Israeli President Shimon Peres attended an official opening ceremony for a new museum dedicated to Latvia Righteous Gentiles in Riga Tuesday alongside his Latvian counterpart Andris Berzins.
The visit to the three-storey memorial came despite widespread controversy over Berzins initial refusal to participate in the planned commemoration, apparently over successive Latvian governments’ reluctance to take responsibility for acts committed by the Nazis in conjunction with Latvian collaborators.
The museum, located downtown in the Latvian capital, was designed as a tribute to local couple Zanis and Johana Lipke, whom Israeli Holocaust museum Yad Vashem recognised as Righteous Among Nations in 1966, for having saved some 50 Latvian Jews from Nazi extermination during WWII German occupation of the Baltic state.
Zanis, a port worker hid Jews in a underground pit measuring approximately 9 square metres and located next to the current museum grounds. The museum was designed to replicate the cramped living conditions experienced by the concealed residents of the underground bunker and resembles an overturned ship.
Both Peres and Berzins participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, after the Latvian President backtracked on his previous decision to boycott the event. Speaking at the ceremony, the Israeli President reminded attendees that 25,000 Jews were killed in Rumbula in just two days, including "children, senior citizens, women and men – all without a reason".
However, the Nazis "were resisted by several dozen Latvians, who were saving Jewish lives during these frightening times, risking their own lives. Such people were awarded the honorary title of "Righteous Among the Nations". We will never forget this," said Peres.
Elsewhere Tuesday, Peres met with the Chairman of the Latvian parliament, as he “welcomed” ongoing US-led negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Washington. "Israel's desire and purpose of the talks is that the location of two states for two peoples - living side by side in economic and scientific cooperation. I welcome US Secretary of State (John) Kerry’s unfolding of an economic plan in addition to the diplomatic initiative for peace, (which) can help citizens Palestinians out of poverty, existential problems, and (bring) wide reaching prosperity to the entire region," he said.
The president was greeted with an official welcoming ceremony including an honour guard on his arrival in Latvia Monday, where he began with a one-on-one meeting with Berzins. Invoking the simultaneous reopening of peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Washington as part of the US-backed Mid East peace talks, the Israeli statesman confirmed he had touched based with Justice Minister and delegation head Tzipi Livni, as both politicians affirmed Israel’s desire to achieve a two state solution, allowing “Israelis and Palestinians (to) live side by side”.
In his meeting with the Latvian head of state, Peres expressed Israel’s gratitude for its support of a British and Dutch-sponsored initiative to designate the military arm of Lebanese Hezbollah a terrorist organisation, which received universal backing of all 28 members of the EU foreign affairs council in Brussels last Monday, a little over a year after a deadly terrorist attack on Israeli tourists in Burgas, responsibility for which Bulgarian authorities have implicated Hezbollah. “Israel appreciates Latvia’s support for the EU decision. Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation that killed innocent people in Bulgaria and other countries, and now sponsors bloodshed in the Middle East and the destruction of Syria,” he said.
However, Peres was less effusive on the Europe’s contentious position on Israeli settlement policy, which has seen the EU issue a controversial directive to its 28 member states to avoid engagement with Israeli entities operating outside of 1967 borders. "The EU should help advance the peace process, but the negotiations has to keep between Israel and the Palestinians and let it evolve,” insisted the renowned statesman. “It has to show restraint – EU intervention is needed now in support for the peace process and both sides. Negotiations between the parties are complex and I hope will bear fruit,” he added, as he stressed that both Israelis and Palestinians would be “required to make difficult decisions” as part of any eventual peace agreement.
Looking ahead to the planned Holocaust commemoration on the first full day of his visit to the Latvian capital, at the invitation of its government and ahead of his arrival in Lithuania, Peres said: “I came to Latvia with deep and involved historical feelings, as well as great hope for the future. Latvian Jews today have Jewish life, speak their own language and maintain their own culture. But we must not forget that the Nazis killed many Jewish people here – we cannot and we should not forget that. But, the past is the past and we must replace this tragedy with hopes of a better world and a better life.”
Expressing his hopes for greater bilateral cooperation between the two allies, Berzins replied that “we must learn from history and never return to those days”, as he spoke of “difficult times” in Latvia’s recent memory. Adopting Peres’ optimism, he echoed his calls to “strive for a better future”.
Later Monday, Peres, together with the President of Latvia Andris Bērziņš took part in a ceremony in memory of the 25,000 Jews who were cruelly murdered by the Nazis in killing pits of Rumbula Forest, located near the Latvian capital Riga. The ceremony took place at the monument erected in the woods, during which President Peres laid a wreath in memory of the victims of the mass graves.
A statement by Peres’ office also confirmed he had spoken by phone with the newly appointed US Special Envoy for Mid East peace talks Martin Indyk Monday evening, when he had congratulated the American for accepted “an incredibly important task and I thank you for that”. “We have our fingers crossed our success and progress in negotiations will lead to a peaceful solution for both parties,” he added.