NATIONAL ACTION PLAN FOR COUNTERACTING ANTISEMITISM
Round table was held in order to discuss draft-National action plan for counteracting antisemitism.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The event was arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the project “Strategic cooperation between Bulgaria and Norway in support of Bulgaria’s undertakings for counteracting antisemitism and protecting Jewish heritage” funded under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism.
The discussion was joined via video conference connection by the European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, Mrs. Katharina von Schnurbein who provided particular notes and proposals whereas she noted the rescue of the Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War. Deputy-ministers and other representatives from all the government institutions with competencies in counteracting antisemitism, the deputy-head of the Embassy of the State of Israel, representative of the Norwegian Centre for Holocaust and Minorities Research, being a partner in the elaboration of the draft-national action plan, as well as representatives of the Bulgarian Jews, civil society and academic communities took part in the forum.
During the forum, numerous proposals were made in particular, in different sectors, for more effective antisemitism counteraction.
The draft-national plan follows the model of the European Commission strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life since 2021 and is being elaborated furthering one of the national undertakings borne during the International forum at the highest level for commemoration of the Holocaust victims and combating antisemitism, in Malmo in 2021. The plan aims at strengthening the capacity and expertise of Bulgarian institutions, improving public awareness and expanding academic researches. The main priority is to prevent antisemitism and counteract all its manifestations thus guaranteeing the preservation of Jewish culture and life.
During the event, we underlined that antisemitism keeps growing nowadays. Minister Kodzhabashev noted that discrimination keeps being present in Bulgaria as well as in other countries.
In 2022 a research was held amidst Bulgarian society making it clear that most of it reviews Bulgarian Jews as part of community.
Vibeke Moe, a psychologist from the university in Oslo and the Regional centre for children and youth psychic health said that counteracting antisemitism is fighting discrimination of other minorities. It benefits democracy.
“We need to consider the different propellent forces in society and understand that antisemitism is a phenomenon”.
Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life has been holding the position since 2015 and greeted the prohibition of Lukov March.
“Lukov March should be prohibited not only because of sanitary grounds, but also because we would like the ghost from the past not to march again.” In her own words, antisemitism endangers democracy and values.
