Reports of Yad Vashem head Dani Dayan's imminent dismissal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayahu's government are "unfortunate and hopefully untrue," deputy chairman of the World Zionist Organization Gil Segal said on Sunday.
"From personal experience, Dayan is one of the most committed and dedicated Yad Vashem heads ever, any attempt to put his leadership into doubt is invalid at its core."
WZO Vice Chairman Dr. Yizhar Hess responds to attempts to remove the Chairman of Yad Vashem: "Attacks on Yad Vashem are unacceptable. It cannot be desecrated for political gain or on personal whims. This government has no respect for any institution. The damage caused by the capricious attempt to remove Yad Vashem’s chairman is already clear. Holocaust researchers from around the world, leaders of Diaspora communities, and even the US State Department - they all look at this government with astonishment.
"We must condemn this cynical political move which may, heaven forbid, lead to dangerous politicization of the memory of the Holocaust. This is a serious blow to an institution whose sacred work should be above any outside disputes or divisions. Yad Vashem, in many ways, belongs to the entire Jewish people and its politicization endangers one of the few places where the sense of solidarity between Israel and Jews in the Diaspora remains strong. Only an irresponsible government would endanger this.”