US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Yad Vashem in Jerusalem together with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan, the US State Department said Sunday.
Rubio signed the Survivors’ Declaration, which was written by a group of Holocaust survivors and first read out loud at a Yad Vashem conference by Holocaust survivor Zvi Gil in 2002.
Rubio also viewed the Book of Names, which has the names of more than 4.8 million victims of the Holocaust. He attended a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance.
Signing ceremony
During the signing, Rubio spoke about the rise of antisemitism and said it could not be ignored.
“This ancient poison called antisemitism, which has plagued mankind for centuries, has visited us now again in this new century,” he said.
“It hides behind geopolitics; it embeds itself in international organizations, and in curriculums of our colleges and universities, in the voices of some who hide in social media and even openly espouse this ancient poison,” he added.
“We stand here today also reminded why it can never be ignored,” Rubio said. “Why does it always start with what some believe as the wild ideas of a random person with no power and no influence? But left unchecked and unchallenged, it can turn into the tragedy that is commemorated here in this building today.”
“This cannot be ignored; this cannot be tolerated. This must be challenged everywhere it rears its head, for if history teaches us anything, [it is that] an evil that goes unchallenged does not simply vanish or go away on its own. It is either defeated, or it will grow, and it will do horrific things,” Rubio said.
Antiseministim resuges
Dayan spoke about the resurgence of antisemitism and how it is not only a test for the Jewish people but for the rest of the world.
“Today, we are witnessing a resurgence of hatred towards the Jewish people,” he said. “It does not emanate only from the corridors of power in Tehran but also from the quad of Columbia University. This is a test not only for us – the Jewish people – but even more so for you, the leaders of the world.”
Sa’ar said: “The new antisemitism is the persecution of the State of Israel, the State of the Jewish people. It uses demonization, delegitimization, and double standards. The attempt to deny Israel, the most attacked and threatened country in the world, its right to defend itself is horrific.”