The State of Israel was chosen Thursday to serve as President of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) for 2025, the year that will mark 80 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp and end of WWII, as well as the 25th anniversary of the IHRA’s establishment.
The decision to elect Israel to the presidency was made unanimously at the IHRA’s annual plenary session, which is currently taking place in Stockholm, Sweden.
The leadership of the Israeli delegation to the IHRA, which includes 35 countries, is shared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yad Vashem.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) said: “The State of Israel, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yad Vashem are committed to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and to the fight against antisemitism.”
“We thank the IHRA for the work it has carried out since its founding in the fight against antisemitism and are thankful for our election as President of the IHRA. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, I see it as a personal privilege and duty to continue the preservation of the memory of the Holocaust and the constant fight against antisemitism wherever it rears its head.”
Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan, who is participating in the Stockholm plenum and who presented Israel’s candidacy, stated the following: “The activities of the IHRA are of growing importance and significance during this period in which we are witnessing the alarming phenomena of Holocaust distortion and antisemitism in various parts of the world. The acceptance of our candidacy to lead the IHRA strengthens our ability to act in this realm more vigorously.”