German, Israeli Presidents Attend 80th anniversary of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

Israel's President Isaac Herzog (C-L), Polish President Andrzej Duda (C) and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (C-R) during the official celebration of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in Warsaw, Poland, 19 April 2023. EPA-EFE/Leszek Szymanski

The official ceremony that took place in front of POLIN, the Museum of Polish Jews, was hosted by Polish President Andrzej Duda and attended by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, both of whom had meetings with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki earlier in the day.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier speaks during the official ceremony marking the 80nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw, Poland, 19 April 2023. EPA-EFE/Leszek Szymanski

Speaking during the ceremony, the German president drew parallels between Nazi Germany's aggression during the World War II and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"You in Poland, you in Israel, you know from your history that freedom and independence must be fought for and defended. You know how important it is for democracy to defend itself," Steinmeier said.

On screen, Chairman of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews POLIN, Marian Turski, speaks during the official ceremony marking the 80nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes in Warsaw, Poland, 19 April 2023. EPA-EFE/Leszek Szymanski

The commemoration marked the heroism of hundreds of Jews who took up arms against the German occupiers in a futile show of resistance. Three weeks after the final uprising, nothing remained of the ghetto and its inhabitants. None of the fighters are alive today, and the survivors attending the event in Warsaw were mostly...