site.btaEx-President Plevneliev Receives Friends of Zion Award

Ex-President Plevneliev Receives Friends of  Zion Award

Sofia, February 20 (BTA) - The former President of Bulgaria, Rosen Plevneliev (2012-2017), received the Friends of Zion award for 2016 for his active and consistent support for the Jewish people and the State of Israel, the Bulgarian National Radio reported quoting Plevneliev's team. He was awarded at a ceremony in Jerusalem in the presence of President Reuven Rivlin and the leaders of the world's most influential Jewish organizations

Friends of Zion is presented to people who have stood up against hate speech and anti-Semitism as a means of inciting animosity among nations.

In his acceptance speech, Plevneliev said that he accepts the award on behalf of all Bulgarian people who 70 years ago set an example for the whole world with their courage and humanity. "I dedicate this award to all Bulgarian people whose active position saved the life of their Jewish friends threatened with deportation to the Nazi death camps," the President said.

He was referring to a campaign the pooled the efforts of Bulgarian MPs, the Church and ordinary Bulgarians, and prevented what seemed like imminent deportations of nearly 50,000 of Jews from Bulgarian soil to the Nazi concentration camps in 1943.

"Our true friendship was later proven as we went through the terror attack in Sarafovo and emerged stronger and more united," Plevneliev added.

His remark was a reference to a 2012 bus bombing at Sarafovo Airport near Bourgas, on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, which killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver.

During his visit to Israel, Plevneliev will meet with President Rivlin and will visit the Peres Centre for Peace in Tel Aviv.