The contribution of Jewish servicemen and women in the Second World War is to be recognised at a new museum in Israel.

The Museum of the Jewish Soldier in World War Two at the Yad Lashiryon armed forces memorial will open next May and will honour the more than one-and-a-half million Jews who served in the Allied forces.

An emotional reception at the House of Commons on Thursday saw British and Israeli military veterans, including Israel's former defence minister, Moshe Arens, recall Jewish fighters' efforts in conflicts throughout history.

Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois suggested the Holocaust had overshadowed the Jewish contribution to the military. "It would be a terrible tragedy if that military sacrifice were ever to be forgotten," he said. "The country owes it to the veterans to ensure those glorious deeds are remembered," he said.

Some 60,000 British Jews fought in the armed forces in the Second World War.