Republikens president Sauli Niinistö besökte Israel den 21–24 januari 2020. Under resan deltog president Niinistö i World Holocaust Forum i Jerusalem till minnet av förintelsens offer.
Torsdagen den 23 januari hedrades 75-årsminnet av befrielsen av Auschwitz vid evenemanget World Holocaust Forum i förintelsens minnescentrum Yad Vashem. I forumet deltog på inbjudan av Israels president Reuven Rivlin närmare 40 stats- eller regeringschefer. Tidigare har forumet ordnats 2005 och 2010 i Polen, 2006 i Ukraina och 2015 i Tjeckien.
I president Niinistös program i Israel ingick också ett bilateralt möte med president Rivlin, en middag för stats- och regeringscheferna samt andra möten. Förutom Jerusalem besökte president Niinistö Tel Aviv. Under besöket firades också 70-årsjubileet av diplomatiska förbindelser mellan Finland och Israel.
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President Sauli Niinistö träffade Israels president Reuven Rivlin den 21 januari i Jerusalem. Foto: Haim Zach / GPO
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President Sauli Niinistö träffade Israels president Reuven Rivlin den 21 januari i Jerusalem. Foto: Jouni Mölsä/Republikens presidents kansli
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President Sauli Niinistö träffade Israels president Reuven Rivlin den 21 januari i Jerusalem. Foto Hanna Gehör/Finlands ambassad i Tel Aviv
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President Sauli Niinistö träffade Israels president Reuven Rivlin den 21 januari i Jerusalem. Foto Hanna Gehör/Finlands ambassad i Tel Aviv
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President Sauli Niinistö met with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem on 22 January 2020. Photo: Haim Zach / GPO
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70-årsjubileet av diplomatiska förbindelser mellan Finland och Israel firades i Finlands ambassad i Tel Aviv. Foto: Yulia PhotoArt
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70-årsjubileet av diplomatiska förbindelser mellan Finland och Israel firades i Finlands ambassad i Tel Aviv. Foto: Yulia PhotoArt
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70-årsjubileet av diplomatiska förbindelser mellan Finland och Israel firades i Finlands ambassad i Tel Aviv. Foto: Yulia PhotoArt
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President Rivlin bjöd en middag för stats- och regeringscheferna i Jerusalem. Foto: Kobi Gideon / GPO
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President Niinistö träffade Nordmakedoniens president Stevo Pendarovski i Jerusalem. Foto: Jouni Mölsä/Republikens presidents kansli
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Grundare av World Holocaust Forum Moshe Kantor välkomnade president Niinistö till Yad Vashem. Foto: Haim Zach / GPO
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President Niinistö diskuterar med Frankrikes president Emmanuel Macron. Foto: Yad Vashem webbström
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Foto: Yad Vashem webbström
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Förutom statscheferna talade representanter för Auschwitz offren vid I forumet. Foto: Oded Karni / GPO
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President Niinistö lade en krans vid Warszawa Ghetto upprorsmonumentet i Yad Vashem. Foto: Yad Vashem webbström
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I forumet deltog på inbjudan av Israels president Reuven Rivlin närmare 40 stats- eller regeringschefer. Foto: GPO
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Diskussioner med Förenta staternas vicepresident Mike Pence. Foto: Jouni Mölsä/Republikens presidents kansli
Statement of President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö to the World Holocaust Forum Conference
The Holocaust is one of the most brutal tragedies in world history. It must never be forgotten. On the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, world leaders gather to Jerusalem to commemorate the victims, pay tribute to the survivors and to confirm our commitment to prevent anything similar from happening again.
The global community is obliged to work together to prevent genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and incitement to such acts. It is our duty as humans. Confronting antisemitism, racism and xenophobia requires common and determined action by all of us.
Finland plays an active role in strengthening the fight against antisemitism in our own country, within the European Union and internationally.
Hate crimes and hate speech against any ethnic or religious grouping are comprehensively criminalized in Finland. Yet legislation alone is not enough to combat hate crimes and antisemitism. We must ensure a democratic, safe and pluralistic society based on respect for each other and for human rights, tolerance and equality.
High-quality education for all children and young people is a key means of preventing antisemitism and other forms of discrimination. Finnish teachers have received training from Yad Vashem in educating about the Holocaust.
Finland’s foreign and security policy is based on the promotion of the values of human rights, the rule of law, democracy, peace, freedom, tolerance and equality. Freedom of religion and conscience play a significant role in human rights work. Promoting dialogue between religious communities forms an important part of Finnish peace mediation activities. Finland is one of the conveners of the first UN General Assembly Special Session on combating antisemitism.
Finland has strongly supported national and international research on the Holocaust. As a member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, Finland is committed to the remembrance of the crimes carried out during the Second World War. Finland has adopted the IHRA working definition of antisemitism and is working to make use of it nationally, within the European Union as well as internationally.
Finally, we all have the responsibility to remember the Holocaust and make sure that by our own example we fight against all forms of discrimination, racism and xenophobia. We cannot let evil become banal. We owe it also to the future generations.
Sauli Niinistö