- Title: JERUSALEM-ISRAEL/CZECH REPUBLIC Czech PM Bohuslav Sobotka visits Jerusalem
- Date: 25th November 2014
- Summary: ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SOBOTKA NEAR WREATH (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) CZECH PRIME MINISTER, BOHUSLAV SOBOTKA, SAYING: (ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL TRANSLATION) "More than two hundred thousand victims of the Holocaust originally came from Czechoslovakia, from former Czechoslovakia." WREATH (SOUNDBITE) (Czech) CZECH PRIME MINISTER, BOHUSLAV SOBOTKA, SAYING: (ACCORDING
- Embargoed: 10th December 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Jerusalem
- City:
- Country: Israel
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVADZBO1IT1EHH2NII49KW4TZWMN
- Story Text: Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (November 24) where the leaders held a joint cabinet meeting to discuss intergovernmental relations and bilateral ties.
The prime ministers signed agreements, as part of the annual government-to-government meeting between Israeli and Czech ministers.
"Our challenge today is to transform this historic friendship into greater cooperation, and we do so. We just spent, I thought a very productive meeting, discussing how we can not only continue our relation but strengthen it in so many ways. And we have just signed joint declarations in many fields that enhance this cooperation," Netanyahu said.
Israel stepped up pressure on European countries to support the Jewish state after Sweden officially recognised the state of Palestine. British and Spanish parliaments also called on their governments to recognise Palestine as a state and the European Parliament was also set to vote on the subject on Thursday (November 27).
Sweden's decision drew praise from Palestinians who called on other countries to match it, but Israel say a unilateral recognition is counterproductive and would hurt prospects for future negotiations.
Palestinians seek statehood in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as their capital. The land was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, although Israeli soldiers and settlers pulled out of Gaza in 2005.
Years of efforts to forge a two-state solution have made little progress, with the last effort at negotiations collapsing in April. Palestinians now see little choice but to make a unilateral push for statehood.
Also on Tuesday Sobotka visited Israel's Holocaust museum of Yad Vashem where took part in a a memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance and signed the guest book.
"More than two hundred thousand victims of the Holocaust originally came from Czechoslovakia, from former Czechoslovakia," said the Czech Prime Minister.
"I think institutions like this, they have very important mission, they should help young generations not to forget and also to learn from our history," he said.
The museum spokesperson said the Czech Ministry of Culture, Israeli Education Ministry and Yad Vashem are expected to sign a joint declaration to invest in and further support Holocaust education, research and commemoration. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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