Jewish leaders and diplomats lay wreaths at Memorial Candle Monument in Jerusalem
To mark the 75th anniversary of the victory over Nazism, Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov and President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) Dr. Michael Mirilashvili laid a wreath at the Memorial Candle Monument in Jerusalem.
Minister for Jerusalem, Environment, and Cultural Heritage, Zeev Elkin; Chairman of the Israeli Union of residents of besieged Leningrad, Emilia Larina; Chairman of All-Israeli Union of the Second World War veterans, Avraam Greenside; Director General of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, Dr. Chaim Ben-Yaakov; former Knesset deputy Leonid Litinetsky; former Knesset deputy Yigal Yasinov; representatives of KKL-JNF, and other guests of honor also attended the ceremony. In honor of Victory Day, ambassadors and employees of diplomatic missions of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Moldova, and Uzbekistan also laid flowers at the monument.
Minister for Jerusalem, Environment, and Cultural Heritage, Zeev Elkin, said: “Unfortunately, not everyone in the world today realizes the true meaning of victory in World War II. There are countries where they underestimate the role of the Red Army in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Israel is the only Western country where not only it is impossible to see such sad phenomena as the demolition of monuments, but, on the contrary, new monuments are being erected. For the Israeli government, the victory in World War II is the central issue of our heritage. We understand that our country would not exist if it were not for the victory in 1945. “
“On the day of the 75th anniversary of the great victory, we thank and honor all those that have served and fallen,” said EAJC President Dr. Michael Mirilashvili. “Victory Day is a celebration of the glory and valor of all peoples who defeated Nazism, and Today, our mission is to safeguard the historical truth and perpetuate the memory of heroes. While in some countries monuments are being demolished and lessons of history forgotten, we are building new memorials with the aim of passing the memory on to future generations and ensuring that such horrors never happen again.”
Chairman of All-Israeli Union of the Second World War veterans, Avraam Greenside said: “This monument marks not only the sorrow for the perished but also the joy for those who survived, for the city that defended its freedom in battles. This monument indicates that our peoples, united in a common struggle, had won.”
The Memorial Candle Monument unveiled on January 23, 2020, in Jerusalem, by Israeli and Russian top officials, is dedicated to the heroes of the Leningrad Siege. The initiative to raise the monument belongs to the Council of World War II Veterans and the Association of the Victims of the Leningrad Siege in Israel.
At the opening ceremony of the Memorial Candle Monument in the capital of Israel, the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress has launched a special program aimed at preserving historical memory and deepening mutual understanding between nations.
