Netanyahu uses Holocaust ceremony to brush off international pressure against Gaza offensive

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday rejected international pressure to halt the war in Gaza in a fiery speech marking the country’s annual Holocaust memorial day, declaring: “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.”

The message, delivered in a setting that typically avoids politics, was aimed at the growing chorus of world leaders who have criticized the heavy toll caused by Israel’s military offensive against Hamas militants and have urged the sides to agree to a cease-fire.

Netanyahu has said he is open to a deal that would pause nearly seven months of fighting and bring home hostages held by Hamas. But he also says he remains committed to an invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, despite widespread international opposition because of the more than 1 million civilians huddled there.

“I say to the leaders of the world: No amount of pressure, no decision by any international forum will stop Israel from defending itself,” he said, speaking in English. “Never again is now.”

Yom Hashoah, the day Israel observes as a memorial for the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and its allies in the Holocaust, is one of the most solemn dates on the country’s calendar. Speeches at the ceremony generally avoid politics, though Netanyahu in recent years has used the occasion to lash out at Israel's archenemy Iran.

The ceremony ushered in Israel’s first Holocaust remembrance day since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war, imbuing the already somber day with additional meaning.

Hamas militants killed some 1,200 people in the attack, making it the deadliest violence against Jews since the Holocaust.

Israel responded with an air and ground offensive in Gaza, where the death toll has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials, and about 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people are displaced. The death and destruction has prompted South Africa to file a genocide case against Israel in the U.N.’s world court. Israel strongly rejects the charges.

On Sunday, Netanyahu attacked those accusing Israel of carrying out a genocide against the Palestinians, claiming that Israel was doing everything possible to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The 24-hour memorial period began after sundown on Sunday with a ceremony at Yad Vashem, Israel’s national Holocaust memorial, in Jerusalem.

There are approximately 245,000 living Holocaust survivors around the world, according to the Claims Conference, an organization that negotiates for material compensation for Holocaust survivors. Approximately half of the survivors live in Israel.

On Sunday, Tel Aviv University and the Anti-Defamation League released an annual Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2023, which found a sharp increase in antisemitic attacks globally.

It said the number of antisemitic incidents in the United States doubled, from 3,697 in 2022 to 7,523 in 2023.

While most of these incidents occurred after the war erupted in October, the number of antisemitic incidents, which include vandalism, harassment, assault, and bomb threats, from January to September was already significantly higher than the previous year.

The report found an average of three bomb threats per day at synagogues and Jewish institutions in the U.S., more than 10 times the number in 2022.

Other countries tracked similar rises in antisemitic incidents. In France, the number nearly quadrupled, from 436 in 2022 to 1,676 in 2023, while it more than doubled in the United Kingdom and Canada.

“In the aftermath of the October 7 war crimes committed by Hamas, the world has seen the worst wave of antisemitic incidents since the end of the Second World War,” the report stated.

Netanyahu also compared the recent wave of protests on American campuses to German universities in the 1930s, in the runup to the Holocaust. He condemned the “explosion of a volcano of antisemitism spitting out boiling lava of lies against us around the world.”

Nearly 2,500 students have been arrested in a wave of protests at U.S. college campuses, while there have been smaller protests in other countries, including France. Protesters reject antisemitism accusations and say they are criticizing Israel. Campuses and the federal government are struggling to define exactly where political speech crosses into antisemitism.

Follow AP's war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Israeli students listen to a lecture at the Testimony House, a Holocaust museum in Nir Galim, Israel, on the eve of Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Israel holds the day of remembrance each year to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide during World War II. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

People visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 5, 2024. The annual Israeli memorial day for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust of World War II begins at sundown Sunday. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

People visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 5, 2024. The annual Israeli memorial day for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust of World War II begins at sundown Sunday. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Israeli students watch a virtual tour of the concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau at the Testimony House, a Holocaust museum in Nir Galim, Israel, on the eve of Israel's annual Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sunday, May 5, 2024. Israel holds the day of remembrance each year to remember the six million Jewish victims of the Nazi genocide during World War II. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)

People visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 5, 2024. The annual Israeli memorial day for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust of World War II begins at sundown on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto had his first multihomer game with the Yankees, Luis Gil struck out a career-high 14 and New York beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Saturday to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games.

