The United States values Yad Vashem director Dani Dayan's "crucial work and leadership" on Holocaust education, the US State Department said on Saturday night amid reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking to oust Dayan from his position.
"The US values the crucial work of Yad Vashem and its director’s leadership as we work together on Holocaust education," Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues at the US Department of State Ellen Germain wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Maintaining the independence of such institutions around the world is key as we face efforts to distort/deny the facts of the Holocaust."
The US' comments come after Netanyahu and Education Minister Yoav Kisch (Likud) have made it clear they intend to remove Dayan from his post as chairman, igniting a firestorm of controversy.
Dani Dayan to be ousted from Yad Vashem because of Sara Netanyahu?
On Thursday, N12 reported that Sara Netanyahu “was displeased when Dayan invited pop singer Keren Peles to perform at the Yad Vashem Memorial Day ceremony. She subsequently approached the Prime Minister's office to intervene,” according to the report. N12 added, “It's worth noting that Peles has, on multiple occasions, criticized the government and its legal reforms.”
Sources in Yad Vashem told the Jerusalem Post that Netanyahu wasn’t happy with Dayan’s approach to boycott extreme-right-wing politicians, as well as for him being “too independent.”
In addition, he was critical of Netanyahu in the past, warning that the Prime Minister has neglected the relations with North American Jewry.