Netanyahu: Main Lesson Of The Holocaust Is To Fight Fanatical Regimes That Threaten The Whole World
A drone accompanying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s convoy may have been the reason for his late appearance at the official ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem on Wednesday evening (23rd).
Those close to the prime minister claimed that the delay was due to a “security issue.”
Netanyahu made a fiery speech at Wednesday night’s (23rd) Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem discussing the comparison between the Nazis and Hamas, and framing his calls for military victory as part of a historic path of rebirth following the murder of six million Jews.
“They are exactly like the Nazis. Like Hitler. Like Haman. They wish to kill and destroy all of the Jews,” said Netanyahu. “It;s not going to happen. We are going to annihilate these Hamas monsters.”
“We will fight vigorously against the fanatical regimes that threaten the entire world. Doing this is the main lesson from the Holocaust,” he said.
“Holocaust Remembrance Day is a milestone in the path to destroying those that seek to eliminate us,” said Netanyahu, comparing Hamas and their actions to those of the Nazis and the Holocaust.
Netanyahu said that he had been moved to tears when meeting Holocaust survivors this week, just as he was moved during a recent diplomatic mission in Hungary. He had visited the bank of the Danube River, where a memorial of bronze shoes commemorated the murder of Hungarian Jews, executed and cast into the river.
Netanyahu drew a comparison between the shoes and the memorials of yellow ribbons and stickers of fallen soldiers, and praised the heroism of those who rose up to fight in the Ghettos, saying that their spirit sparked the birth of the nation.
“I thought to myself about the tremendous changes that we’ve achieved over the last eighty years. After the Holocaust we were like dust carried away by the wind,”said Netanyahu. “Now we have a country, we have an army, we have a security force, we have soldiers with a fierce spirit.”
Netanyahu noted the successes of the military since the October 7 Massacre, crippling Hezbollah, Hamas, and the fall of the Assad regime. He threatened Iran with a similar fate if it continued down the path of nuclear weapons.
“No one will prevent us from defending ourselves,” said Netanyahu, recalling the previous year’s commemoration when Israel was threatened with arms embargoes. “If we need to stand alone, we shall stand alone. If we need to fight with our fingernails, we shall fight with our fingernails, but we will not relent.”
Danon In Krakow: Anti-Semitism Rising Again Under The Guise Of ‘Social Justice’
As part of this year’s March of the Living, the International Ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance and Heroism was held in Krakow on Wednesday evening (23rd), in the presence of Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, and a delegation of UN Ambassadors.
At the ceremony, Ambassador Danon said, “Eighty years after the Holocaust, we see anti-Semitism rising again—this time without swastikas but under the guise of ‘social justice.’ They talk about ‘liberation,’ but call for extermination. Each generation finds new excuses for this age-old hatred, and the world is silent.”
He added, “Even now when 59 hostages are still being held captive, the silence continues. But the days when our blood was shed and we were silent, are over! We will not apologize for defending ourselves, and we proudly say: ‘Am Israel Chai!’”
Trump Marks Holocaust Remembrance Day: Never Again Means Now
In a formal proclamation released on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (23rd) paid tribute to the six million Jews and millions of other innocent victims murdered by the Nazis during one of history’s darkest chapters.
“We honor the blessed memories of the six million Jewish men, women and children who were viciously slaughtered by the genocidal Nazi regime and their collaborators,” Trump stated.
The proclamation recalled the solemn commemoration earlier this year of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. “We memorialized the lives of the mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, grandmothers, and grandfathers whose futures were barbarically ripped away in Nazi-occupied Europe,” Trump said.
Emphasizing the enduring responsibility to remember, he added: “We once again honor every Holocaust survivor who has imparted their wisdom to younger generations. Today and every day, we commit to preserving their stories.”
Trump reflected on the enduring legacy of the Holocaust and the birth of modern Israel: “Even in the wake of the Holocaust, a self-determined Jewish homeland rose from the ashes as the modern State of Israel.”
However, the President warned that the threat of anti-Semitism remains present. “Sadly our nation has borne witness to the worst outbreak of anti-Semitism on American soil in generations,” he said, referring to the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel. “Nearly everyday following the deadly…attack on Israel, Jewish Americans were threatened on our streets and in our public squares.”
