Bulgarian National Co-ordinator against Anti-Semitism condemns defacing of Soviet Army monument
Bulgaria’s recently-appointed National Co-ordinator for Combating Anti-Semitism, Georg Georgiev, has condemned the defacing of the Soviet Army monument in Sofia with an anti-Semitic slogan and praised the municipality for quickly removing the graffiti.
The daubing of the monument with the words, in Bulgarian, “100 years Zionist occupation” also was condemned by the Shalom Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria and by the embassy of Israel.
Georgiev, a Deputy Foreign Minister appointed to the anti-Semitism post on October 18, described the defacing of the monument as an ugly act of vandalism.
“The manifestation of anti-Semitic sentiments, totally inappropriate for Bulgarian society, will continue to meet our acute anger and active resistance,” he said.
Georgiev thanked Sofia deputy mayor Todor Chobanov and city councillor Mihaela Ivanova for their immediate reactions that led to the inscription being cleansed from the monument’s face.
He said that as National Co-ordinator against Anti-Semitism, he, together with the relevant authorities, would make every effort to ensure that the perpetrators of the vandalism were identified and punished in accordance with the law.
(The photo montage depicts the monument when it was defaced, and after it was cleaned)