Plenary Session of the Parliament
Thursday, 19 January 2023
Dear Colleagues,
January 27 has been established as the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust. The mass and methodical extermination of millions of Jews by the Nazi regime represents the sad culmination of a series of crimes against humanity committed in the maelstrom and death camps of the Second World War.
Seventy-eight years on, the commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day is not merely symbolic, but necessary, as the old continent and modern democracies are constantly confronted with the unprecedented phenomena of a product of racism and anti-Semitism, calling into question community values and the European edifice itself, the ultimate institution and guardian of democratic peace. At the same time, the failure of the international system, as if it had learned nothing from the past, to ensure world peace and stability, brings humanity once again face to face with the ultimate challenge of a new mass and total annihilation.
The preservation of the memory that highlights the horror and annihilation of man by man is therefore imperative for all of us, in the name of the defence of human life and human dignity.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Cyprus and Israel have developed special ties since ancient times and established diplomatic relations immediately after the independence of the Republic of Cyprus, while in recent years both at the bilateral level and within the framework of the Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral mechanism, they have strengthened their relations and cooperation in a wide range of areas. Of particular geostrategic importance is the Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral cooperation, with the common element of the will to ensure peace, collective security, stability and prosperity. For this reason, we will continue to work for its further deepening and strengthening for the benefit of our peoples and the region at large.
At this point, I would like to welcome the presence in the plenary chamber of the House of Representatives of the Ambassador of Israel, Mr. Oren Anolik and to report that this year the House of Representatives is again participating in the annual #WeRemember campaign of the World Jewish Congress and UNESCO with various activities, including the illumination of the House building with the #WeRemember campaign logo.
In closing, I invite you to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
(One-minute silence)
Thank you.
(The text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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