'We will remember': IDF chief of staff issues statement ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Day

As Israel prepares to observe Holocaust Remembrance Day, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir has delivered a powerful message, underscoring the profound significance of this day for the Jewish people and the State of Israel. His order of the day serves as a solemn vow to never forget the horrors of the Holocaust and to draw strength from the memory of those who perished.

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We will remember the communities that were erased from the face of the earth; the voices of the boys and girls, the elderly and the young, who were led to the crematoria and shot into killing pits; and the partisans and underground fighters who struggled and rose up even when all hope seemed lost.

Zamir's words resonate with a deep historical consciousness, referencing "the communities that were erased from the face of the earth" and "the voices of the boys and girls, the elderly and the young, who were led to the crematoria." He also honors the "partisans and underground fighters" who resisted even in the darkest hours, highlighting the enduring spirit of defiance.

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We will remember the acts of bravery, the resistance, and the uprisings, the preservation of Jewish identity in the face of attempts to erase it; the final embraces and parting words - etched into memory and transformed into a living testament.

Crucially, Zamir frames the establishment of the State of Israel as a direct response to the historical persecution and a testament to the Jewish people's determination to control their own destiny. He explicitly links this defiance to the IDF's ongoing mission, noting its "determination and strength against Iran and its proxies," who he states have long "called for the destruction of our state."

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Today, out of the harshest inferno, the Jewish people stand alive, free, and sovereign in their land. This is our clear answer to the world: no longer a people dependent on the mercy of others, no longer a defenseless people, but a free nation in its land that fights for its freedom and its future.

This remembrance is not merely an act of mourning but a declaration of resilience and sovereignty. Zamir asserts that "out of the harshest inferno, the Jewish people stand alive, free, and sovereign in their land." This is presented as a definitive answer to the world: no longer a people dependent on others, but a free nation actively fighting for its future. The message concludes with a call to action, urging Israelis to be a "vital link in the chain of defenders" and to ensure that "never again" is not just a slogan but a lived reality.

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Now it is our turn to be a vital link in the chain of defenders who came before us; to stand guard over the homeland, to defend our home, and to ensure that the memory of the past serves as our compass—and that never again.