Israel assumes chairmanship of international organization dedicated to memory of Holocaust
By APTuesday, May 4, 2010
Israel leads group guarding memory of Holocaust
JERUSALEM — The head of Israel’s Holocaust memorial says the Jewish state will lead the battle against Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism as it takes over the chairmanship of an international group guarding the memory of the Nazi genocide.
Avner Shalev spoke Tuesday as Israel for the first time assumed leadership of the 27-nation Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research.
The organization was established by Sweden in 1998.
Israel will host a pair of biannual conferences this year.
Shalev also warned of a rising tide of anti-Semitism in the Muslim world and pointed to Iran’s nuclear program and threats to destroy Israel. Shalev says a lesson of the Holocaust is to “take threats like these seriously.”
On the Net:
www.holocausttaskforce.org/
