While there are those who refuse to understand our position, there are many
others who identify with us. But even if we are compelled to stand alone, we
will not be afraid. In any scenario, in any situation, we will safeguard our
right, we will maintain our ability, we will keep our resolve to defend
ourselves.

Holocaust Remembrance Day Address by PM Netanyahu at Yad Vashem 15/04/2015
http://www.pmo.gov.il/English/MediaCenter/Speeches/Pages/speechyadvashem150415.aspx


Seventy years ago, the bells of freedom rang out across the free world. The
horrific nightmare that had engulfed all humanity in blood had come to an
end in Europe. But the day the Nazis were vanquished was not only a day of
relief and jubilation. It was also a day of great sorrow for our nation, and
a day of reflection for the world’s leaders. Leaders of modern countries
realized that it was a propitious time to establish a new world order based
on defending liberty, eradicating evil and opposing oppression. They
articulated the most important lesson of World War II: democracies must not
turn a blind eye to the aspirations of tyrannous regimes to expand. A
conciliatory attitude toward these regimes only increases their propensity
for aggression. And if such aggression is not stopped in time, humanity
might find itself in a much bloodier battle.

In the years before World War II, the free world tried to appease the Nazi
regime, to gain its trust, to curry its favor through gestures. There were
those who warned that this concessionary policy would only whet Hitler’s
appetite, but these warnings were ignored due to the natural human desire
for calm at all costs. And indeed, the price was exacted not long after, and
it was too heavy to bear – six million of our people were slaughtered in the
Holocaust, and millions of others were killed in this terrible inferno.

When the war ended, the conclusion was clear: there is no room for weakness
when facing tyrannous regimes that send their murderous tentacles in every
direction. Only by standing firm and adhering to the values of liberty and
tolerance can we ensure the future of humankind.
There are many around the world who claim that the lessons learned then are
still valid today. They affirm: “Never again!” They declare: “We will not
turn a blind eye to the expansionist intentions of a violent tyranny.” They
promise: “We will oppose evil as soon as it begins.” But as long as these
announcements are not backed by practical actions – they are meaningless.
Did the world really learn a lesson from the inconceivable universal and
Jewish tragedy of last century? I wish I could stand here and tell you that
the answer to this was yes.

Today, ever more threats challenge human civilization. Radical Islamist
forces are flooding the Middle East, destroying remnants of the past,
torturing the helpless, murdering innocents. They hope to establish
caliphates, more than one, like in the Middle Ages. At the same time, the
extremist regime in Iran is oppressing its people; it is rushing forward and
submerging the Middle East in blood and suffering – in Yemen, in Syria, in
Lebanon, in Iraq, in Gaza and across the border of the Golan Heights.

Just as the Nazis aspired to crush civilization and to establish a “master
race” to replace it and control the world while annihilating the Jewish
people, so too does Iran strive to gain control over the region, from which
it would spread further, with the explicit intent of obliterating the Jewish
state. Iran is advancing in two tracks: the first is in developing the
ability to arm itself with nuclear weapons and stockpile ballistic missiles;
and the second – exporting the Khomeinist revolution to many countries by
widely using terrorism and taking over large parts of the Middle East.
Everything is out in the open – it is all taking place in broad daylight, in
front of the cameras. And yet, the blindness is immense.

“For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
peoples,” said the Prophet Isaiah. The determination and lessons that were
acquired through blood seventy years ago are now dissipating, and the
darkness and fog of denying reality are taking their place. The bad deal
that is being made with Iran demonstrates that the historic lesson has not
been internalized. The West is yielding in the face of Iran’s aggressive
actions. Instead of demanding a significant dismantling of the nuclear
program in Iran – a country that clearly states its plans to exterminate six
million Jews here and elsewhere, to eradicate many countries and many
regimes – the superpowers back down. They are leaving Iran with its nuclear
capabilities intact, and even allowing it to expand them later on,
regardless of Iran’s actions in the Middle East and around the world.

