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Israeli President in Iași: Romanian Jews played essential role in founding Israel
🇷🇴 Romania /Elections & Politics

Israeli President in Iași: Romanian Jews played essential role in founding Israel

From Adevărul · () Romanian

Translated from Romanian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Iași, Romania, to commemorate the victims of the 1941 Pogrom.
  • Herzog emphasized the essential role of Romanian Jews in founding and developing Israel, calling them a living bridge between the two nations.
  • He stressed the shared responsibility to combat antisemitism and preserve historical memory, thanking Romanian authorities for their commitment.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog paid his respects in Iași, Romania, to the victims of the 1941 Pogrom, marking the 85th anniversary of the tragic event. Speaking at the 12th March of the Living ceremony, Herzog highlighted the profound historical connection between Romania and Israel.

The Jews of Romania played an essential role in the founding and development of the State of Israel and still represent a living bridge between Romania and the Jewish people.

— Isaac HerzogDuring his speech at the March of the Living ceremony in Iași.

"The Jews of Romania played an essential role in the founding and development of the State of Israel and still represent a living bridge between Romania and the Jewish people," Herzog stated. He also addressed the resurgence of antisemitism, emphasizing a "common responsibility to defend truth, memory, and human dignity."

Herzog expressed gratitude to Romanian officials, including the mayor of Iași and national leaders, for their commitment to combating antisemitism and preserving Holocaust memory. He performed the Kaddish prayer in memory of the victims, acknowledging the suffering and the perpetrators' guilt.

In the face of the resurgence of antisemitism, we have a common responsibility to defend truth, memory, and human dignity.

— Isaac HerzogAddressing the rise of antisemitism during his visit to Iași.

Reflecting on the atrocities committed in Iași between June 28 and July 6, 1941, Herzog questioned how such cruelty could occur in a city historically central to Jewish life. "The only answer to this disturbing question is a deafening silence," he remarked. The president also noted that Iași is where the first version of Israel's national anthem, Hatikvah, was written.

I thank the Romanian authorities for their commitment to combating antisemitism and preserving the memory of the Holocaust.

— Isaac HerzogExpressing gratitude to Romanian officials for their efforts.

President Herzog is on a state visit to Romania with First Lady Michal Herzog. He is scheduled to meet with President Nicușor Dan on Monday.

Today I look to the past, I mourn for those lost and I say the Kaddish prayer in their memory, in the name of our past and for our future.

— Isaac HerzogReciting the Kaddish prayer in Iași.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Adevărul in Romanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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