On the morning of International Holocaust Remembrance Day today, Wednesday 27 January / 14 Shvat, President of Israel Reuven (Ruvi) Rivlin spoke with the President of Germany, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

During their conversation, President Rivlin said, “Last year, we marked the day together in our historic journey from Jerusalem, to Auschwitz and then to Berlin. The coronavirus pandemic has forced us all to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day differently this year. Each leader is in his own country, but the message of shared commitment to remembering the Holocaust and its lessons are as strong and determined as ever. Your clear and correct words last year, opposing racism and antisemitism wherever they raise their heads are deep in the hearts of the Israeli people and I thank you again for them.”

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The president expressed his appreciation that the wife of the president, Elke Büdenbender, participated in a Zikaron be’Salon event with the German and Israeli ambassadors yesterday in Berlin. “Your wife’s touching gesture of participating in an event with Holocaust survivors has moved many people in Israel,” said the president.

The German president thanked President Rivlin for his phone call and reiterated Germany’s commitment to the pledge of “Never Again” and the shared fight against antisemitism and racism.

At the end of their call, President Rivlin thanked President Steinmeier for participating in the joint message, together with President of the European Council Charles Michel, honoring the heroic survivors of the Holocaust.