The Knesset hosted its annual ceremony commemorating the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War

On June 21, the Knesset hosted its annual commemorative veteran event, dedicated this year to the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. The event was attended by Speaker of the Knesset Mickey Levy, Deputy Speaker Evgeny Sova, and Member of Knesset Vladimir Beliak.

Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, addressed the organizers and participants of the ceremony.

"Distinguished organizers and participants of the memorial ceremony dedicated to the 'Outbreak of War against the USSR and the Holocaust of European Jewry.'

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to Deputy Speaker of the Knesset Evgeny Sova and Member of Knesset Vladimir Beliak for organizing this vital ceremony. It is highly significant that representatives from various political parties within the Israeli Parliament have united for such a noble cause — preserving the memory of the Holocaust of Eastern European Jewry on the anniversary of Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.

It is impossible to address the history of the Second World War without examining the events of the Holocaust, which remains an inseparable part of that devastating global conflict. The Allied victory over fascism, and the particular contribution of the Red Army, rescued the Jewish people from the threat of total annihilation. At this critical juncture, as we witness the passing of the generation of eyewitnesses to those horrific events, such initiatives play an essential role in preserving our collective memory, including within the State of Israel."