WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.839 I want you to imagine a global summit. Okay. 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:07.059 When we usually hear about world leaders, diplomats, 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:09.960 power players gathering in one place, you probably 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:13.880 picture them debating future trade deals. Right, 00:00:13.919 --> 00:00:16.120 or climate accords. Exactly, or maybe border 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:18.980 security. But imagine an international summit 00:00:18.980 --> 00:00:21.559 where heads of state, artists, and survivors 00:00:21.559 --> 00:00:25.059 gather not to argue about the future, but to 00:00:25.059 --> 00:00:27.839 grapple with the darkest chapter of human history. 00:00:27.899 --> 00:00:31.079 Yeah, the Holocaust. Right. And what we are going 00:00:31.079 --> 00:00:34.039 to explore today is how that shared memory of 00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:36.939 the past is actively and intensely shaping the 00:00:36.939 --> 00:00:39.780 geopolitics of today. Welcome to the Deep Dive. 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:41.840 It really is a profound shift in perspective. 00:00:42.409 --> 00:00:44.530 You know, viewing history not merely as a closed 00:00:44.530 --> 00:00:47.490 book of settled facts, but as a highly active 00:00:47.490 --> 00:00:49.829 diplomatic force that modern nations continually 00:00:49.829 --> 00:00:52.250 navigate. And that dynamic is exactly our mission 00:00:52.250 --> 00:00:54.189 for this deep dive. We're taking a close look 00:00:54.189 --> 00:00:56.390 at a foundational set of sources covering the 00:00:56.390 --> 00:00:58.770 World Holocaust Forum. Also known as the Let 00:00:58.770 --> 00:01:02.420 My People Live Forum. Yes, exactly. We are going 00:01:02.420 --> 00:01:05.620 to explore how this massive series of international 00:01:05.620 --> 00:01:09.239 events evolved, how it manages to bring the global 00:01:09.239 --> 00:01:11.819 community together, and maybe most surprisingly, 00:01:12.040 --> 00:01:15.000 we are going to examine the real, tangible political 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:18.079 tensions that flare up. Especially when modern 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:20.359 nations try to navigate the memory of World War 00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:23.439 II. Right, because memory, especially on a national 00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:26.379 or international scale, is rarely simple. Oh, 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:29.290 never. It's layered. It is deeply emotional. 00:01:29.530 --> 00:01:31.489 And as we will see throughout these sources, 00:01:31.709 --> 00:01:34.709 it is highly political. Let's set the scene by 00:01:34.709 --> 00:01:37.930 going back to 2005. This is when the World Holocaust 00:01:37.930 --> 00:01:39.769 Forum Foundation was officially established. 00:01:40.109 --> 00:01:42.650 Under the chairmanship of Vyacheslav Moshe Kampor. 00:01:42.709 --> 00:01:44.870 Right, who was serving as the president of the 00:01:44.870 --> 00:01:47.650 European Jewish Congress at the time. And the 00:01:47.650 --> 00:01:50.250 very first World Holocaust Forum takes place 00:01:50.250 --> 00:01:52.909 that same year in Krakow, Poland. The timing 00:01:52.909 --> 00:01:54.870 and the location there were deeply intentional. 00:01:55.329 --> 00:01:57.650 This first forum was organized to commemorate 00:01:57.650 --> 00:01:59.950 the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the 00:01:59.950 --> 00:02:02.549 Auschwitz -Birkenau concentration camp. And... 00:02:02.879 --> 00:02:05.920 Looking at the guest list from that 2005 event, 00:02:06.140 --> 00:02:09.219 you really get a sense of the immense diplomatic 00:02:09.219 --> 00:02:12.199 weight this carried right from the very beginning. 