Published 23:02 IST, June 14th 2022

Von der Leyen visits Israel’s Holocaust museum

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Israel's Yad Vashem museum on Tuesday and laid a wreath on a stone slab that covers the ashes of Holocaust victims taken from six Nazi extermination camps.

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Image: Twitter/@vonderleyen | Image: self
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Israel's Yad Vashem museum on Tuesday and laid a wreath on a stone slab that covers the ashes of Holocaust victims taken from six Nazi extermination camps. "I honour the memory of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis. We shall never forget," she said during the visit. Von der Leyen was expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during her visit.

Earlier Tuesday, von der Leyen held a series of meetings with Israeli politicians as the EU continued efforts to look for alternative energy sources amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Since the war began in February, the EU has slapped several rounds of sanctions on Russia and has been looking at ways to replace that country's energy.

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The bloc gets about 40% of its natural gas and 25% of its oil from Russia. It's hoping Israel can prop up the EU's energy needs as it weans off Russian energy. In recent years, Israel has exported higher levels of gas after discoveries offshore.

Image: Twitter/@vonderleyen

23:02 IST, June 14th 2022