The newly appointed UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, visited Yad Vashem on July 15, 2024, during his first official trip since the early July general elections. The visit included a guided tour of the “Flashes of Memory: Photography during the Holocaust” exhibition, which showcases photographs from before, during, and after the Holocaust from three distinct perspectives. Lammy and Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan also visited the Book of Names, a poignant memorial honouring the millions of Jews murdered during the Holocaust. This was followed by a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance, where Lammy rekindled the eternal flame and laid a commemorative wreath on a slab containing ashes from the extermination camps.
At the end of the visit, Lammy signed the Yad Vashem Guest Book and read his message aloud. He emphasized the importance of honoring those who were murdered and remembering the evils of genocide during that period of history. Chairman Dayan highlighted the lesson of the Holocaust, which is to combat and defeat the calls for the annihilation and elimination of the Jewish state, echoing the sentiments heard in Tehran, classrooms at Columbia University, and unfortunately also in London.
This visit underscores the significance of remembering the victims of the Holocaust and the need to combat hatred and violence. It also reflects the UK’s commitment to promoting peace and understanding, as demonstrated by the Foreign Secretary’s leadership in calls to remember the victims of the Holocaust.
