In the framework of an international competition to design the national
memorial to the victory of the Red Army over Nazi Germany, the design of
three well-known Russian artists has been chosen. The memorial will be
built on the Netanya seashore, pursuant to a decision by Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu.
The memorial will depict the history of the Jewish people from its earliest
days until the liberation of the Jews who survived the Holocaust. Its goal
is to show appreciation for the significant role of the red Army in the
victory over Nazi Germany and in liberating Jews after the Holocaust.
The winning design features a maze in which the main tragic events in the
history of the Jewish People are marked, beginning with the exodus from
Egypt through the destruction of the Temple and the Holocaust of European
Jews. Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the decision and said that the memorial
would express the great appreciation that we feel towards the Russian
people, who fought bravely against the Nazis, and played a decisive role in
the Allied victory in World War II and in liberating Jews from the death
camps. “Approximately 500,000 Jews fought in the Red Army and many of these
Jewish fighters live among us today here in Israel. The memorial will also
symbolize their contribution and heroism,” the Prime Minister said.