Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., April 18, 2008 Nisan 13, 5768 | | Israel Time: 18:48 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 07:43 28/03/2008 Bulgaria accepts blame for deaths of 11,000 Jews in Shoah By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: Bulgaria, Holocaust, Israel Bulgaria accepts responsibility for the genocide of more than 11,000 Jews in its jurisdiction during World War II, President Georgi Parvanov said during a visit to Israel this week. The 11,000 Jewish victims were residents of Thrace in Greece and Macedonia in Yugoslavia, areas annexed to Bulgaria in April 1941. Nazi Germany awarded these regions to the Balkan kingdom in gratitude for its cooperation. Advertisement Bulgarian police acting under Nazi orders arrested the Jews in the annexed territories and deported them to Treblinka in 1943. In parallel, Bulgarian church and political leaders saved the 48,000 Jews living in Bulgaria proper, whom the Nazis had also demanded be deported to death camps. King Boris III agreed to the Nazi demands but bowed to pressure from public figures and did not carry them out. The deaths of the Thrace and Macedonian Jews were played down over the years while the rescue of the Bulgarian Jewish population was emphasized. After the fall of the Communist regime in the 1990s, Bulgarian leaders who visited Israel refused to take responsibility for the deeds. Parvanov, a member of the socialist (formerly communist) party, is the first to do so. "When we express justifiable pride at what we have done to save Jews, we do not forget that at the same time there was an anti-Semitic regime in Bulgaria and we do not shirk our responsibility for the fate of more than 11,000 Jews who were deported from Thrace and Macedonia to death camps," he said at a ceremony at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday. Israeli President Shimon Peres also emphasized the historical dichotomy in Bulgaria during World War II. A monument to King Boris was removed from a Jerusalem Hills forest in 2000 after protests by a group of Macedonian descendants. Dr. Nissim Yusha on Thursday said that the Bulgarian president's comments are "a great achievement and step forward." But he added that the advocacy group wants Bulgaria to formally and publicly apologize as did former French president Jacques Chirac for the Vichy government's deportation of 75,000 foreign Jews who came to France before and during World War II. Related articles: Treasury withholds payments to Bulgarian-Israeli Holocaust survivors Holocaust survivors march from Krakow ghetto to mark 65 years since liquidation Merkel arrives in Israel to 'open new chapter' in bilateral ties More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   A gentleman's word Olmert tells Haaretz he knows Iran won't have nuclear capacity. Farewell to arms B'Tselem says IDF must ban wide-range shell that killed civilians in Gaza.   1.   How much will they have to pay.... 11:27  |  Anton 28/03/08   2.   #1 Anton 13:17  |  Plamen 28/03/08   3.   # 1 How much - who cares! Forgiven - never! 13:23  |  Jon 28/03/08   4.   Is Israel ever sorry enough to make an apology? 13:32  |  Natallie Durson 28/03/08   5.   Bulgarian Jews 13:47  |  Yitzek 28/03/08   6.   Late is better than never 14:49  |  V 28/03/08   7.   Bulgaria accepts blame for deaths of 11,000 Jews in Shoah 15:27  |  Jon P. Speller 28/03/08   8.   Bulgaria 15:47  |  Jon Speller 28/03/08   9.   How much for 11, 000 0f the 6 million murdered by the German Nazi 15:56  |  r 28/03/08   10.   Bulgaria and the Holocaust 15:59  |  Yonni Vassalo 28/03/08   11.   historical inaccuracy 16:03  |  Yonatan 28/03/08   12.   To #1 16:12  |  Paul 28/03/08   13.   Rightful Condemnation 17:36  |  gearoid 28/03/08   14.   Bulgaria is on the right path 19:06  |  Salomon Fuchs 28/03/08   15.   #1 - Anton 19:17  |  MichaelF 28/03/08   16.   read it! 21:52  |  vagaBOND 28/03/08   17.   France-Bulgaria parallel 22:00  |  Colin Wright 28/03/08   18.   #5 Yitzek - Stop lying 04:26  |  Mordechai Assa 29/03/08   19.   Sephardic Jews honored King Boris in 1992 09:47  |  I was there 18/04/08   20.   Bulgarian Jews 18:39  |  Travis 18/04/08

Read & React Editorial: Israel can't demolish all of Gaza Responses: 56 Yishai to Carter: Tell Meshal that I want to discuss prisoner swap Responses: 32 IDF troops do nothing as Hebron settlers threaten German MPs Responses: 97 Rice: Syria 'most certainly an issue in nuclear proliferation' Responses: 33 IDF kills top militant wanted in plot to poison Ramat Gan restaurant Responses: 25 Efraim Zuroff: Peres has exonerated the Poles for the Shoah Responses: 21 Rosner's Domain The Passover test and The Passion of Passover Just say no to Carter Poll: What is Carter doing in the Middle East? Let the debate begin: what's a "pro-Israeli" position? Clinton: Massive retaliation if Israel attacked (WTR) More Headlines 17:23 Israel: PA can reopen 20 police stations in West Bank 18:30 Boim: 'Natural growth' reason for 100 new settlement homes 18:09 Carter meets Hamas leader, Syrian President in Damascus 14:58 IDF kills militant leader wanted in plot to poison Ramat Gan restaurant 16:04 Hamas: Shalit won't 'see light' until Palestinian prisoners freed 07:58 Mayor to raise funds for E. J'lem Arabs to block Hamas 10:36 The 'settler' in Italy's parliament 12:25 Newsweek publishes annual '50 most influential U.S. rabbis' list 10:30 IDF troops do nothing as Hebron settlers threaten German MPs 07:15 State Comptroller to summon PM to testify in Pollard inquiry 08:57 Israel closes off West Bank and Gaza for duration of Passover 05:37 Relatives and friends refuse to come for seder 05:39 Mother in 'cult abuse' case ordered held until end of trial Previous Editions Select Day 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr 14 apr 13 apr 11 apr 10 apr 09 apr 08 apr 07 apr 06 apr 04 apr

Special Offers Advertisement Learn Hebrew online with Israel's best teachers Sign up for a trial lesson today Pardes Institute Summer Sessions Study Jewish texts and issues in Jerusalem, Co-ed, All Levels Free the Palestinians from: Corrupt Kleptocracy, Tyrannical Theocracy, Abysmal Anarchy Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. ISRAEL BONDS Build Israel Israel bonds - a multi-purpose way to celebrate Israel's 60th Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved