Resolution published by Bulgarian parliament issued ahead of 70th anniversary of start of deportations of 11,000 Jews.
By JTABulgaria Jewish community memorial 370(photo credit: REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov)
Bulgaria’s parliament has, for the first time, expressed regret for the deportation of 11,000 Jews to their deaths during the Holocaust.The resolution, published on Friday by Bulgaria’s parliament, was issued ahead of the 70th anniversary of the start of deportations from areas controlled by Bulgaria, an ally of Nazi Germany during World War II.The text of the resolution reads: “Beyond dispute, 11,343 Jews were deported from northern Greece and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. We denounce this criminal act, undertaken by Hitler’s command, and express our regret for the fact that the local Bulgarian administration had not been in a position to stop this act.”It also lauded Bulgarian authorities for having “refused the deportation of over 48,000 Jews, Bulgarian citizens, to the death camps” – a historical event that is a source of pride to many Bulgarians.President Shimon Peres and his Bulgarian counterpart, Rosen Plevneliev, opened an exhibition on Wednesday of archival material called “Tough choices that make a difference: The fate of the Bulgarian Jews,” at the European Parliament in Brussels.
