Image by getty images Reuven Rivlin

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin invoked the Holocaust in a call for action to aid Syrians civilians gassed in chemical attacks.

“We, as a people who survived the greatest of atrocities and rose from the ashes to be a strong and secure nation, we will do all we can to continue to aid the survivors of the horrors in Syria,” Rivlin said in a statement. “We know all too well how dangerous silence can be, and we cannot remain mute.”

Dozens of Syrians, including many children, were killed in chemical weapons attacks in the Idlib province this week. The attacks were believed to be carried out by Syrian government forces; the Syrian government denies responsibility.

The attacks drew worldwide condemnation, as images circulated of dead civilians and children struggling to breathe.

“The pictures we are seeing today from Syria and the reports of the massacre of children, of civilians, with chemical weapons, is a stain on all humanity,” Rivlin said. “The international community in its entirety must come together to bring an end to this murderous madness, and ensure that such scenes will never be repeated anywhere.

Contact Naomi Zeveloff at zeveloff@forward.com