Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and acting chairman of the Jewish Agency, sent a letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he invited rabbis to a meeting at the presidential palace in Ankara.
At the Jerusalem Conference of Besheva and Israel National News, Hagoel said: "Several weeks ago, President Erdogan met in his palace with rabbis and spoke out against rising antisemitism and in favor of education in memory of the Holocaust and its lessons. I could not ignore this move. I sent him a letter proposing we meet and advance the matter."
In a letter sent to the President of Turkey, Hagoel wrote that "as leaders we must educate the next generation, learn from the past and create a tolerant future. As leaders, we have a responsibility to educate the next generation to learn from the past, and create a more tolerant future."
"Adopting the IHRA working definition would be an important step in the fight, not only for this phenomenon, but also for all other forms of bigotry, such as xenophobia, racism and Islamophobia. I call on you to work together, resolutely, both in Turkey and in the whole world community to reject any work or action promoting violence against religious groups," Hagoel added in his letter to Erdogan.