Germany quintuples funding for Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial

Germany has significantly increased its financial support for Yad Vashem, the world's largest Holocaust memorial and museum in Jerusalem. Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and his Israeli counterpart signed an agreement in Jerusalem that quintuples annual funding from €1 million to €5 million through the end of the decade. The funding, which has been in place since 2012, will help Yad Vashem digitize its archives of survivor testimonies and expand educational programs across Europe to combat Holocaust denial and antisemitism. Wadephul stated that Germany's relationship with Israel can never be separated from its responsibility for the Shoah, and that memorial work is invaluable as fewer survivors remain. Yad Vashem also plans to open its first overseas branch, a education center in Munich and a satellite office in Leipzig, to strengthen Holocaust education amid rising global antisemitism. Wadephul was scheduled to travel to Ankara for a NATO summit after his brief visit to Israel.