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:14.900 Absolutely. I mean, you had more than 20 official 00:02:14.900 --> 00:02:17.539 delegations led by their heads of state. It was 00:02:17.539 --> 00:02:19.639 huge. We're talking the president of the Russian 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:22.379 Federation, Vladimir Putin. The president of 00:02:22.379 --> 00:02:25.560 Israel, Moshe Katsev. Right. The president of 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:28.919 Poland, Alexander Kwasiński. And the vice president 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:31.500 of the United States, Richard Cheney. Having 00:02:31.500 --> 00:02:33.960 representatives from those specific nations in 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.099 one room to reflect on this history received 00:02:36.099 --> 00:02:38.659 widespread media coverage all over the world. 00:02:38.780 --> 00:02:40.900 It really set a precedent. Okay, let's unpack 00:02:40.900 --> 00:02:42.599 this because the foundation didn't just hold 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:44.740 one event and call it a day. No, they didn't. 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:47.139 They immediately expanded their scope. The second 00:02:47.139 --> 00:02:49.939 forum happens the very next year, in 2006. In 00:02:49.939 --> 00:02:53.020 Kiev, Ukraine. Right. held under the auspices 00:02:53.020 --> 00:02:56.080 of Ukraine's president at the time, Viktor Yushchenko. 00:02:56.259 --> 00:03:00.020 And this second forum marks 65 years since the 00:03:00.020 --> 00:03:02.599 Babi Yar massacre. Which is such a critical event 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:05.000 to remember. It really is. And for those listening 00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:06.620 who might not be familiar with the specifics 00:03:06.620 --> 00:03:09.400 of Babi Yar, it's essential context. Babi Yar 00:03:09.400 --> 00:03:12.080 is a ravine in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:15.319 and it was the site of one of the deadliest single 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:18.419 massacres of the Holocaust. Just horrific. In 00:03:18.419 --> 00:03:21.719 just two days in September 1941, Nazi forces 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:25.800 systematically murdered over 33 ,000 Jewish men, 00:03:26.020 --> 00:03:29.860 women and children there. It's a sight of. unimaginable 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:32.699 tragedy so gathering over a thousand people from 00:03:32.699 --> 00:03:35.120 60 different countries at this specific location 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:38.080 in 2006 that was a monumental undertaking you 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:40.539 had representatives from the un the european 00:03:40.539 --> 00:03:43.240 union the council of europe various global jewish 00:03:43.240 --> 00:03:46.120 congresses too and they didn't just gather to 00:03:46.120 --> 00:03:48.500 mourn right they adopted a formal declaration 00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:52.000 yes the world holocaust forum declaration a formal 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:54.840 call to unite efforts against xenophobia anti 00:03:54.840 --> 00:03:57.599 -semitism and international terrorism if we connect 00:03:57.599 --> 00:03:59.990 this to the bigger picture. This is where we 00:03:59.990 --> 00:04:02.250 see a fundamental shift in how the international 00:04:02.250 --> 00:04:05.270 community approaches this history. Well, for 00:04:05.270 --> 00:04:08.389 decades following the Second World War, Holocaust 00:04:08.389 --> 00:04:10.810 remembrance was often siloed into individual 00:04:10.810 --> 00:04:13.569 national memorials. Right. Every country sort 00:04:13.569 --> 00:04:15.689 of doing its own thing. Exactly. Every country 00:04:15.689 --> 00:04:18.110 had its own internal way of looking back. But 00:04:18.110 --> 00:04:20.589 what Vyacheslav Moshe Kantor and this foundation 00:04:20.589 --> 00:04:25.529 did in 2005 and 2006 was purposefully institutionalized 00:04:25.529 --> 00:04:28.180 that memory on a global stage. They took the 00:04:28.180 --> 00:04:31.019 historical trauma of the Holocaust and explicitly 00:04:31.019 --> 00:04:34.060 tied it to modern global security imperatives. 