Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Conference held at the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Tuesday
He warned that anti-Semitism, or hatred of Jews, is a threat not only to the Jewish people but to all free societies.
The danger of anti-Semitism
Netanyahu described anti-Semitism as a “serious disease” that has existed for thousands of years.
He noted that during the Holocaust, 6 million Jews were killed, but World War II, fueled by this hatred, killed 60 million people in total.
Quoting his father, a historian, he said: “What begins with the Jews does not end with the Jews.” According to Netanyahu, if the world had heeded these warnings in the 1930s, history might have been different.
Rise in anti-Semitism after October 7
The prime minister highlighted the rise in anti-Semitism following the Hamas attack on October 7, which he described as “the most cruel attack on Jews since the Holocaust.” He criticized protests in Western capitals and other countries that he said “celebrate murderers, rapists and kidnappers.” These protests, he said, also burn flags of countries such as the US, UK, Canada and France, which he interprets as an attack on free societies and Western civilization.
For Netanyahu, Israel is fighting a “war on eight fronts,” which is, at its core, a battle of civilization against barbarism.
Historical and current lies
Netanyahu compared past lies against Jews, such as accusations of poisoning wells or using the blood of Christian children, to Nazi propaganda that paved the way for genocide.
He said the October 7 attack was an attempt to repeat the Holocaust, but with a twist: “The Nazis hid their crimes.
These [Hamas] used GoPro cameras and proudly publicized what they did.” He also warned about Hamas’s genocidal intentions and Iran’s open threats against Israel.
Accusations against Israel
Netanyahu refuted the idea that Israel deliberately attacks civilians in Gaza, calling such an accusation a violation of the laws of war.
He explained that Hamas commits “double war crimes” by using civilians as human shields, deliberately placing them in combat areas.
He compared this to situations in war, such as the British bombing of a Gestapo headquarters in 1944, in which civilians were accidentally killed.
In the war in Gaza, described as a “closed scenario,” Hamas prevents civilians from leaving the conflict areas, sometimes even shooting them.
Netanyahu defended the Israeli military’s (IDF) operation in Rafah, where 1.4 million people were concentrated.
Despite international warnings of possible thousands of civilian deaths, he said Israel had created a safe zone on the beach, just 2 km away, and that there were “almost no civilian casualties” because most had left the area.
Efforts to protect civilians
The prime minister stressed that Israel is making a huge effort to prevent civilian casualties, sending millions of text messages, phone calls and leaflets urging people to leave the fighting zones.
He said that the ratio of civilian deaths to combatants in Gaza is the lowest ever recorded in modern urban warfare, according to experts such as John Spencer of the military academy at West Point.
Denying Gaza famine
Netanyahu also denied the accusation that Israel is causing famine in Gaza.
He said that since the beginning of the conflict, Israel has allowed in 1.8 million tons of food, water and medicine.
As proof, he mentioned that Palestinian prisoners captured by the army show no signs of malnutrition, even after months of war.
Call to action
In the end, Netanyahu called on leaders of Jewish communities around the world not to be afraid to fight anti-Semitism.
“Stand up, speak the truth, defend the Jewish people and civilization,” he said.
He emphasized that people respect those who fight for their rights and encouraged everyone to stand up courageously.
Summary
At the IHRA conference, Netanyahu warned that anti-Semitism threatens not only Jews, but the entire civilization.
He criticized the rise in hatred following the Hamas attack on October 7, defended Israel’s actions in Gaza, and refuted accusations of targeting civilians and causing famine.
Finally, he called on everyone to fight anti-Semitism with courage and determination.
Published in 05/27/2025 21h34
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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