Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog opened Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day Monday evening at a state ceremony at Jerusalem's Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum to mark the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
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"The victory over our enemies cannot erase the impact of our people's tragedy during the Holocaust," Netanyahu said in his speech.
"Entire communities were destroyed, millions of our brothers and sisters died in horrifying deaths, and in addition, millions of other people were killed.
Moral values were shattered, human culture was decimated, and the dignity of human life was trampled to the ground. The scars of this pain will remain with us forever.
Despite all of this, we must remember the unique victory of the people of Israel. This victory is evident in the families established by Holocaust survivors, in the upright stature of the participants in the March of the Living, and in the pinnacle of the victory itself - the independence of our 75-year-old state.
Israel is a free, vibrant, democratic country full of achievements. It is a country that we are all building together from generation to generation."
With Reza Koresh Ali Pahlavi, the son of Iran's last Shah Reza Pahlavi, in attendance, the Israeli leader warned of the encroaching threat of the current Islamist regime in Tehran.
"Although the world has changed since then, the calls for our destruction have not stopped and today they come from the regime of terror in Tehran," Netanyahu continued.
"We must prevent the forces of evil from gaining strength as soon as possible. The Jewish state must ensure that it has the power to defend itself against any enemy and threat. The victory of the past alone does not guarantee the victory of the future. The victory of the future requires constant determination and an uncompromising struggle against those who seek to harm us and any nuclear agreement with Iran that would pave the way for nuclear weapons.
We are vigorously fighting against Iran's terrorist proxies around us. Whoever seeks to harm us will face a determined response. Our enemies will find us standing shoulder-to-shoulder, and they will rediscover the tremendous strength that lies within our people."
Netanyahu further stated that he still has faith in the unity of the Israeli people and their capacity to confront threats, despite the growing divisions within society.
"People of Israel, I have been standing here for many years and I declare before the whole world - 'never again'. This time, I want to emphasize - those who seek to harm us, our enemies, may think that we lack the determination and internal fortitude to stand up to them - but they are greatly mistaken.
The story of the revolt of the Warsaw Ghetto embodies the destiny of heroism and the greatness of heroism that our people possess, and it also obligates us to pass it on to the next generations - spirit, strength, and inner unity. Only in this way will we defeat those who rise up against us to destroy us and only in this way will we continue to ensure the victory of Israel."