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:37.480 Yes. The underlying message is that remembering 00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:40.079 this history is not just about honoring the dead. 00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:44.079 It is a required... active mechanism for protecting 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:46.980 the living from modern extremism. But does elevating 00:04:46.980 --> 00:04:48.740 this history to the level of global security 00:04:48.740 --> 00:04:51.699 and formal declarations run the risk of turning 00:04:51.699 --> 00:04:54.779 a profound human tragedy into just another diplomatic 00:04:54.779 --> 00:04:57.240 talking point? That is a very valid concern. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:05:00.060 Because as we move chronologically into the 2010s, 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:02.279 specifically looking at the events held in Brussels 00:05:02.279 --> 00:05:04.420 at the European Parliament, you really see this 00:05:04.420 --> 00:05:07.100 institutionalization take root. You do. But looking 00:05:07.100 --> 00:05:08.879 at those European Parliament events provides 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:11.420 an interesting answer to that concern. In January 00:05:11.420 --> 00:05:14.759 2011, they held a commemoration meeting right 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:17.019 there in the parliament on the eve of International 00:05:17.019 --> 00:05:20.100 Holocaust Remembrance Day. Which coincided with 00:05:20.100 --> 00:05:22.420 the 66th anniversary of Auschwitz -Birkenau's 00:05:22.420 --> 00:05:24.860 liberation. Exactly. You have the president of 00:05:24.860 --> 00:05:27.379 the European Parliament, Jerzy Busek, addressing 00:05:27.379 --> 00:05:30.660 the crowd alongside Israeli ministers and the 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:33.399 chief rabbi of Tel Aviv. Highly formal. Very 00:05:33.399 --> 00:05:36.300 formal. But the 2012 event at the European Parliament 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:38.420 is the one that really stands out in the source 00:05:38.420 --> 00:05:41.160 material for its thematic depth. Oh, definitely. 00:05:41.339 --> 00:05:44.980 It was time to mark two very specific, very different 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:47.899 historical anniversaries. Yes. It marks 70 years 00:05:47.899 --> 00:05:50.819 since the Wannsee Conference. Right. And 50 years 00:05:50.819 --> 00:05:52.839 since the end of the trial of Adolf Eichmann. 00:05:53.259 --> 00:05:55.439 The juxtaposition of those two milestones is 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.639 deeply striking. I mean, the Wannsee Conference, 00:05:57.899 --> 00:06:01.560 held in January 1942, was the bureaucratic inception 00:06:01.560 --> 00:06:03.639 of the atrocity. It was a clinical administrative 00:06:03.639 --> 00:06:06.620 meeting. Exactly. High -ranking Nazi officials 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:08.860 gathered in a villa to coordinate the logistics 00:06:08.860 --> 00:06:11.980 of the final solution. It represents the cold, 00:06:12.100 --> 00:06:14.579 calculated planning of the Holocaust. But then 00:06:14.579 --> 00:06:17.540 you place that next to the Eichmann trial. Right. 00:06:17.620 --> 00:06:20.740 The end of that trial. Exactly 50 years prior 00:06:20.740 --> 00:06:25.379 to this 2012 forum represents the long, unyielding 00:06:25.379 --> 00:06:28.120 arm of international justice. Because Adolf Eichmann 00:06:28.120 --> 00:06:30.839 was one of the chief architects of that very 00:06:30.839 --> 00:06:34.160 logistics network planned at Wannsee. Yes. And 00:06:34.160 --> 00:06:37.160 his trial in Israel was the moment he was finally 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:39.300 held accountable in front of the entire world. 