Bulgarian Jews slam ultra-nationalist Deputy PM over ‘Soros’ comment
The Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria “Shalom” has expressed its deep concern about a statement by Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Krassimir Karakachanov that NGOs in the country backed by George Soros “want to take power in order to introduce gay marriage”.
The comment by Karakachanov, leader of an ultra-nationalist Bulgarian party that is a minority partner in the coalition government, came on the 32nd day of protests demanding the resignation of the government.
To compound matters, Karakachanov’s comment was the subject of social network responses rife with antisemitism.
Shalom, the umbrella organisation representing the Bulgarian Jewish community, said that involving the name of George Soros, a Hungarian Jew who survived the Holocaust and one of the greatest modern philanthropists, in various conspiracy theories is not only inappropriate, but also reminiscent of the days when the Nazi propaganda machine cited Jews as an “example” towards achieving its selfish political goals.
In recent years, the name Soros, or the term “Sorosoid,” has been used by all far-right organisations and political leaders in Europe and the United States as part of conspiracy theories, including alleging that the Covid-19 pandemic was the work of Zionist Jews.
Although these theories related to the name of George Soros do not mention his Jewish origins, they are strongly antisemitic in character and serve as a basis for alleging Jewish interference in socio-economic processes in countries around the world, Shalom said.
The Bulgarian people have repeatedly proved their tolerance, and intolerance towards misanthropic ideologies in society.
“We are going through a very difficult, existential period of our Bulgarian history and we must not allow hate speech to achieve supremacy in Bulgarian society,” Shalom said.
The organisation of the Jews in Bulgaria urged Bulgarian politicians not to involve the name of George Soros in various conspiracy theories, nor to allow the spreading of neo-Nazi ideology in society.
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