Ceremonies mark 65th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation

On Jan. 27, 1945, Soviet Red Army troops liberated the largest and most notorious Nazi death camp at Auschwitz, near the village of Oswiecim in southern Poland, where up to 1.5 million people, mostly Jews, perished during World War Two.

"This day not only represents a memorial day for victims, not only the pangs of conscience of humankind in the face of the incomprehensible atrocity that took place, but also of the tragedy that derived from the procrastination in taking action," Israeli President Shimon Peres told the German parliament.

"Never again ignore blood-thirsty dictators, hiding behind demagogical masks, who utter murderous slogans," he said.

Speaking in Hebrew, Mr. Peres lashed out at Iran, whose President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies the Holocaust took place and has called for the destruction of Israel.

"The threats to annihilate a people and a nation are voiced in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, which are held by irresponsible hands, by irrational thinking and in an untruthful language," Mr. Peres said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also stressed the need for vigilance in comments to reporters shortly before attending a ceremony at the Auschwitz site along with Poland's leaders and government ministers from nearly 30 other countries.

"I think the tragedy of the Jewish people was that it didn't have the ability to recognise the danger in time, the ability to protect itself after recognising [the danger,]" Mr. Netanyahu said.

"This situation has totally changed in the past 65 years. [We are coming here to say] we are a nation that can defend itself and also a country that is able to alert the nations of the world to the danger," he added.