Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to halt the war in Gaza during a speech marking the country's Holocaust memorial day, declaring that Israel will stand alone if necessary.
Netanyahu's statement came in response to international pressure and criticism from world leaders urging a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Despite calls for a pause in the fighting, Netanyahu remains committed to an invasion of Rafah and defending Israel against attacks.
He vowed that no international pressure or decision would stop Israel from defending itself.
Yom Hashoah, the day Israel remembers the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust, holds great significance.
This year, the ceremony took on additional meaning following the deadliest attack against Jews since the Holocaust, which occurred on Oct. 7, 2021, when Hamas militants killed over 1,200 people.
Israel responded with military action in Gaza, resulting in over 34,500 deaths and displacement of about 80% of its 2.3 million residents.
The devastation has led South Africa to file a genocide case against Israel in the UN's world court.
Israel denies accusations of genocide against Palestinians and emphasizes efforts to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
A 24-hour memorial period began for Holocaust survivors, with approximately 245,000 living globally, half in Israel.
The Tel Aviv University and Anti-Defamation League reported a significant increase in antisemitic attacks worldwide, including a doubling of incidents in the US from 3,697 to 7,523 in 2023.
A report reveals a significant increase in antisemitic incidents, including vandalism, harassment, assault, and bomb threats, against Jewish institutions in the US and other countries from January to September 2023, compared to the previous year.
The average number of bomb threats per day in the US was more than 10 times higher than in 2022.
Similar rises were observed in France, where the number nearly quadrupled, in the United Kingdom, and Canada.
The report attributes this surge to the October 2023 war crimes committed by Hamas, leading to the worst wave of antisemitic incidents since the end of World War II.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu compared the recent protests on American campuses to German universities in the 1930s, in the lead-up to the Holocaust.
A prominent figure condemned the surge of antisemitic protests at US college campuses and in other countries, likening it to a volcano erupting with lies against Jews.
Approximately 2,500 students have been arrested during these protests, primarily in the US, with smaller demonstrations in France and other places.
Protesters deny accusations of antisemitism and claim they are merely criticizing Israel.
Both campuses and the federal government are finding it challenging to distinguish between political speech and antisemitism.