After visiting Yad Vashem, Metsola arrived The European Forest, donated by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael – Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) Belgium and Luxembourg, to inaugurate The European Forest Belvedere as part of the KKL-JNF European Forest near Beit Shemesh.
The Belvedere offers a panoramic view of many villages and towns in the area as well as the Jerusalem Mountains. As mentioned, it is located at the European Forest, which burned down about 10 years ago and has been restored in recent years by KKL – JNF.
The ceremony was attended by Jacky Ben Zennou, President of KKL-JNF Belgium and Luxembourg, David Yaari, Member of the KKL-JNF Board of Directors, Rabbi Albert Guigui, Chief Rabbi of Brussels, Tzantchev Dimiter, EU Ambassador to Israel, Zuleta De Reales Ansaldo Maria Leticia, Deputy Head of Cabinet, and Gabriel François, Deputy Head of Cabinet.
President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola:" It is an honor for me to consecrate the European Forest Belvedere lookout with you. In this land, Jewish people have found shelter and your home, the biblical tree of life blossoms. This place is a reminder of Europe's and Israel's bond, a bond that will flourish in the future, a bond that we must share."
Member of the KKL-JNF Board of Directors, David Yaari: " I am delighted to share greetings on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Belvedere Europe Lookout, here in the beautiful Eshtaol forest in the Jerusalem mountains. KKL - JNF, the leading environmental organization in Israel, is at the forefront of the efforts to make sure that the world we leave to our children is safer and more sustainable than the one passed down to us by our forefathers. It works tirelessly to promote the efforts to combat climate change, in the spirit of the commitments made by Prime Minister Bennett at the last UN Climate Change Conference".