The Socialists and Democrats delegation to Israel and Palestine held several meetings with members of the Knesset and the Israeli government, including Nitzan Horowitz, chair of Meretz and Minister of Health, and Merav Michaeli, chair of the Labor Party and Minister of Transport and Road Safety. They also met with Ahmad Tibi, member of Knesset and chair of the Arab Movement for Change, all three sister parties. 

Today, the four MEPs in the delegation, Iratxe García, Pedro Marques, Evin Incir and Elena Yoncheva, paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust in the Yad Vashem Remembrance Center, and the S&D leader took part in a ceremony to lay a wreath on behalf of the Group.

Iratxe García said:

“We must never forget the horror of the Holocaust, the most sombre episode of European history. The memory of each of the victims must be passed through generations so that it will never happen again. 

“Our European values of human dignity and equality find their deepest roots in the Shoah. Anti-Semitism and all kinds of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation go against our EU principles and global human rights. 

“Israel deserves to live in peace and security, and I hope that the current Israeli government can use this opportunity to build a new momentum for a two-state solution. Because there will only be peace in Israel if there is also peace in Palestine. This is the message that I have passed to my counterparts in the Meretz and Labor parties. 

“We support the role of these two parties in the coalition government. They can contribute to a peaceful solution that must start with the halt of any new settlements and the cease of any eviction or demolition of Palestinian homes.”