Foreign Minister János Martonyi paid tribute to Jewish victims of WW2 in Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Centre on Monday, at the start of his two-day visit in Israel. He placed a wreath at the eternal flame and wrote a short entry in the memorial book in honour of 1.5 million children killed in the war. Mr Martonyi’s official programme included talks with counterpart Avigdor Liberman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Hungarian Minister also went to Bethlehem, where he visited a nursery and primary school for handicapped and traumatised children, established by al-Khader charity in 1986, and handed over a Hungarian donation of educational tools. In 2011, Hungary contributed 10,000 euros through UNESCO for its operation as well as a matching amount in international development cooperation for the purchase of school furniture and to support teachers' wages.

Mr Martonyi next visited the Church of the Nativity to observe the on-going restoration of its roof, financed from an international fund. Hungary was the first to provide 100,000 euros to this, followed later by France, Greece, the Vatican and private individuals.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs)