Herzog Seeks Unity, Raisi Seeks Destruction
Israeli President Isaac Herzog implored Israelis to seek harmony in honoring Holocaust survivors during his speech to commemorate Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, on Monday. He said, “I appeal to you, citizens of Israel, with a simple prayer: Let us leave these sacred days, which begin tonight and end on Independence Day, above all dispute. Let us all come together, as always, in partnership, in grief, in remembrance.”
Herzog warned against division, saying, “For the Nazi monster, opinions within our nation made not the slightest difference. None of the ideologies, beliefs or ways of life—none of the differences or varieties within our people—bore any meaning.” He also highlighted the “human courage and Divine assistance” that allowed the Jewish people to survive the Holocaust.
Just days earlier, Israel’s enemies, led by Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, were rallying warriors to destroy the Jewish state. Raisi spoke to supporters of terrorist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip on Friday, urging Palestinians to continue fighting Israel.
“The initiative for self-determination is now in the hands of the Palestinian fighters,” Raisi said, suggesting Hamas’ political rival, the Palestinian Authority, is inadequate in its efforts to attack Israel. He also praised the work of the terrorists, voicing Iran’s support “for the resistance front.”
Herzog’s message is an important one for Yom HaShoah to create unity among Israelis as they remember the darkness of the Holocaust. Raisi’s message achieves the exact opposite of what makes Yom HaShoah so important, as he seeks the destruction of the Jewish state, just as Hitler sought to destroy the Jewish people.as a whole. We must pray that the destructive plans of mad men like Raisi never succeed and that God will continue to protect His Chosen People and allow them to endure as He did even in the darkest period of Jewish history.
