Tánaiste 'deeply moved' after visit to Holocaust memorial in Israel 

He laid a wreath at the centre and said it was important to never forget these events and to ensure it never happens again.

“It also causes us to reflect on the centrality of freedom of speech, free media and toleration in our society,” he said.

Mr Martin also visited the Garden of the Righteous Among the Nations, which honours those who sought to save Jews from the Nazis during the Holocaust. Among the list was Cork woman Mary Elizabeth Elmes, who was credited with helping to save Jewish children escape the Nazis in Vichy France.

The visit comes amidst heightened tensions in the region this year and amid fears of a “worrying escalation in violence over recent months”.

The Tánaiste was given a guided tour of the centre by Jonathan Matthews, who had done his PhD on the dissemination of Irish nationalist literature in the British empire.

During his meetings, he said he wanted to articulate Ireland’s concern about the current situation of the Middle Eastern peace process. He said escalating violence in the region was a concern both for Ireland and the EU.

“We want to engage on the situation and put our perspectives on the situation in terms of how moderation could come to the fore,” he said. “And to discuss a two-State solution which we are committed to.” 

Mr Martin said his experience at the museum was a “solemn reminder” of the horrors of the Holocaust.

Mr Martin pointed to a document displayed in the museum created by Nazi government officials during the war which listed an approximate number of Jews in each country of Europe, including Ireland.

“When they were looking at the final solution, it wasn’t just occupied Europe,” he said.

When asked if he wished Ireland had taken in Jews fleeing the Nazis, the Tánaiste pointed to the current situation with Ukrainian refugees.

He said: “One of the reasons I was very anxious we would open the doors to Ukrainian refugees, fleeing the worst war in Europe since World War II. We should remind ourselves of that. It was interesting again in the museum to see how Ukrainian Jews were massacred in a savage way.

“And how countries on the eastern side of Europe have repeatedly throughout history suffered such calamitous atrocities against them.” 

He later visited the city of Lod, a mixed community of Arabs and Jews, and was given a tour of the centre by the heads of the Abraham Initiatives Project which aims to foster collaboration between the two communities. Ireland has provided support to the project and said the country’s own experience of the peace process had been used to inform their initiatives.

In the afternoon, he was due to meet with Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and later with the Minister for Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer and with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This evening, Mr Martin attended the Israel Council on Foreign Relations, where he faced questions on how a Sinn Féin Government would affect Israel. 

In response, he claimed that Sinn Féin had been “populist on almost all issues”, and that they would “tax their way out of a crisis”. He said that the formation of the next Government remained unclear at this point.

His visit continues with meetings with Palestinian officials tomorrow before travelling to Jordan on Thursday.