Declaration by the National Coordinator for Combatting Anti-Semitism, Georg Georgiev
21 January 2019 News
In my capacity as National Coordinator for Anti-Semitism, I condemn the brazen vandalizing of the Sofia Synagogue during Shabbat on January 19. Showing utter lack of respect for a place of worship, for a part of the cultural environment in our city and, most of all, for our Jewish fellow countryman, this act stood out with the insolence of its perpetrator. Such an act of intolerance and hatred, especially in the eve of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, is totally inadmissible. During its long existence, the Sofia Synagogue has been one of the symbols of Bulgarians’ tolerance and respect for the faith of Jewish people. In November 2018 Bulgaria was admitted as a full member of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance whereby this country made a commitment to fight and oppose all acts of anti-Semitism, resulting in hate crimes and physical attacks.
The Bulgarian government will continue its persistent efforts to create an environment free of such insolent acts of intolerance. I expect the competent institutions to take immediate action and identify the perpetrator, hold him accountable for this act of hatred and take any steps within their competence to prevent such acts in the future and ensure the security of the Jewish community and its property.
We should not turn a blind eye to such acts. They call for a collective reaction because none of us is immune to acts of intolerance and the imposition of views that are alien to the Bulgarian society. There are no dividing lines in the combat against anti-Semitism.