a lesson that we could learn from the past was that only uniting world leaders managed to defeat antisemitism in the past, and “only by uniting that will win once more.”
Kantor concluded that as international leaders gather every year in Davos to discuss the state of the world’s economy, they should also gather to discuss the situation of antisemitism.
President of Argentina Alberto Fernández,President Emmanuel Macron of France, President Sergio Mattarella of Italy, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi were also in attendance.


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