Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot
Israeli Commander-in-Chief meets with Holocaust survivors
Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot: the memory of the Holocaust acts as one of the foundations for the soldiers and commanders of the Israeli Army.
Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot met with Holocaust survivors at the Seigfried Moses Parents Home in Jerusalem on Tuesday, as part of a new project called Because Survivors Deserve Dignity and Care, which aims to provide them with any assistance and support they might need.
Joining Eisenkot were other top members of the General Staff, including GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, GOC Northern Command Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Roni Noma, GOC Home Front Command Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick, Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Guy Tzur, Navy Commander Maj. Gen. Ram Rothberg and Air Force Commander Maj.Gen. Amir Eshel.
In preparation for Holocaust Remembrance Day, over the next week some 10,000 officers and soldiers will meet with 3,000 survivors and present them with an award celebrating their courage.
Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot with Holocaust survivors (Photo Gil Yohanan)
Eisenkot himself met with Tamar Landau, who in 1946 had made aliyah at the age of 14. During their conversation, the two discovered that they had something in common, as both Eisenkot and Landau’s grandson had served in the Golani Brigade.
Following their meeting, Eisenkot said that “the memory of the Holocaust acts as one of the foundations for the soldiers and commanders of the Israeli Army. Tens of thousands of soldiers and commanders visit Yad Vashem and the Ghetto Fighters’ House. And Delegations of soldiers travel to Poland as part of the Witnesses in Uniform Project, where they go through a powerful, empowering and unique experience.”
Eisenkot continued by saying that listening to the survivors’ personal stories embeds the memory and significance of the Holocaust within Israel’s soldiers.
“It is the commitment of this generation of commanders and soldiers to maintain a powerful army that relies on its strength, it historical memory and the belief in its own sense of justice. For this reason I can safely say that we can trust the current generation, which is truly wonderful.”
Also in attendance was Former MK Limor Livnat, now Head of the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel. Livnat added to Eisenkot’s words by saying that “if it wasn’t for the founding of Israel and the IDF immediately after the Holocaust, we would still be exiled and persecuted. Holocaust survivors managed to reach Israel through superhuman strength, and we have the moral responsibility to help them live their lives with dignity.”
Livnat also stated that there are around 200,000 Holocaust survivors currently living in Israel, and while the foundation she is in charge of assists 50,000 of them, there are still 45,000 survivors who live below the poverty line.
