President Biden on Wednesday visited Israel’s national Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, taking part in a somber ceremony to honor the more than 6 million Jews who were killed by the Nazis during World War II.
Mr. Biden watched the laying of a wreath and rekindled the eternal flame in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem.
He also spoke briefly with Gita Cycowiz and Rena Quint, two American Holocaust survivors, but he did not make any public remarks.
Upon leaving, Mr. Biden signed the guest book.
“We must never, ever forget because hate is never defeated. It only hides. We must teach every successive generation that it can happen again unless we remember,” Mr. Biden wrote.
Others who joined the president at the event included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Thomas R. Nides and Deborah E. Lipstadt, the administration’s special envoy to combat antisemitism.
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, both of whom are children of Holocaust survivors, also accompanied Mr. Biden at the event.
The visit to Yad Vashem is part of Mr. Biden’s trip to the Middle East. He will spend Wednesday and Thursday in Israel before traveling to the West Bank and Saudi Arabia on Friday.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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