Israel has assumed the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, replacing its predecessor, the UK, Yad Vashem announced on Monday.
The term will last one year, until February 2026, and will be chaired by Dani Dayan – Yad Vashem’s chairman.
Yad Vashem said the new leadership holds special significance given that this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the Holocaust, as well as the 25th anniversary of the IHRA’s establishment.
“We are at a crossroads of generations, and the responsibility of preserving the memory and sharing the stories of the Holocaust will soon rest solely on our shoulders,” said Dayan. “The voices of victims and survivors demand that we honor their legacy by standing firm against Holocaust denial, distortion, and hatred.”
Israel’s presidency will focus on the theme of “The Crossroads of Generations,” which encapsulates the need to adapt Holocaust education to a rapidly changing world, soon without Holocaust survivors and firsthand witnesses.
Yad Vashem added that, with new technologies, the IHRA can find novel ways to engage learners and preserve testimonies.
Challenges of Holocaust remembrance
The Foreign Ministry held a ceremony on Monday, handing over the flag of the IHRA presidency from outgoing UK chair Lord Eric Pickles to Dayan.
Israel will host two IHRA plenary sessions with delegations from member and observer states, first in June 2025 in Jerusalem at Yad Vashem and at the Foreign Ministry, and then in Haifa in December 2025.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said, “Today, 80 years after the end of World War II and the Holocaust, the State of Israel assumes the leadership of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
“It is our duty not only to remember the Holocaust but also to ensure the existence of the Jewish state, which serves as the guarantee of Jewish continuity for generations to come, while also preserving and passing on the memory of the Holocaust to future generations.”
The IHRA is an intergovernmental organization comprising 35 member states, eight observer states, and nine partner organizations. The IHRA works to promote Holocaust education, research, and remembrance and to combat antisemitism. The IHRA’s definition of antisemitism has been accepted by 40 countries and 1,200 cultural and academic institutions worldwide.