Coinciding with the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, and the celebration of the forum 'Remembering the Holocaust, fighting anti-Semitism', HM the King of Spain, Felipe VI, has participated in a series of activities aimed at alerting and educating about the dangers of anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.
This international gathering is organised by the World Holocaust Forum Foundation, in cooperation with the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre 'Yad Vashem'.
Previously, Don Felipe held an informal meeting with the President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain, Isaac Querub, and attended, together with some thirty heads of state and government, the gala dinner hosted by the President of the State of Israel on the occasion of the 'International Leaders' Forum'.
The dinner was attended, among others, by French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Argentinean President Alberto Fernández and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nanci Pelosi.
In his speech, the King underlined the commitment of all present at this forum to remain vigilant to prevent such a thing from happening again and reflected, "people can show no greater folly than when they think they are above others, when they feel entitled to discriminate, to condone intolerance or to promote resentment against others with political interest, religious extremism or racial hatred".
"Never again", concluded Don Felipe, in English and Hebrew, who warned that "forgetting the Holocaust would be extremely dangerous", as well as a dishonour to the memory of the victims, and emphasised the importance of "not looking the other way", "being vigilant" and persevering in the defence of human rights.
Portuguese