00:06:39.689 --> 00:06:41.930 So by marking both of these anniversaries at 00:06:41.930 --> 00:06:44.629 the exact same event, they are essentially forcing 00:06:44.629 --> 00:06:47.410 modern lawmakers to look at the entire arc of 00:06:47.410 --> 00:06:49.569 the tragedy. From the quiet rooms where human 00:06:49.569 --> 00:06:52.250 evil is bureaucratically planned to the eventual 00:06:52.250 --> 00:06:55.310 decades later triumph of justice. It was a highly 00:06:55.310 --> 00:06:57.470 curated lesson in historical cause and effect 00:06:57.470 --> 00:06:59.649 for the European Parliament. And this effort 00:06:59.649 --> 00:07:02.629 clearly resonated. Yeah. By 2013, the president 00:07:02.629 --> 00:07:04.769 of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, officially 00:07:04.769 --> 00:07:07.089 declared International Holocaust Remembrance 00:07:07.089 --> 00:07:09.829 Day an annual permanent. event for the European 00:07:09.829 --> 00:07:11.990 Parliament. It became embedded in the actual 00:07:11.990 --> 00:07:14.350 calendar of European governance. Which is a huge 00:07:14.350 --> 00:07:17.769 structural commitment. It is. But to address 00:07:17.769 --> 00:07:20.089 your earlier question about whether this high 00:07:20.089 --> 00:07:22.790 -level institutional buy -in strips away the 00:07:22.790 --> 00:07:25.430 human element, we actually need to look at how 00:07:25.430 --> 00:07:27.310 these events are structured on the ground. Right. 00:07:27.389 --> 00:07:30.269 The foundation for that kind of European parliamentary 00:07:30.269 --> 00:07:33.089 commitment was heavily reinforced during the 00:07:33.089 --> 00:07:36.399 Third World Holocaust Forum in 2010. That makes 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:39.339 sense. The 2010 forum brought the gathering back 00:07:39.339 --> 00:07:42.199 to Krakow, Poland. For the 65th anniversary of 00:07:42.199 --> 00:07:44.160 the liberation of Auschwitz. And the sources 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:47.540 note this event heavily emphasized the unparalleled 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:50.740 united struggle of the Allied coalition. Yes, 00:07:50.759 --> 00:07:53.560 specifically aiming to remind the global community 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:56.600 of the decisive role the Soviet Union played 00:07:56.600 --> 00:07:59.120 in the liberation of Eastern Europe. It was framed 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:00.980 as a starting point of political significance 00:08:00.980 --> 00:08:03.600 for all the World War Two victory commemorations 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:06.060 taking place that year. But they grounded that 00:08:06.060 --> 00:08:09.480 high level political rhetoric in undeniable human 00:08:09.480 --> 00:08:11.459 reality. They certainly did. They didn't just 00:08:11.459 --> 00:08:14.620 invite politicians. They invited the living connection 00:08:14.620 --> 00:08:17.740 to that history. The veterans. Right. The source 00:08:17.740 --> 00:08:20.660 highlights two World War Two veterans, Ivan Martynishkin 00:08:20.660 --> 00:08:23.779 and Yakov Vinichenko. They were brought in as 00:08:23.779 --> 00:08:26.420 honorary guests. These weren't just random soldiers. 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:29.639 No, these were the actual young men in the Soviet 00:08:29.639 --> 00:08:31.980 army who marched through the snow in January 00:08:31.980 --> 00:08:36.179 1945 and literally helped open the gates of Auschwitz 00:08:36.179 --> 00:08:38.980 -Birkenau. Imagine being a modern European politician 00:08:38.980 --> 00:08:41.600 in that room. Sitting across from the men who 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:44.220 physically ended the nightmare 65 years prior, 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:47.059 it makes the history completely inescapable. 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:49.460 Having those veterans present bridges the gap 00:08:49.460 --> 00:08:52.419 between abstract policy and lived experience. 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:54.899 Absolutely. And it clearly impacted the global 00:08:54.899 --> 00:08:57.259 leaders watching. Even those who couldn't attend 00:08:57.259 --> 00:08:59.340 physically make sure their perspectives were 00:08:59.340 --> 00:09:01.860 included. Like U .S. President Barack Obama and 00:09:01.860 --> 00:09:04.889 French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Right. Both 00:09:04.889 --> 00:09:07.590 sent dedicated messages to the forum explicitly 00:09:07.590 --> 00:09:09.690 stating that the memory of these events must 00:09:09.690 --> 00:09:12.269 factor into modern policy decisions. That desire 00:09:12.269 --> 00:09:14.909 to turn historical memory into actionable future 00:09:14.909 --> 00:09:18.429 facing policy led to a major tangible outcome 00:09:18.429 --> 00:09:21.440 from that 2010 forum. The new university. Yes. 00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:24.500 They announced an initiative to establish a totally 00:09:24.500 --> 00:09:27.679 new educational institution, a pan -European 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:29.860 university of global security and tolerance. 