In honor of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy addressed the German parliament on Thursday. Levy is the first Knesset speaker to ever address the Bundestag, and he did so in Hebrew.
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"It is precisely here, in this historic building – the German parliament – that one can grasp, perhaps ever so slightly, how man can exploit democracy. In this place, humans stretched the concept of evil. This is a place where values were lost and where democracy descended into racist tyranny.
"That is why precisely here, within the walls of this building, we stand as silent witnesses and relearn how fragile democracy is and are reminded of our duty to protect it at all costs," Levy said. "Preserving the memory of the Holocaust is a heavy responsibility that rests on the shoulders of every generation."
A photograph of Levy, Bundestag President Bärbel Bas, and President of the National Council of Austria Wolfgang Sobotka was taken outside the Reichstag – that houses the German parliament – next to a monument specially erected in honor of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
"The Holocaust is a scar on the history of humankind that will never heal," Levi said. "Our joint photograph is a milestone in the cooperation between our democracies. I wholeheartedly thank you for your pledge to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and the important work in fighting antisemitism."
Levy arrived in Germany on Monday and will meet with several high-ranking German officials while on the diplomatic trip.
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