Trump highlighted his administration’s actions to combat anti-Semitism . “As President, I signed an Executive Order directing the Federal Government to use all available and appropriate legal tools to combat the explosion of anti-Semitic harassment in our schools and college campuses — including through the removal of resident aliens who violate our laws,” he stated.
He also denounced anti-Semitic discrimination “in leftist, anti-American colleges and universities.”
Concluding with a resolute call to remembrance and vigilance, Trump declared, “We cherish the eternal memories of all those whose lives were lost to the deadly scourge of anti-Semitism. Above all, we vow to never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust. We declare that never again means now.”
Massive Blazes In Central Israel Force Residents To Evacuate
Multiple wildfires forced evacuations, road closures, and train service suspensions across Central Israel on Wednesday (23rd), as soaring temperatures and strong winds created dangerous conditions.
Residents of Eshtaol, Mesilat Zion, and Pedaya were evacuated as fires approached their communities. In the Beit Shemesh area, flames erupted near Moshav Tarum and quickly spread, fanned by high winds.
“The fire is spreading rapidly, and firefighters are working to stop its advance and prevent it from reaching populated areas,” the Fire and Rescue Authority said in a statement. Approximately 20 ground crews, along with aircraft and helicopters, battled the blazes in the region.
Route 38, a major road linking Beit Shemesh to Jerusalem, was shut down, as was route 44 near the Eshtaol forest. Police also closed a section of Route 6, a key north-south highway, between Sorek and Nesharim, due to another fire that flared near Kfar Menachem, east of Rehovet.
Footage circulating on line showed thick smoke and people walking along smoke-choked highways after abandoning their vehicles.
Israel Railways suspended service between Lod and Beer-Sheva and halted trains on the Beit Shemesh line as fires heated the tracks.
“Due to concerns about the fires spreading, and following instructions from firefighting authorities, train service has been temporarily stopped,” the railway company announced.
The fires were fueled by extreme weather. The Israel Meteorological Service had warned of unusually high temperatures and dangerous conditions. The “Firestorm” command was issued – a rare emergency measure activated only in severe cases where fire behavior threatens to become uncontrollable.
Jerusalem, 25 kilometers from the main blaze near Beit Shemesh, was blanketed in smoke, causing air quality to deteriorate sharply. Police urged the public to avoid the affected zones and follow emergency instructions. “We are asking people to stay away for their own safety,” the police said.
Jordan Outlaws Muslim Brotherhood, Seizes Assets Over Sabotage Plot
Jordan outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most vocal opposition group, and confiscated its assets on Wednesday (23rd) after members of the group were found to be linked to a sabotage plot, Interior Minister Mazen Fraya said.
There was no immediate comment from the movement, which has operated legally in Jordan for decades and has widespread grass-roots support in major urban centers and scores of offices across the country.
Jordan said last week it had arrested 16 Muslim Brotherhood members, saying they were trained and financed in Lebanon and were plotting attacks involving rockets and drones on targets inside the kingdom. Jordan also attributed a foiled plot in 2024 to a Muslim Brotherhood cell in Jordan.
Fraya said that all the activities of the group would be banned and anyone promoting its ideology would be held accountable by law. The ban includes publishing anything by the group and closure and confiscation of all its offices and property, he added.
The Muslim Brotherhood, one of the Arab world’s oldest and most influential Islamist movements, has denied links to the alleged plot but admitted members may have engaged in an individual capacity in arms smuggling to Palestinians in the West Bank.
Opponents of the Brotherhood, which is outlawed in most Arab countries, call it a dangerous terrorist group that should be crushed. The movement says it publicly renounced violence decades ago and pursues an Islamist vision using peaceful means.
The movement’s political arm in Jordan, the Islamic Action Front, became the largest political grouping in parliament after elections last September, although most seats are still held by supporters of the government.
Fraya said Muslim Brotherhood members had planned attacks on security targets and sensitive locations in the kingdom, aiming to destabilize the country, but did not disclose what these targets were.
Security forces said last week they had found a rocket manufacturing facility alongside a drone factory where short-range rockets were being developed, with at least one missile ready to be launched.