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.059 The goal of this research and educational institution 00:09:33.059 --> 00:09:36.240 was to assist the international community in 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:38.740 fighting extremism. It was designed to arrange 00:09:38.740 --> 00:09:42.159 cross -cultural educational programs to harmonize 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:44.220 international cooperation. They were using the 00:09:44.220 --> 00:09:46.620 lessons of the Holocaust as a foundational curriculum 00:09:46.620 --> 00:09:50.059 for modern global security. It is a fascinating 00:09:50.059 --> 00:09:53.440 evolution of purpose. And that evolution takes 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:56.440 on a deeply emotional, artistic dimension when 00:09:56.440 --> 00:09:58.639 we arrive at the Fourth International Forum in 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:01.820 2015. Marking the 70th anniversary of the Auschwitz 00:10:01.820 --> 00:10:04.429 liberation. Right. And it took place in Prague 00:10:04.429 --> 00:10:06.870 and Terezin in the Czech Republic. The structure 00:10:06.870 --> 00:10:09.450 of this 2015 event is brilliant because it explicitly 00:10:09.450 --> 00:10:11.649 highlights the role of the public, not just the 00:10:11.649 --> 00:10:14.049 politicians. They split it into two major parts. 00:10:14.350 --> 00:10:16.789 First, you had the Forum of World Civil Society 00:10:16.789 --> 00:10:19.269 at Prague Castle. And then a commemorative ceremony 00:10:19.269 --> 00:10:22.090 at the site of the Terezin concentration camp. 00:10:22.330 --> 00:10:24.990 The guest list at Prague Castle was an expansive 00:10:24.990 --> 00:10:28.639 mix of diplomacy and civil society. Over 900 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:32.299 guests attended. You had 30 official delegations, 00:10:32.299 --> 00:10:35.779 parliament members, scholars. But importantly, 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:38.820 you also had major figures from civil society. 00:10:39.179 --> 00:10:42.139 Like human rights activist Abraham Foxman. And 00:10:42.139 --> 00:10:45.080 philosopher Bernard -Henri Lévy. They held discussion 00:10:45.080 --> 00:10:48.240 panels directly tackling rising anti -Semitism, 00:10:48.399 --> 00:10:51.000 neo -Nazism, and religious radicalism. It wasn't 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:52.580 just state leaders talking to state leaders. 00:10:52.659 --> 00:10:54.840 It was thought leaders pushing the conversation 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:57.879 forward. But the shift from the political panels 00:10:57.879 --> 00:11:00.899 in Prague to the ceremony in Terezin is what 00:11:00.899 --> 00:11:03.399 gives this fourth forum its unique power. For 00:11:03.399 --> 00:11:06.320 context, Terezin, also known as Terezin Stad, 00:11:06.399 --> 00:11:08.720 was a concentration camp that often served as 00:11:08.720 --> 00:11:10.960 a transit station. Tens of thousands of Jewish 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:12.700 people were held there before being deported 00:11:12.700 --> 00:11:15.080 to extermination camps like Auschwitz. And the 00:11:15.080 --> 00:11:16.879 way the forum honored the inmates of Terezin 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:20.240 is deeply moving. Because Terezin held many musicians, 00:11:20.519 --> 00:11:23.460 composers, cartoonists, and poets. And despite 00:11:23.460 --> 00:11:26.919 the unimaginable horrors, disease, and starvation 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:29.980 they were facing, these inmates maintained their 00:11:29.980 --> 00:11:32.960 humanity and their art. It's