The American, British and Swedish embassies in Israel marked the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration during a joint event at the U.K. ambassador’s residence in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv on Tuesday.
The Stockholm Declaration—signed in 2000 by the United States, United Kingdom and Swedish governments—is the foundation of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and underscores the commitment of its member states to Holocaust education, remembrance and research.
The gathering, held ahead of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah) on April 23-24, brought together envoys of IHRA member states and representatives of organizations dedicated to preserving the memory of the 1941-1945 mass murder of Jews.
Attendees heard testimony from 99-year-old Michael Smuss, the last remaining survivor of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. He told of his experiences smuggling supplies into the ghetto and surviving Treblinka.
U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Stephanie Hallett, British Ambassador Simon Walters and Swedish Ambassador Alexandra Rydmark delivered remarks, as well as IHRA Chairman Dani Dayan of Yad Vashem.
Ambassadors to Israel from 18 additional IHRA member countries, including Germany, Poland, Italy and Canada attended the event.
“We are committed to combating the rise of antisemitism in the United States and around the world,” Hallett declared in her remarks.
Walters called the Stockholm Declaration a “powerful and lasting reminder that Holocaust remembrance and education is a collective responsibility,” adding: “It is incumbent on us all to ensure the horrors of the Shoah are never forgotten.”
Rydmark said that antisemitism “has no place in Sweden,” adding, “The government accepts no exceptions or excuses.”
The Stockholm Declaration, drafted at the June 5-16, 2000, Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust, remains the guiding document for the IHRA, aiding efforts to preserve Holocaust memory and confront antisemitism.
