We are interested in strengthening ties between Latvian and Israeli parliamentarians in order to raise awareness of the challenges facing both countries, said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, during a meeting with Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, Speaker of the Israeli Knesset, in Jerusalem on Wednesday, 22 January.

Mūrniece emphasised that Latvian parliamentarians have a great interest in partnering with Israel, as the group of MPs for promoting cooperation with the Parliament of Israel is one of the largest in the Saeima. The Speaker of the Saeima expressed the hope that a friendship group for fostering relations with the Latvian Parliament would also be formed in the new Knesset after the parliamentary election.

Both speakers stressed the need to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and to firmly oppose anti-Semitism, as it is a duty of every human being. Mūrniece noted the extensive efforts in Latvia to both research the Holocaust and raise awareness about it. The speakers agreed on the necessity to explore new ways of educating the younger generation, who often lack knowledge of history, about the tragedy of the Holocaust. As good examples of awareness raising, the Speaker of the Saeima mentioned two films made in Latvia, Pīļsāta Pi Upis (The Town on the River) and Tēvs Nakts (The Mover), the latter of which won the best foreign film award at the Haifa International Film Festival in Israel.

During the visit, the Speaker of the Saeima went to Tel Aviv, where she met with board members of the Association of Latvian and Estonian Jews in Israel and with Frank Gordon, an Israel-based journalist, writer and translator of Latvian Jewish origin, who has published in both Latvian exile media outlets and the Latvian press. Mūrniece emphasised that the Jewish were, are and will be an important part of Latvian society and expressed her appreciation for the contribution of the Jewish community to the development of the Latvian state.

The Speaker of the Saeima is on a visit to Israel from 21 to 24 January, taking part in the Fifth World Holocaust Forum on “Remembering the Holocaust: Fighting Antisemitism” to pay tribute to Shoah victims together with world leaders.

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Saeima Press Service