“Our first woman President, Simone Veil, was herself a survivor who grew up to change the face of Europe, and her legacy is present in these halls and buildings. The European Parliament will always take the side of respect, human dignity, equality, and hope”, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said in her address marking Remembrance Day. “We have not been silent when it came to standing up for our values. Nor when it comes to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and the rhetoric used to try to justify it. Neither have we been silent when it comes to the regime in Iran who executes young people standing up for women, life, and liberty”, she added. “Tomorrow marks 78 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. A liberation from evil that proved that, despite everything, hope endures, even when all around is hopelessness”, Metsola said. “The same hope that led to the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel 75 years ago. A nation that has endured, flourished, and sustained a democracy despite all odds”. Finally, President Metsola, addressing President Herzog, stressed: “the bond between the people of Europe and the people of Israel has been forged in the horror of our common history. A bond whose strength lies in its openness, honesty, and straightforwardness, even criticism, but a bond that has, and will, withstand the test of time”.