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Rosen Plevneliev: by saving the Jewish community, the Bulgarian people saved itself

“During World War Two the Bulgarian people proved that the civil society and the ordinary person have the strength to change history and that even the greatest evil may be averted. By saving the Jewish community 70 years ago, the Bulgarian people saved itself”. This is what President Rosen Plevneliev said at the gala evening in Washington that commemorated 100 years since the establishment of the the Anti-Defamation League. The Bulgarian head of state was an honorary guest at the event and was presented by the national director of the League Abraham Foxman.

Before more than one thousand representatives of the executive branch of power, of the US Congress, of civil rights activists and social activists, the Bulgarian President emphasized the Bulgarian people's feat accomplished 70 years ago. "During World War Two Bulgaria did what no other nation succeeded in doing - it managed to save its whole Jewish population which was worth 50,000.“ Unfortunately, however, Bulgaria was in a situation which did not allow it to do the same for the Jews in Northern Greece and parts of Yugoslavia who were not Bulgarian citizens. "We are extremely sad about their lost lives, as well as about all Holocaust victims, who we will always remember," the head of state said.  

President Rosen Plevneliev emphasized that tolerance and mutual respect are values that the international community shares today and they lie at the heart of democracy. "I believe that the efforts of all democratic states are directed toward building a just and peaceful world and Bulgaria, together with strategic partners, actively contributes to the fight against hatred and violence," the President said. He highly praised the 100-year activity of the Anti-Defamation League which defends the democratic values by drafting programs and launching initiatives that educate the generations in a spirit of tolerance, respect for human rights and equality. "When you teach your son, you also teach the son of your son," the President quoted the Jewish saying and emphasized that "education is the correct way to root out biases, the language of hatred and discrimination."

In his statement Rosen Plevneliev also recalled that history should be remembered and correctly narrated. "Any neglect of human suffering is unacceptable," the President was adamant and reiterated his appeal  for everyone to remember the Holocaust lessons. "I promise that no matter where I am and what I do, I will always tell the story of the tolerance between the people and religions, as is the story of the citizens of the beautiful, small, and ordinary Bulgarian town of Gotse Delchev," the Bulgarian President further added.

In his statement Rosen Plevneliev also recalled the words uttered by Shimon Peres, President of Israel, with whom they opened the travelling exhibition in the European Parliament, dedicated to the feat of the Bulgarian people accomplished 70 years ago.  "This gives us once again reasons to carefully listen to what President Peres said that "it is better to have an economic crisis than a moral catastrophe and that it is better for us to be faced with economic problems than be filled with historical shame," the head of state recalled.  

"We should never accept nor tolerate injustice. We should never stop devoting our hearts and energy to building a world where cultural diversity is highly appreciated, tolerance is a shared value and humanism is the supreme value," the head of state further appealed. He finished his statement quoting Edmund Burke's thought that "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." "Today, as never before, can we allow ourselves to do nothing," the President further added.

In the words of Abraham Foxman, director of the Anti-defamation League, it is not by chance that the 100th anniversary of the organization is marked by the salvation of the Bulgarian Jews. "What would  the world be if the majority of the nations were like the Bulgarian," Foxman told the guests of the gala evening.