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- September 29, 2024
- 2:37 pm
- Ukraine
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky honored the memory of the victims of Babyn Yar on September 29, 2024, recalling that the worst crimes happen when the world is silent and indifferent. In his statement he emphasized:
“Babi Yar is a terrible symbol of the fact that the most terrible crimes occur when the world chooses not to notice, remain silent, be indifferent, and not be decisive enough to give evil a worthy rebuff. When the eyes of the world are closed, humanity loses.”
Zelensky noted that the Babi Yar tragedy is “visual proof of the atrocities that regimes led by leaders who rely on intimidation and violence are capable of.” He added that such regimes are no different at any time, and noted the need for a different world reaction to such events:
“This is what the world needed to learn. We must stand guard over humanity, life and justice.”
In honor of the 83rd anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy the President of Ukraine said:
“Today is the 83rd anniversary of the Babi Yar tragedy.
On September 29-30, 1941, in just two days, the Nazis shot more than 30 thousand Jews in Kyiv. “On the road of death” they drove entire families of city residents – men, children, women, pregnant women – to death. The scale of this evil is still difficult to comprehend today.
In total, during the Nazi occupation, about 100 thousand people were killed at Babi Yar. In fact, the entire Jewish community of Kyiv was destroyed, as well as those who tried to save them. Representatives of other nationalities also became victims.
Babi Yar is a terrible symbol of the fact that the most terrible crimes occur when the world chooses not to notice, to remain silent, to be indifferent, to be not decisive enough to give a worthy rebuff to evil.
When the eyes of the world are closed, humanity loses. Babi Yar is clear evidence of the atrocities that regimes led by leaders who rely on intimidation and violence are capable of. At any time they are no different.
But the world's reaction must be different. This is what the world needed to learn. We must stand guard over humanity, life and justice.
We must protect ourselves from evil.
Eternal memory to all victims of the Nazis! Eternal condemnation of everyone who is guilty of the murders at Babi Yar!”
When Ukraine is fighting a bloody war of survival with an aggressor Russia, which is an ally of all Israel's enemies, it is especially important to commemorate such tragic events as the memory of Babi Yar. This emphasizes not only the strength of the Ukrainian people, but also the importance of historical memory, which unites two peoples – Ukrainians and Jews. Both peoples have experienced their share of tragedy and suffering, and this remembrance of the victims of the Holocaust and other genocides serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up to evil regimes and defending humanity.
Such respect for the memory of the victims shows that even in times of war, when one’s own nation is struggling to survive, it is important not to forget the past and continue to fight for justice. This also creates additional grounds for cooperation between Ukraine and Israel, since both countries are at the forefront of the fight against aggression and threats.
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