Today, the Israeli and German Air Forces performed a historic flyby over the Dachau concentration camp and above the Fürstenfeldbruck airport in memory of the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust and the 11 victims of the 1972 Munich Massacre.
This bilateral training exercise marks the first time Israeli jets have ever entered German airspace. Last week, leading up to the historic flight, IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Amikam Norkin met with Holocaust survivors and Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev. Yad Vashem loaned original artifacts from its collections to make the historic journey back to Germany, including a belt once worn by Holocaust survivor and former Dachau prisoner Peisach Smilg.
Amazingly, today also marks exactly 76 years since Peisach arrived at the gates of Dachau. As the jets flew over Dachau, the IAF Commander said, “We are flying together above the valley of darkness making room for only light ahead as we vow, never again!”
Source: American Society for Yad Vashem
Photo: Israeli Air Force Bundeswehr