incredible. A group 00:11:32.960 --> 00:11:36.279 of young boys aged 12 to 15 actually published 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:39.159 a secret magazine right there in the camp. called 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:42.059 the rim. which translates to in the lead. They 00:11:42.059 --> 00:11:45.399 wrote poetry, essays, and drew artwork, documenting 00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:47.840 their lives and their defiance. What's fascinating 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:49.820 here is... What's fascinating here is how the 00:11:49.820 --> 00:11:52.799 2015 forum leveraged that specific history of 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:55.899 artistic defiance. Art is brought to the forefront 00:11:55.899 --> 00:11:58.620 alongside the standard political declarations. 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:01.159 The official ceremony was hosted by Czech President 00:12:01.159 --> 00:12:05.139 Miluš Zeman, but the focal point was undeniably 00:12:05.139 --> 00:12:08.639 the music. Yes. You had 98 musicians of the National 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:25.659 Philharmonic And to top it off, you had powerful 00:12:25.659 --> 00:12:27.919 performances by the world -famous cantor Joseph 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:31.039 Molovany. And Oscar -winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley. 00:12:31.220 --> 00:12:34.700 By bringing in 98 musicians and Oscar -winning 00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:37.500 actors, they are making the historical memory 00:12:37.500 --> 00:12:39.919 visceral. They aren't just reading a treaty. 00:12:40.100 --> 00:12:42.519 Right. They're making modern generations feel 00:12:42.519 --> 00:12:45.440 the weight of what was lost and the beauty of 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:47.970 the humanity that resisted. And of course, they 00:12:47.970 --> 00:12:50.289 still paired this emotional experience with a 00:12:50.289 --> 00:12:52.549 formal declaration adopted by the participants 00:12:52.549 --> 00:12:55.629 to combat anti -Semitism and hate crimes. It 00:12:55.629 --> 00:12:57.450 seems like the perfect marriage of emotional 00:12:57.450 --> 00:12:59.529 resonance and political action. It really does. 00:12:59.889 --> 00:13:02.629 But as we move to our final major milestone, 00:13:02.990 --> 00:13:05.950 the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in 2020, we see 00:13:05.950 --> 00:13:08.409 that this marriage of memory and diplomacy can 00:13:08.409 --> 00:13:11.549 be incredibly volatile. Yes, 2020 is where the 00:13:11.549 --> 00:13:13.649 complexities of international memory really come 00:13:13.649 --> 00:13:17.480 to a head on the global stage. was held in Jerusalem. 00:13:17.759 --> 00:13:20.200 The title of the event was Remembering the Holocaust, 00:13:20.539 --> 00:13:23.379 Fighting Antisemitism. It was time for the 75th 00:13:23.379 --> 00:13:26.159 anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.419 the diplomatic weight of this event was just 00:13:28.419 --> 00:13:31.840 staggering. 49 high -level delegations attended. 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:34.320 We are talking about French President Emmanuel 00:13:34.320 --> 00:13:37.299 Macron, U .S. Vice President Mike Pence, Prince 00:13:37.299 --> 00:13:40.019 Charles, German President Frank -Walter Steinmeier, 00:13:40.200 --> 00:13:42.980 and leaders from dozens of other nations all 00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:45.980 over the globe. It was organized by Vyacheslav 00:13:45.980 --> 00:13:48.840 Moshe Kantor, still leading the World Holocaust 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:52.039 Forum Foundation, in cooperation with Yad Vashem. 00:13:52.139 --> 00:13:54.559 And for those unaware, Yad Vashem is Israel's 00:13:54.559 --> 00:13:57.399 official world -renowned memorial to the victims 00:13:57.399 --> 00:14:00.159 of the Holocaust. And the event was held under 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:02.879 the auspices of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. 00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:07.080 It presented a massive, unified, global front. