An Unprecedented Event in Israel – Over Forty Leaders to Convene at Yad Vashem for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum under the banner “Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism”

< Back to news

An Unprecedented Event in Israel – Over Forty Leaders to Convene at Yad Vashem for the Fifth World Holocaust Forum under the banner “Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism”

07 January 2020

At the invitation of the President of the State of Israel, over forty royals, presidents, prime ministers and parliamentary leaders from Europe, North America and Australia, will attend the Fifth World Holocaust Forum, entitled “Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism.” See below, the list of the confirmed leaders of nations and heads of delegations.

The World Holocaust Forum organized by the World Holocaust Forum Foundation in cooperation with Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, will take place on 23 January 2020 at the Warsaw Ghetto Square in Yad Vashem, Jerusalem. The Forum marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, will begin at 13:30.

Elements of the Events:

The event program will include addresses from a number of world leaders: President of the State of Israel H.E. Mr. Reuven “Ruvi” Rivlin, Prime Minister of the State of Israel H.E. Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, President of France H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, The Prince of Wales, HRH Prince Charles, President of Russia H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin, as well as a senior leader from the United States of America and the President of Germany H.E. Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Holocaust survivor and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council Rabbi Israel Meir Lau as well as Forum organizers – President of the World Holocaust Forum Foundation Dr. Moshe Kantor and Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev – will also speak at the event. Interspersed throughout the proceedings there will be several short video clips and musical interludes performed by an international orchestra conducted by world renowned conductor Vladimir Spivakov accompanied by an international choir.

The event will conclude with a memorial ceremony. Holocaust survivors Rose Moskowitz, from the United States, and Colette Avital, Chairperson of the Central Organization of Holocaust Survivors in Israel will light a memorial torch, after which, heads of delegations will commemorate victims of the Holocaust by laying wreaths at the base of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument in Warsaw Ghetto Square at Yad Vashem. Cantor Shai Abramson will recite the El Maleh Rahamim memorial prayer, followed by Holocaust survivor Naftali Deutsch who will say Kaddish, the mourner’s prayer. The ceremony will conclude with Israel’s national anthem, Hatikvah.

The World Holocaust Forum will be broadcast live via satellite feed worldwide and via Yad Vashem’s website and Facebook page. The broadcast will be translated simultaneously to six languages – English, Hebrew, French, German, Russian and Spanish.

Confirmed Leaders of Nations and Heads of Delegations

(As of 7 January 2020)

1. President of Albania H.E. Mr. Ilir Meta
2. President of Armenia H.E. Mr. Armen Sarkissian
3. Governor-General of Australia the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd)
4. Federal President of Austria H.E. Mr. Alexander Van der Bellen
5. Chairman of the House of Representatives of Belarus H.E. Mr. Vladimir Andreichenko
6. Chairman of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina H.E. Mr. Željko Komšić
7. President of Bulgaria H.E. Mr. Rumen Radev
8. Governor General of Canada the Right Honourable Ms. Julie Payette
9. President of Croatia H.E. Ms. Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
10. President of Cyprus H.E. Mr. Nicos Anastasiades
11. Prime Minister of the Czech Republic H.E. Mr. Andrej Babiš
12. Prime Minister of Denmark H.E. Ms. Mette Frederiksen
13. President of European Council H.E. Mr. Charles Michel
14. President of the European Commission H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen
15. President of the European Parliament H.E. Mr. David Sassoli
16. President of Finland H.E. Mr. Sauli Niinistö
17. President of France H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron
18. President of Georgia H.E. Ms. Salome Zourabichvili
19. President of Germany H.E. Mr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier
20. President of the Hellenic Republic H.E. Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos
21. Representative of the Holy See His Eminence Cardinal Kurt Koch
22. President of Hungary H.E. Mr. János Áder
23. President of Iceland H.E. Mr. Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson
24. President of Italy H.E. Mr. Sergio Mattarella
25. Speaker of the Saeima of Latvia H.E. Ms. Ināra Mūrniece
26. President of Lithuania H.E. Mr. Gitanas Nauseda
27. Grand Duke of Luxembourg HRH Henri
28. President of Moldova H.E. Mr. Igor Dodon
29. Minister of State of Monaco H.E. Mr. Serge Telle
30. President of Montenegro H.E. Mr. Milo Đjukanović
31. King of the Netherlands His Royal Majesty Willem-Alexander
32. President of North Macedonia H.E. Prof. Dr. Stevo Pendarovski
33. The Crown Prince of Norway HRH Crown Prince Haakon
34. President of Portugal H.E. Prof. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa
35. President of Romania H.E. Mr. Klaus Iohannis
36. President of the Russian Federation H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin
37. President of Serbia H.E. Mr. Aleksandar Vučić
38. President of Slovakia H.E. Ms. Zuzana Čaputová
39. President of Slovenia H.E. Mr. Borut Pahor
40. Prime Minister of Sweden H.E. Mr. Stefan Löfven
41. President of Ukraine H.E. Mr. Volodymyr Zelenskyy
42. The Prince of Wales HRH Prince Charles, United Kingdom

Leaders of several additional European monarchies have indicated unofficially that they will soon confirm their attendance.

Senior Officials from the United States of America are also expected.

# # #

Read the full press release at www.yadvashem.org