In a country where anti-Israel sentiment runs high, Muslim Brotherhood members have led some of the largest protests in the region in support of Hamas, their ideological allies, in what their opponents say allowed them to increase their popularity.
Like some of its neighbors seeking to curb political Islam, Jordan has been tightening restrictions on the Brotherhood in the last two years, forbidding some of its activities and arresting vocal anti-government dissenters.
International rights groups say that in the last four years Jordanian authorities have intensified persecution and harassment of political opponents and ordinary citizens using a string of laws to silence critical voices. The Jordanian government says it tolerates Public speech that does not incite violence.
Amid Regional Tensions, Netanyahu Expected To Visit Azerbaijan
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to travel soon on an official visit to Azerbaijan, Israel Hayom has learned. While the exact date of the trip has yet to be finalized, it is set to take place in the near future. Netanyahu is scheduled to meet in Baku with President Ilham Aliyev, with whom he shares a longstanding relationship marked by close cooperation. Azerbaijan, a Shiite Muslim country, maintains a notably friendly stance toward Israel.
The visit follows “technical talks “ held in Baku two weeks ago between senior Israeli and Turkish delegations, aimed at preventing military friction between the two countries in Syrian territory. President Aliyev recently met separately with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syria’s new ruler, Ahmad al-Sharaa (al-Julani), making Netanyahu’s visit appear as a natural continuation of these diplomatic efforts.
Aliyev, who typically keeps his country’s international dealings and ties with Israel under wraps, recently made a rare public statement, “Both countries are close friends of Azerbaijan. We are allies with Turkey, and Israel is a friendly nation to Azerbaijan. Over many years, this mutual friendship has proven itself during difficult times for both countries. Therefore, the current tension between them is very concerning and a matter of great worry for us. As is well known, Azerbaijan played a modest role in facilitating the first successful reconciliation between Turkey and Israel in 2023.”
In addition to the Turkish-Syrian issue, Netanyahu and Aliyev are expected to discuss the full spectrum of bilateral and regional relations. Israel and Azerbaijan maintain strategic ties, including the supply of oil and its derivatives to Israel –a flow that continues uninterrupted through Turkey even during wartime. Azerbaijan shares a border with Iran, and relations between the two neighbors remain highly strained. The Islamic Republic has made repeated attempts to carry out terrorist attacks on Azerbaijani soil, including plots targeting Israeli diplomats.
According to foreign reports, Israel sells Azerbaijan advanced weapons systems. Recently, Israel’s Energy Minister Eli Cohen visited Azerbaijan and signed cooperation agreements. Netanyahu’s last visit to the country took place in 2016.
Anti-Israel Mob Hurls Bottles At Itamar Ben-Gvir At Yale
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir faced a crowd of unruly anti-Israel protesters following an appearance at an off-campus Yale Jewish group in New Haven Connecticut Wednesday night (23rd).
Ben Gvir, who is on his first trip to the US since he took office, met with members of the Shabtai group near the Yale campus Wednesday (23rd).
Dozens of far-left anti-Israel demonstrators rallied outside the Shabtai building Wednesday afternoon (23rd), attempting to block the vehicle carrying Ben Gvir.
After the event, as Ben-Gvir was exiting the building, protesters jeered him and hurled water bottles at him.
In response, Ben-Gvir’s entourage waved Israeli flags, while the minister flashed a “V” for victory sign.
“As the minister was leaving, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters were waiting for him throwing water bottles at the minister and his entourage,” Ben-Gvir’s office said.
Ben Gvir responded to the incident stating that “anti-Semitic rioters will not intimidate me. I will continue my important journey in the United States.”
In a follow-up statement, Ben Gvir’s office said that “In the face of the pro-Palestinian protesters at Yale University, who support the Nazis in Gaza – we will prevail. The people of Israel live.”
Earlier on Wednesday (23rd), Yale University announced that it had dropped recognition of a student group, Yales4Palestine, involved in organizing a protest encampment on campus Tuesday (22nd).
Anti-Israel protesters have rallied on and off campus since Monday (21st) in anticipation of Ben-Gvir’s visit.
The minister earlier this week visited Florida, meeting with local business owners, touring a prison, and attending a gathering which featured Republican lawmakers, held at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.
