HRH The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles was in Israel on Thursday to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, as leaders from over 40 countries converged in Israel’s capital. The visit was HRH The Prince of Wales’ first official visit to Israel, and in doing so became the second member of the Royal Family to officially visit after HRH The Duke of Cambridge visited Israel in June 2018.
Addressing the largest international event in Israel’s history, HRH The Prince of Wales spoke at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem of the “privilege” of meeting survivors, and pledged to remember the enduring lessons of the Holocaust.
More than 40 world leaders and 100 survivors were part of the largest international event in Israel’s history – the fifth World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem – ahead of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on Monday.
Speaking at Yad Vashem, the Prince of Wales underlined: “The Holocaust must never be allowed to become simply a fact of history”.
He said: “We must never cease to be appalled, nor moved by the testimony of those who lived through it. Their experience must always educate, and guide, and warn us. The lessons of the Holocaust are searingly relevant to this day. 75 years after the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, hatred and intolerance still lurk in the human heart, still tell new lies, adopt new disguises, and still seek new victims”.
Condemning dehumanising language, The Prince of Wales said: “All too often, language is used which turns disagreement into dehumanisation. Words are used as badges of shame to mark others as enemies, to brand those who are different as somehow deviant. All too often, virtue seems to be sought through verbal violence. All too often, real violence ensues, and acts of unspeakable cruelty are still perpetrated around the world against people for reasons of their religion, their race or their beliefs”.
It was his first ever visit to Yad Vashem where his grandmother, Princess Alice, is recognised as Righteous Among the Nations – a fact he described as providing “immense pride” to his family. On his last visit to the country three years ago for Shimon Peres’ funeral, the Prince made a personal visit to his grandmother’s grave on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
Earlier today, The Prince of Wales met Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin and expressed a commitment to combat antisemitism, and planted an oak tree in the garden of the President’s official residence. At the Israel Museum, The Prince of Wales met Holocaust survivors: Marta Wise, a survivor of Auschwitz, and George Shefi, who was sent to England with the Kindertransport. The Prince was also shown the ancient Dead Sea Scrolls as he visited the Shrine of the Book at The Israel Museum.
The Prince of Wales was joined at Yad Vashem by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick and Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Lords) and Special Envoy for Post-Holocaust issues Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles was also part of the delegation.
The Communities Secretary became the second British Secretary of State to visit Jerusalem’s Western Wall within a space of a year, following then-Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s visit in July 2019.
