Netanyahu thanks world leaders for attending World Holocaust Forum
The prime minister began the weekly cabinet meeting by thanking the world leaders, those from Arab countries in particular, for attending the World Holocaust Forum.
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends a cabinet meeting, December 2019.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened up the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday morning by thanking world leaders who came to Israel the previous week to attend the World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem, marking 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. He thanked Arab world leaders in particular for their attendance.Netanyahu began by thanking President Reuven Rivlin, "for his important work in convening this forum." He additionally thanked former foreign minister Silvan Shalom, "for having first initiated the international day to mark the Holocaust, which will be marked [on Monday]."The prime minister next thanked United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, "who brought forth the memory of the Holocaust victims and called to fight racism, hate and extremism."The statement by Abdullah bin Zayed is a breakthrough statement in the outlook of the Arab world towards the Holocaust," Netanyahu said.He went on to thank Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Issa, the Saudi Arabian secretary general of the Muslim World League, who visited Auschwitz on Thursday. "This is another indication of change in the attitude of Muslim bodies and, of course, of Arab countries to Israel and the Jewish truth of the Holocaust," Netanyahu stated.The prime minister went on to list the world leaders that he had met with during their visit, including US Vice President Mike Pence, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and several others. "I spoke with everyone first and foremost about Iran. I spoke with Pence about our mutual cooperation on the expected meeting with [US] President [Donald] Trump."Netanyahu explained that he had discussed both Syria and Naama Issachar with Putin. On the former, they spoke of "the continued sensitive and important security between the [Israeli and Russian] armies"; on the latter, they spoke of Putin's "willingness to bring about a quick solution in the case of Naama Issachar."The prime minister spoke with Macron, whom he asked to "condemn the scandalous decision against Israel in the International Criminal Court in the Hague."Netanyahu will be heading to Washington later this week to meet with Trump, since his "Deal of the Century" is expected to be released any day now. The president invited Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to a separate meeting on the same subject. Gantz is already on his way to the US and plans to make it back to Israel by Tuesday in time for Knesset committee discussions on Netanyahu's immunity request.