Giancarlo Stanton and Jose Trevino also went deep for New York, which has won 12 of 14 and improved to an AL-best 32-15. Soto was 4 for 4 with a walk and is batting .317 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs.

“It was a fun day," said Soto, who has rebounded after a 3-for-25 slide on a six-game road trip."

New York is 12-2-1 in series, matching 2002 as the only times since 1950 the Yankees have won 12 of their first 15 series.

Soto tied the score in the first with a 417-foot drive deep into the right-field bleachers, had an RBI single in the second and hit another solo shot in the fifth with a 437-footer deeper into the right-field bleachers. It was the 18th multihomer game for Soto, who combined with Stanton and Aaron Judge to make New York the first team this year with a trio of double-digit home run hitters.

Gil (5-1) won his fourth straight start and fifth consecutive decision, allowing one run, five hits and one walk in six innings. Gil has given up two runs over 24 1/3 innings in his last four starts.

“I have a great professor in Gerrit Cole,” Gil said through a translator of his Cy Young Award-winning teammate. “He’s always around and always giving me pointers.”

The 25-year-old right-hander averaged 96.4 mph with his fastball, 0.5 mph above his season average. He set the Yankees' rookie record for strikeouts, topping the 13 on Aug. 13, 1998, by Orlando Hernández, who threw out Saturday’s ceremonial first pitch.

“I was very happy to meet him after the game,” Gil said. “For him to be here and connect after the game — great.”

After struggling through a 29-pitch first inning that included 13 changeups, Gil struck out seven in a row starting in the fourth in a streak ended by Eloy Jiménez’s single.

“Maybe his best fastball of the year, which is saying something,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Brad Keller (0-2) allowed a career-high four homers. Making his second start this season, he gave up six runs — five earned — and seven hits in four-plus innings. Chicago batters struck out a season-high 16 times as the White Sox dropped to a major league-worst 4-18 on the road and 14-32 overall.

Andrew Benintendi’s opposite-field RBI double to left put Chicago ahead in the first, but Gil stranded the bases loaded when Korey Lee took a fastball for a called third strike.

Soto tied the score, Judge reached on an infield hit when third baseman Danny Mendick double-clutched before his throw, and Stanton hit an opposite-field RBI double off the right-center wall for a 2-1 lead.

Stanton homered to right-center in the fourth, his 11th of the season and fifth in nine games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: INF Bryan Ramos, on the IL since straining his left quadriceps Tuesday, could soon start a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte, manager Pedro Grifol said.

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (right elbow nerve inflammation and edema) threw his first bullpen session in which he sat down in the middle for a break simulating an inning. “That’s a big, big one for him to check that box,” pitching coach Matt Blake said. “See how he bounces back after today and then go from there.” Cole was throwing in the low 90 mph range and soon could progress to batting practice. Cole was told to stop throwing in mid-March and pitched his first bullpen on May 4. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner is likely to need four or five minor league rehab starts, simulating spring training.

UP NEXT

LHP Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.31) starts Sunday’s series finale coming off his first consecutive winning outings with the Yankees. RHP Chris Flexen (2-3, 4.46) starts for Chicago.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Yankees' Juan Soto, right, celebrates with third base coach Luis Rojas as he runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 6-1. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates after a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. The Yankees won 6-1. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge (99) beats the throw to Chicago White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn for a single during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto, left, celebrates with Aaron Judge after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Luis Gil pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Luis Gil pitches during the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Brad Keller, right, reacts as New York Yankees' Juan Soto runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Yankees' Juan Soto hits a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, New York Yankees' Juan Soto runs the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)