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World Leaders Flock to Jerusalem Ahead of Holocaust Remembrance Event

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JERUSALEM, Israel - More than 40 heads of state and global leaders are making their way to Jerusalem today to participate in the 5th World Holocaust Forum to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

The forum, titled "Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism", begins on Thursday and will feature presidents, prime ministers, and royalty, including US Vice-President Mike President, His Royal Highness Prince Charles, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Most of the leaders are arriving on Wednesday. Pence will land in Israel on Thursday. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed attendees Wednesday morning with a breakfast at his residence. 

"I welcome the leaders from around the world who are coming here, to Jerusalem, to mark – together with us – 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz extermination camp. It is important that they remember where we came from, and it is important that they see where we have gone," he said. 

The forum, which was organized by the World Holocaust Forum Foundation, will take place at Yad Vashem's Warsaw Ghetto Square in Jerusalem. 

Participants will hear from Israeli leaders and Holocaust survivors about the horrors of Nazi Germany and the rising scourge of anti-Semitism plaguing the world today. 

Two survivors, one from the United States and one from Israel, will light a memorial torch. Then, heads of delegations will commemorate the 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust by laying wreaths at the foot of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Monument at Yad Vashem. 

Cantor Shai Abramson and Holocaust survivor Naftali Deutsch will also lead participants in Jewish prayers.

The ceremony will end with a moment of silence and Israel's national anthem. 

With so many world leaders visiting Israel at one time, the country has warned Hamas not to disrupt the summit for fear of severe retaliation. Israel believes Hamas is responsible for a recent increase in explosive balloon attacks in the south.

The IDF has deployed more Iron Dome batteries in the south to confront any possible rocket attacks from Hamas or other Gaza terror groups.

Israel is using the full force of the Shin Bet Security Agency to keep world leaders safe and deter any terror attacks.

Israel is also deploying 10,000 police to monitor the streets of Jerusalem and other sensitive areas during the event.

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle