Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte placed a wreath at the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem on Monday alongside his daughter, whose mother (Duterte’s ex-wife) is Jewish.
Sara Duterte, daughter of Duterte and Elizabeth Abellana Zimmerman, joined in the solemn ceremony at the Hall of Remembrance, where visiting dignitaries traditionally lay a wreath in memory of the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
“Never again,” Duterte wrote in the hall’s guestbook following the ceremony. “May the world learn the lesson of this horrific and benighted period of human history. May the hearts of peoples around the world remain ever open. And may the minds of all men and women learn to work together towards providing a safe haven for all who are being persecuted.”
Prior to the visit, he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and signed tourism, labor and defense deals.
Duterte is the first president of the Philippines to visit Israel since diplomatic ties were established in 1958.