As the civilized world is lulled into slumber on a bed of illusions, the
rulers of Iran continue to encourage subversion and terrorism and
disseminate destruction and death. The superpowers turn a deaf ear to the
crowds in Iran shouting: “Death to America; Death to Israel.” They turn a
blind eye to the executions of those who oppose the regime and of members
of minority populations. And they hold their peace in the face of the
massive arming of terrorist organizations. At most, they make a halfhearted
statement for the record.

I have heard that in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day a competition with
prizes is soon to take place in Tehran with participants from 56 countries.
It is a Holocaust denial cartoon competition. Will we hear protests? At
best, a minor condemnation might be heard; that will minimally fulfill their
obligation.

Distinguished guests, Israeli citizens and representatives of other
countries,
The bubble of this illusion is going to burst. Democratic governments made a
critical mistake before World War II, and we are convinced – and I must say
that many of our neighbors are too – that they are making a grave mistake
now too. It is possible that this partnership with many of our neighbors,
the partnership in identifying threats, will be the foundation for the
partnership to forge a better, safer and more peaceful future in our region.
Meanwhile, we will not flinch. We will continue to insist on the truth, and
we will do everything we can to open the eyes that are shut.

I do not want to mislead anyone. We have tests ahead of us. We are in the
midst of a great battle against the enervation, the weakness, the denial of
reality – we will stand with our full force.

While there are those who refuse to understand our position, there are many
others who identify with us. But even if we are compelled to stand alone, we
will not be afraid. In any scenario, in any situation, we will safeguard our
right, we will maintain our ability, we will keep our resolve to defend
ourselves.

Seventy years ago we were war refugees, powerless and voiceless. Today we
express what we have to say, and we are determined to safeguard our
existence and our future. It is our duty to fight those who wish to destroy
us, not to bow down to them or to downplay reality. We will not allow the
State of Israel to be a passing episode in the history of our people.

Distinguished guests,

Today in my office I met an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor, Abraham
Niederhoffer. Abraham was born in Romania. When he was 12 years old he
witnessed the brutal murder of his relatives by a Romanian soldier. He was
taken on a cattle train to Ukraine, where he survived the Holocaust. Due to
the persistent refusal of the communist authorities in Romania to permit his
emigration, he only came to Israel in 1969. Here he worked as an engineer
and supervisor, contributing to the building of the country. He told me his
story with great emotion, so much so that he had to pause several times. At
the end of the meeting, he beseeched me, “Prime Minister,” he said, “it is
your duty to prevent another Holocaust.” And I responded: “That is exactly
how I see my responsibility. That is exactly how I see my responsibility.”

Seven decades ago, the survivors emerged from the camps, from the forests,
from the March of Death, battered and bruised with nothing but the tattered
clothes on their backs. Upon their release, the prisoners of the camps from
all nations were asked by the Allied soldiers where each one wished to go.
The Poles returned to Poland; the Russians returned to Russia; the
Hungarians – to Hungary; the Ukrainians – to Ukraine. But a great many of
them had nowhere to return to. They stood hopeless, because they did not
have their own country.

Today, we have our own country – a flourishing and modern country; a country
that rests on the heritage of our forefathers and stands at the vanguard of
global knowledge; a country that disseminates a great light; a country that
has taken charge of its destiny. Seventy years after the valleys of death,
we revere the living, the vibrant, the creative, the flourishing.

Israel breaks ground on every front of modernization – in science, medicine,
technology, agriculture, education and culture. And we do this not only for
our people. We do this for the benefit of all humanity. This is what our
existence is based upon – on our commitment to the safety and future of
Israel, on the deference to our heritage, and on the unity of a nation in
which a vast life force shines. The nation of Israel, which has arisen from
the hellfire, is ready for any challenge.

“Shake thyself from the dust; put on thy beautiful garments, my people.” The
eternal nation has shaken itself from the dust, returned home, stood tall,
established an outstanding country and an outstanding army, the Israel
Defense Force, in which our brave and courageous sons and daughters serve.

We will remember those who were murdered, we will guarantee life.