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:09.340 Here's where it gets really interesting, because 00:14:09.340 --> 00:14:12.919 despite this theme of unity, a major diplomatic 00:14:12.919 --> 00:14:15.460 standoff erupted before the event even began. 00:14:15.759 --> 00:14:18.299 It did. And just to be incredibly clear here. 00:14:18.730 --> 00:14:21.809 To you, our listener, we are completely impartial 00:14:21.809 --> 00:14:24.470 regarding this geopolitical dispute. We are not 00:14:24.470 --> 00:14:27.149 endorsing the viewpoints of Poland, Russia, or 00:14:27.149 --> 00:14:29.450 Yad Vashem in what I am about to describe. We're 00:14:29.450 --> 00:14:31.769 simply reporting the diplomatic standoff exactly 00:14:31.769 --> 00:14:34.590 as it is documented in our source material. Exactly. 00:14:34.590 --> 00:14:36.509 Just to show you how deeply charged historical 00:14:36.509 --> 00:14:39.250 memory remains today. It is a textbook example 00:14:39.250 --> 00:14:42.230 of the politics of memory, where historical events 00:14:42.230 --> 00:14:44.350 are viewed through the lens of modern national 00:14:44.350 --> 00:14:47.639 identity. So, according to the source, Polish 00:14:47.639 --> 00:14:51.000 President Andrzej Duda outright refused to participate 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:53.480 in the event. And the stated reason? Because 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:56.100 he was not given the opportunity to speak. President 00:14:56.100 --> 00:14:58.919 Duda openly criticized the organizers for giving 00:14:58.919 --> 00:15:01.259 a speaking slot to Russian President Vladimir 00:15:01.259 --> 00:15:03.840 Putin. Right. In the weeks leading up to the 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:07.080 forum, Putin had publicly criticized Poland regarding 00:15:07.080 --> 00:15:09.440 its record during World War II. This stems from 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:12.600 a deep historical friction regarding the outbreak 00:15:12.600 --> 00:15:15.539 and progression of the war. Russia often highlights 00:15:15.539 --> 00:15:17.960 its role as the ultimate liberator of Eastern 00:15:17.960 --> 00:15:20.820 Europe from Nazi Germany. Poland, however, emphasizes 00:15:20.820 --> 00:15:22.960 a different part of the timeline, specifically 00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:26.080 the Molotov -Rubin Pact. A non -aggression pact 00:15:26.080 --> 00:15:28.539 between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany at 00:15:28.539 --> 00:15:30.659 the start of the war. which led to the Soviet 00:15:30.659 --> 00:15:33.980 invasion of Poland in 1939 before Germany eventually 00:15:33.980 --> 00:15:36.860 turned on the Soviets. Poland felt its national 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:39.059 narrative and historical suffering were being 00:15:39.059 --> 00:15:41.440 sidelined. And this didn't just stay between 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:44.259 Poland and Russia. The diplomatic ripples spread. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:47.480 Lithuanian President Gitanas Naseta endorsed 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:50.240 President Duda's position. And he actually withdrew 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:53.000 from the summit in solidarity with Poland. This 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:56.159 raises an important question. How do the organizers 00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:59.860 of a memorial event navigate a boycott by multiple 00:15:59.860 --> 00:16:02.899 heads of state? Yad Vashem, who co -hosted the 00:16:02.899 --> 00:16:05.240 event, put out a press release in early January 00:16:05.240 --> 00:16:08.259 2020 to explain their decision regarding the 00:16:08.259 --> 00:16:10.620 speaking slots. What did they say? They stated 00:16:10.620 --> 00:16:12.720 that a Polish speaker was not considered necessary 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:15.659 because, in their view, the speaking roles were 00:16:15.659 --> 00:16:18.120 strictly tied to the historical structure of 00:16:18.120 --> 00:16:20.710 the liberation. I see. I am quoting their statement 00:16:20.710 --> 00:16:23.330 here. They felt it was, quote, especially appropriate 00:16:23.330 --> 00:16:25.590 that the leaders addressing this event represent 00:16:25.590 --> 00:16:28.389 the four main powers of the Allied forces, which 00:16:28.389 --> 00:16:31.070 liberated Europe and the world from the murderous 00:16:31.070 --> 00:16:34.330 tyranny of Nazi Germany. This entire controversy 00:16:34.330 --> 00:16:36.490 synthesizes everything we have been discussing. 