Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , in a statement to the media with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Israel, praised the great role that Albania played and the hospitality of Jews during the Holocaust.
He emphasized that the world should know that Albania was the only European to do such a thing, adding that such a spirit continues to exist today in the Albanian country.
Benjamin Netanyahu: Prime Minister Rama is a great friend of the Jewish people and state and mine. He represents the true spirit of Albania. Perhaps people do not know and the world should know that Albania was the only European country that during the Holocaust had a Jewish population within Albania that grew, because Albanian Muslims under the spirit of moderation, tolerance and human dignity protected hundreds of Jews who were living in Albania at that time and also welcomed many others. This is the spirit that you represent, the story that the world should know. This is a story that inspires films. People should recognize the extraordinary and moral role that Albania played during the darkest hours of human history. You continue to nourish this spirit today, my friend Edi Rama. You stood by the truth. Your moral compass did not waver and this is something that we deeply appreciate. We are building relations between the two countries. The number of Israeli tourists has increased by 800%. Second, we have Israeli companies, who know that there is great economic opportunity in Albania. This will be further enhanced with the opening of the Jerusalem Chamber of Commerce, I think tomorrow with the presence of Rama. Finally, I wanted to say that we have an understanding that goes beyond interests, but in the deepest sense we recognize that there is a rapprochement, a foundation of closeness and brotherhood between the two peoples and a basis of brotherhood between the two of us.