The EU Delegation issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Israel:

The Delegation of the European Union to the State of Israel and the 26 Embassies of EU Member States located here join the people of Israel today in remembering the six million Jews who were brutally murdered during the darkest chapter in human history. May their memory be a blessing.

The Holocaust — the systematic, industrialized annihilation of men, women and children deemed unworthy of life simply for who they were — remains an indelible stain on Europe’s conscience. With profound sorrow and shame, we recall the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to combat the senseless hatred against Jews wherever and whenever it arises.

We are currently witnessing an alarming resurgence of antisemitism across the globe, including in Europe. This is intolerable and demands our unflinching response. As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has emphasized: “Antisemitism is a poison for our community. And it is up to all to fight it, to prevent it and to eradicate it.”

In two weeks, the world will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the fall of the Third Reich. On May 8, 1945 – commemorated as Victory in Europe Day – Theresienstadt ghetto, from where 88,000 were deported to extermination camps and where more than 35,000 Jews perished, was liberated. By the end of May, 1945, the last of the concentration and extermination camps were liberated, and the fate of the millions murdered, including 1.5 million children, was exposed to the world. Many other innocent civilians also shared this horrific fate.

For survivors, the joy of liberation was overshadowed by the realization of what they had lost. “Although we had seen a lot and experienced the worst, we still had hoped, still had dreamed,” remembered Theresienstadt survivor Shmuel Krakowski. “Now everything became clear. No longer were our families waiting for us; no homes to go back to. For us the victory had come too late, much too late.”

On this solemn day of remembrance, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment: We will never forget. The EU and its member states support the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's vision: "A world that remembers the Holocaust. A world without genocide". The European Union’s Comprehensive Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life reflects our institutional determination to protect Jewish communities, preserve Holocaust memory, and confront all forms of antisemitism with resolute action.

“The sad truth is that most evil is done by people who never make up their minds to be good or evil,” philosopher Hannah Arendt warned. Our determination must therefore be absolute — to stand vigilant against the forces of hatred, to protect the rights of minorities, and to build a Europe where Jewish life thrives in safety and dignity.

This is a joint statement agreed by the Ambassador of the European Union to the State of Israel and the Ambassadors of all EU member states represented in Israel, i.e. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and  Sweden.