00:16:36.610 --> 00:16:39.169 It really does. It proves that memory is never 00:16:39.169 --> 00:16:42.210 just about the past. When world leaders gather 00:16:42.210 --> 00:16:44.570 to commemorate history, they bring their modern 00:16:44.570 --> 00:16:46.629 national identities. Their current diplomatic 00:16:46.629 --> 00:16:48.950 grievances. And their ongoing political narratives 00:16:48.950 --> 00:16:51.690 with them. The organizers felt they were strictly 00:16:51.690 --> 00:16:54.090 adhering to the historical structure of the Allied 00:16:54.090 --> 00:16:56.610 liberators. Poland felt its historical trauma 00:16:56.610 --> 00:16:58.830 was being overshadowed by a Russian narrative 00:16:58.830 --> 00:17:01.769 it fundamentally disputes. It shows us that even 00:17:01.769 --> 00:17:05.549 75 years later, the history of World War II is 00:17:05.549 --> 00:17:08.690 still actively contested terrain. Okay, let's 00:17:08.690 --> 00:17:11.569 take a breath. Yeah. We have journeyed from Krakow 00:17:11.569 --> 00:17:15.089 in 2005. through the halls of the European Parliament, 00:17:15.289 --> 00:17:18.710 to the deeply moving musical defiance in Terezin, 00:17:18.930 --> 00:17:22.230 all the way to a modern diplomatic boycott involving 00:17:22.230 --> 00:17:26.109 multiple nations in Jerusalem. So what does this 00:17:26.109 --> 00:17:28.630 all mean? For you listening, the core takeaway 00:17:28.630 --> 00:17:31.329 is that the World Holocaust Forum proves history 00:17:31.329 --> 00:17:33.970 is an active living force. It is not just a subject 00:17:33.970 --> 00:17:36.490 you study in a classroom and leave behind. Exactly. 00:17:36.869 --> 00:17:39.130 Whether you are prepping for a political science 00:17:39.130 --> 00:17:41.940 class, trying to understand the nuances of European 00:17:41.940 --> 00:17:44.500 diplomacy, or simply wanting to be an informed 00:17:44.500 --> 00:17:47.559 global citizen, you have to realize this understanding 00:17:47.559 --> 00:17:50.400 how nations gather to remember their shared past 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:53.160 is crucial to understanding how they interact 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:55.539 with each other in the present. The past is the 00:17:55.539 --> 00:17:58.380 lens through which modern security, tolerance, 00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:01.640 and alliances are forged. Or in some cases, fractured. 00:18:01.940 --> 00:18:04.799 It is a heavy realization, but an incredibly 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:06.640 important one. Thank you so much for joining 00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:08.839 us on this deep dive. We covered a lot of ground 00:18:08.839 --> 00:18:11.220 today. We did, but we want to leave you with 00:18:11.220 --> 00:18:14.240 a final provocative thought to mull over on your 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:17.240 own. If the act of remembering history is powerful 00:18:17.240 --> 00:18:20.200 enough to unite 49 nations in a single room, 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:23.180 but also sensitive enough to cause modern heads 00:18:23.180 --> 00:18:25.420 of state to boycott international summits who 00:18:25.420 --> 00:18:27.539 ultimately owns the narrative of history. Is 00:18:27.539 --> 00:18:29.500 it the survivors who actually lived it? Or is 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:32.039 it the modern nations that inherit it and wield 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:34.799 it? Think about that. Keep staying curious. Keep 00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:37.180 questioning the world around you. And we will 00:18:37.180 --> 00:18:38.720 catch you on the next deep dive.