January of 2020 will mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp and according to a report that appeared in the Jerusalem Post on Sunday, such preeminent world leaders as President Trump and French president Emmanuel Macron will be visiting Israel to commemorate this historic event.
Edited by: JV Staff
Israeli officials have said that the event would take place over January 26-27 in Jerusalem and is being organized by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.
According to the JPost report, the leaders would arrive in Israel on January 26, spend one night here, and take part in an event at Yad Vashem called the World Holocaust Forum the next day. January 27th is recognized as International Holocaust Remembrance Day and events, forums and commemorations are held the world over.
Officials have also said that such other world leaders who may be in attendance include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Britain’s future Prime Minister and possibly Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
If Macron accepts the offer to join the event in Jerusalem, it will be his first visit to Israel as French president and it will be President Trump’s second visit since taking office in January of 2017.
The Jerusalem Post has reported that a major, unnamed donor has been enlisted to make the event possible.
i24 News reported that officials have worked for months behind the scenes to make the historic commemoration a reality. In an address that he delivered at Yad Vashem last May, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin alluded to the event.
“With the rise in anti-Semitic voices, I have recently approached world leaders to invite them to an international conference that will be held here at Yad Vashem next January, to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz,” he said.
“Here in Jerusalem, together with presidents and heads of state, we will join forces in the uncompromising fight against anti-Semitism, xenophobia and Holocaust denial,” Rivlin added.
The JPost also reported that earlier this month Russian President Vladimir Putin extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join him in Moscow to participate in a ceremony commemorating 75 years since the defeat of the Nazis scheduled to be held in May.
No indication has been given as to whether Putin will be invited to participate in the event in Israel in January.
