site.btaPresident Radev Addresses 6th Global Forum for Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, March 21 (BTA special correspondent Lora Metanova) - Addressing the 6th Global Forum for Combatting Antisemitism here on Wednesday, President Rumen Radev recalled the rescue of Bulgaria's Jews in WWII. "In 1943 the Bulgarian people rescued their Jewish compatriots, but in reality also rescued themselves, they were saving their own nook of civilization, they saved theirs and upheld Europe's dignity," said Radev, who is paying an official visit to Israel at the invitation of Israeli President Reuben Rivlin.

The Bulgarian head of State recalled that the Orthodox Church, leading politicians and intellectuals united themselves to protect the Bulgarian Jews and not a single Jewish citizen of Bulgaria was deported to the Nazi death camps. This bright rebellion against the ignorantism that had taken over all of Europe can be explained not only with the courage of the righteous, but also with the living memory of the Ottoman rule, the President commented. According to him, experience with lawlessness was one of the reasons that the race theories were shattered by the unshakeable humaneness of the Bulgarians back then.

"The horrors of the Holocaust are already in history, but the shadow of antisemitism and hatred continues to be a threat for our societies," Radev noted.

Earlier on Wednesday, the President laid a wreath at the cemetery of the victims of the Salvador ship, which carried over 300 Jews from the Bulgarian port city of Varna, but sank in Sea of Marmara in 1940. A total of 119 passengers were rescued and the rest perished. The ceremony was attended by an elderly survivor of the disaster in her 90s, who also laid a wreath.

Earlier in the day, President Radev visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Remembrance Center, to which he donated photos of four Bulgarians who have helped with the rescue of Jews. The photographs from the National Archive are of Anna Surchadjieva, Anna Popstefanova, Nadezhda Svetoslav Hadjivassileva and Dr. Pavel Gerdjikov.

Radev viewed the memorial's exhibition, which includes original photographs and exhibits, saved from death camp survivors.

Bulgaria also has a place in the exhibition as this country has rescued 50,000 Jews from being sent to the Nazi death camps.

The head of State also took part in the ceremony for lighting the eternal flame in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

President Radev then signed Yad Vashem's book of remembrance. "Thank you for keeping history alive, humanity must never forget what happened," he said, adding that history should be told to the next generations.

He said he is proud to be the President of a country which rescued it Jews during Europe's darkest times.