The chief of Israel’s armed forces saluted the Jews who rose up against Nazi Germany during the Holocaust.
Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, who is visiting Poland this week ahead of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day, said Tuesday that he and the rest of the military draw inspiration from the Jews who fought back rather than submit to the Nazi genocide.
“They fought with a steadfast spirit, with leadership and determination, though they knew all along that their chances were close to nil,” Ashkenazi said during a visit to the memorial for the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
“The Israel Defense Forces’ doctrines draw on the Holocaust, and it is important for us to learn from this episode in history,” he said. “The State of Israel and the IDF are the answer to the Holocaust, and they will ensure that such an event does not take place in the future.”
Recent Israeli commemorations of the Holocaust have been overshadowed by the looming menace of Iran, whose leadership denies that the genocide took place, calls for the Jewish state to be eliminated and is pursuing a nuclear program in defiance of international pressure to desist.
