King to attend Fifth World Holocaust Forum in Israel
His Majesty the King will attend the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 January at the invitation of Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin. During his trip to Israel King Willem-Alexander will also visit Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, and Beth Juliana, a Dutch retirement and care home. He will be joined by State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport Paul Blokhuis.
President Rivlin will host a dinner at the presidential residence on Wednesday 22 January for the heads of state and government representing their countries at the World Holocaust Forum. King Willem-Alexander will attend the dinner.
On the morning of Thursday 23 January the King will visit Yad Vashem, Israel’s official remembrance centre for the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The institute documents and commemorates what befell European Jews during the Second World War and honours the people who aided Jews at that time. The King’s visit to the museum will focus in particular on the fate of Dutch Jews during the German occupation.
The King will then visit Beth Juliana retirement home in Herzliya, which provides both independent living and nursing facilities for older Jewish people. Many of the residents grew up in the Netherlands, experienced the Holocaust there and moved to Israel after the war. The King will talk with the residents about their memories of the Netherlands, their experiences during and after the Second World War and life at Beth Juliana. He will also meet with management to talk about the specially tailored services provided by this Dutch-Israeli care home.
In the afternoon the King will attend the Fifth World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem. The conference is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and combating anti-Semitism worldwide. Heads of state and government from some forty countries will come together to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
In 2019 and 2020 the Netherlands is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its liberation. Members of the Royal House are attending a range of celebratory and commemorative events marking this anniversary.