site.btaPM Netanyahu: Israel Will Never Forget How Bulgaria Saved Its Jews

Jerusalem, June 13 (BTA special correspondent Antoan Nikolov) - Ahead of a meeting with his visiting Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borissov here Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country will never forget how Bulgarian people saved their Jewish compatriots from the Nazi death camps. "We won't forget how Bulgarian people went down on the train tracks to stop the deportation of Jews," he said.

He added that a strong friendship now exists between the two peoples.

"We are sharing a bridge that has been built between the people of Bulgaria and Israel: the Bulgarian Jews who have contributed much to the development of Israel," Netanyahu said.

He praised Bulgaria's actions against anti-semitism and the joint efforts against radical Islam and terrorism.

He also said that his country has good cooperation with Bulgaria in areas including health care, technologies and others.

All of these will be discussed during the meeting between the two government leaders.

PM Borissov told the press of his meeting with officials of the American Jewish Committee the day before and said it was very emotional to hear people discuss the courage of Bulgarians as they stood up to save the Jews during WWII, and then see everybody give a standing ovation.

Borissov hopes to be able to unveil in September a monument in Tel Aviv paying tribute to the rescue of Bulgarian Jews. The monument will be identical with one in Sofia.

The rescue of Bulgarian Jews and the strong ties of friendship and cooperation between the two countries was also high on the agenda of Borissov's meeting with President Reuven Rivlin, said the government press office.

Borissov commented that conflicts nowadays tend to get solved on a personal basis. "We, however, live in democratic societies and we have to seek dialogue," he added.

President Rivlin said that his country appreciates the stance and behavior of Bulgaria in its capacity as the country holding the rotating Presidency of the EU Council, especially as regards issues concerning relations between the EU and Israel.

President Rivlin said that Fascism and neo-Fascism continue to exist in the present day and the world shares the responsibility to fight this evil.

Prime Minister Borissov met in Jerusalem with the leader of the parliamentary opposition, Isaak Herzog, and discussed with him over working lunch bilateral relations. They agreed that the two countries have fine relations on the level of parliaments.