site.btaInternational Conference on Fight Against Antisemitism Held in Burgas

An international conference on the fight against antisemitism was held in Burgas on Monday.

Alberta Alkalay, chair of the Alef Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation Center, opened the conference by saying that the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews during World War II is a vivid example of the fight against antisemitism. "They say it is not just a Jewish problem, it is a threat to all of humanity. Hatred breaks down the foundations of humanity," she stressed. "In recent years, we have witnessed increasing escalation, conflict, death. I could not imagine that I would witness a war in Europe. This needs to be talked about."

The conference aimed to provide a platform for the international exchange of good practices for countering modern antisemitism, xenophobia and hate speech among young people. It was organized by the Alef Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation Center and the Institute of Educational Technologies at the National Research Council in Genoa, Italy. The participants included representatives of local and national institutions working against antisemitism and xenophobia in Bulgaria, representatives of various Bulgarian diplomatic missions, civil organizations, activists from the Institute of Educational Technologies in Genoa, students from Italian and Bulgarian schools. The event was supported by the European Network of Practitioners Against Antisemitism and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Alkalay recalled: "I was 10 years old when I was sent to a school camp. We were in a tourist lodge. We slept ten children in one room. When hearing my name one of the children said that we Jews drink blood. I got upset. I didn't go into depth about what that actually means. I felt I needed to protect my place in the camp. I started bribing the children so they would be my friends. The truth is I asked my parents to pick me up after one week. This was my first encounter with antisemitism. I was unprepared for it. At home I was strictly guarded from this matter. My family wanted a happy childhood for me."

She noted that in Bulgaria, Jews have always enjoyed a peaceful existence, and not only Jews, but others who live in this country. "I believe that you will be the future saviours. The world depends on you," Alkalay concluded.

Burgas Regional Governor Prof Maria Neykova said that the topic of antisemitism has deep roots and thanked the Alef Center for organizing the conference. "It is painful, shameful for humanity. Today, the non-acceptance of the other is strongly expressed. Aggressive statements are everywhere around us. We hear them at all levels," she said.

Angel Bandjov, Director of the Foreign Ministry's Human Rights Directorate, noted that Bulgaria's foreign policy places an emphasis on human rights and that the fight against hate speech, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism is high among the Ministry's priorities. "Bulgaria has relatively low levels of antisemitism. It makes consistent efforts at the political and institutional level to combat these manifestations. Since 2017, we have had a national coordinator for combating antisemitism - the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs," he said, adding that Bulgaria has prepared a national action plan to combat antisemitism in response to the rising wave of antisemitism around the world after the attack on Israel in 2023.

During the conference, all participants signed a memorandum supporting the general approach developed by the Council of the European Union for countering antisemitism, as well as the efforts of the states implementing the global guidelines for combating antisemitism, xenophobia, racial discrimination and segregation.