Netanyahu: "Europe Has Forgotten Much Since the Holocaust... Israel Is Protecting It Instead"

Prime Minister Netanyahu Delivers Holocaust Remembrance Speech
Highlights Legitimacy of War with Iran While Strongly Criticizing Europe
"If We Had Not Acted, They Would Have Been Remembered Like Auschwitz"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emphasized the legitimacy of the war with Iran and criticized Europe during his speech on Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the Nazi German genocide of Jews.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that "Israel is protecting Europe, which has forgotten too much since the Holocaust." Photo by AP News Agency

According to Yonhap News Agency, on April 13 (local time), Prime Minister Netanyahu stated in his Holocaust Remembrance Day speech, "Today, Europe is suffering from deep moral vulnerability. It is losing its responsibility to protect its identity, values, and civilization from barbarism." He asserted, "Israel is protecting Europe, which has forgotten too much since the Holocaust."

Prime Minister Netanyahu further stated, "Europe has much to learn from us, especially the core lesson of drawing a clear moral distinction between good and evil." He added, "At moments of truth, one must be willing to go to war for life and for good," and emphasized, "Israel will never forget this responsibility. Together with the United States and other allies that history will record, we are defending ourselves while also protecting the world."

Netanyahu likened Iran's nuclear facilities to the Auschwitz concentration camp to justify the war with Iran. He said, "Over the past year, through two joint operations with the United States, we inflicted critical blows to the evil regime in Iran. If we had not taken action against Iran's nuclear, missile, and other military facilities, the names Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan, and Parchin would have been remembered as eternal symbols of fear, just like Auschwitz, Treblinka, Majdanek, and Sobibor."

He continued, "We took action and accomplished this through an unprecedented historic partnership with President Trump. On this Remembrance Day, we remember this fact and we are taking action so that future generations will not have to regret, 'What if we had done something back then?'"

Earlier that day, at a cabinet meeting, Netanyahu expressed his support for President Trump, saying, "As Iran violated the rules of the Pakistan peace talks, President Trump decided on a maritime blockade," and added, "We support this firm stance and continue to cooperate with the United States."

A woman in Madrid, Spain, holds a banner reading "Take Netanyahu to Criminal Court" during a protest calling for an end to the war with Iran. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Recently, some voices in the international community have criticized Israel. Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister known for her pro-Trump stance, targeted Israel's uncooperative attitude toward a ceasefire, saying, "Too many deaths and unacceptable numbers of refugees have been caused," and called for Israel to "immediately halt the attacks." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has clashed with Israel over the Palestinian issue, argued, "The 'European Union (EU) cooperation agreement' with Israel should be suspended immediately."

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Prime Minister Netanyahu is a figure for whom the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity," and pointed out, "He is called the 'modern-day Hitler' because of the crimes he has committed." Despite the ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Iran, Israel continues its airstrikes on Lebanon, leading Turkey to say, "Prime Minister Netanyahu's goal is to derail the ongoing peace talks and continue his expansionist policies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.