Israel's Herzog marks victory over Nazis, 'history's darkest evil'

Israel on Thursday marked the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, with President Isaac Herzog highlighting a "victory of good over evil."

"We remember the sacrifice and legacy of those who fought to defeat history's darkest evil," Herzog said, according to his office.

The Allied armies and all the forces "that helped free Europe from the Nazis" are remembered with gratitude, the president said.

"We remember the 1.5 million Jewish soldiers who fought, and the quarter of a million who did not return," he added.

Around 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis during the Holocaust.

Herzog said that the lesson of the victory over the Nazis at that time was clear: "We must never be silent in the face of hatred."

The world cannot "turn a blind eye to anti-Semitism," the president said. "The world must always stand, with unequivocal moral clarity and unwavering commitment, united in the defence of freedom and human dignity."