During the ceremony six torches were lit by survivors in recognition of the 6 million Jews who were killed in one of the worst genocides in human history. Two of these survivors were twin sisters who managed to live through the monstrous Auschwitz death camp and experiments by Dr. Joseph Mengele. Speeches were also made as well as low-key musical accompaniments.

However, the memorial was slightly overshadowed by the events in the city of Geneva in Switzerland earlier in the day. The United Nations anti-racism conference saw the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as the keynote speaker, being the only head of state to attend. Whilst the conference aims to fight racism in all its forms, it is in fact merely a forum for anti-Semitism and attacks on Israel’s existence.

“The conference opening today in Geneva constitutes an acceptance of racism, rather than the fight against it, and its main speaker is Ahmadinejad, who calls for the annihilation of Israel and denies the Holocaust,” said Israeli President Shimon Peres.

New Prime Minister Binyamin Netnayahu followed by criticising the Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz who had met and shook hands with the Iranian tyrant.

“I turn to you, the Swiss president, and ask you: How can you meet someone who denies the Holocaust and wishes for a new holocaust to occur?”

A number of countries including the United States, Israel, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and New Zealand had refused to go to Geneva at all. During the speech, many more delegates walked out minutes after Ahmadinejad began a racist tirade against Zionism and the Jewish State’s very being.

Afterwards, the United States deputy ambassador to the UN, Alejandro Wolff, said the speech was “inaccurate”, as well as showing disregard towards the UN, and “does a grave injustice to the Iranian nation and the Iranian people”.

The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had said before the conference started that if the meeting was to be a repetition of the intolerance and Jew hatred seen in Durban in 2001, then the French delegates would walk out. They were to do just that.

“The defence of human rights and the fight against all types of racism are too important for the United Nations not to unite against all forms of hate speech, against all perversion of this message. Faced with attitudes like that which the Iranian president has just adopted, no compromise is possible.” said Kouchner after Ahmadinejad’s speech.

At 10am tomorrow morning a siren will sound across Israel and for two minutes everything will come to a silent stand still as a mark of respect for those who died in the Holocaust.

What's on the menu?

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan’s wife was left in tears today as her husband walked off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. His red face and hunched shoulders made clear his fury to the rest of the panel and stunned audience members, including US President Barack Obama’s close adviser Valerie Jarrett.

Erdogan’s ire came after having to sit next to Israeli President Shimon Peres with whom he avoided eye contact throughout the hour long session. Anger levels were then increased when Peres gave a speech regarding Israel’s accounts of the the Gaza Strip conflict. The furious Turk could barely control himself and was seen huffing and puffing along with fellow panellist Amr Moussa, the former Egyptian foreign minister who now leads the Arab League.

However, it was shortly after Peres had finished his speech that the confusion began. The forum moderator, Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, was told through an earpiece  that it was “time for Turkey”. Before the Turkish leader had a chance to start a monologue, Ignatius announced:

“Ladies and Gentleman, I’ve just been told that dinner will be served in a few moments, therefore I will give each panellist a minute to sum up their previous statements.”

An exasperated Recep Erdogan jumped to his feet and pointed a finger at the Israeli President saying:

“I remember two former prime ministers in your country who said they felt very happy when they were able to enter Palestine on tanks. I find it very sad that people applaud what you said. There have been many people killed. And I think that it is very wrong and it is not humanitarian.”

Ignatius then said: “We can’t start the debate again. We just don’t have time.”

Erdogan: “Please let me finish.”

Ignatius responded: “We really do need to get people to dinner.”

“Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I don’t think I will come back to Davos after this.” blasted back the Turkish premier.

Prime Minister Erdogan then walked off the stage to later be consolled by Arm Moussa and forum founder Klaus Schwab. Many of the assembled guests and media were left shocked by the raised voices at the elite gathering of corporate and world leaders. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik was said to be upset at the ruffling of feathers over such a delicate matter.