Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry slams antisemitic attempted assault of Italian Jews in Bansko hotel
Bulgaria is deeply concerned by reports of antisemitic acts targeting a group of young Italian Jews, the Foreign Ministry said on August 5.
A number of Italian media outlets reported that a group of young neo-Nazis attempted to break into a hotel in Bansko on August 2, where Italian Jewish teenagers from Rome and Milan and their teachers were staying .
“Such acts are unacceptable and have no place in a democratic society. Bulgaria unequivocally condemns all forms of antisemitism,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The Foreign Ministry said that it was in close contact with the Ministry of Interior regarding the ongoing clarification of all circumstances surrounding the incident and stands ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Italian side.
According to the Italian media, the Bulgarian youths attempted to force their way into the building and then blocked access to it.
The reports said that, even after the police intervened, the attackers returned and again blocked the entrance to the hotel with Nazi salutes and crude threats, which the media described as a “serious act of antisemitism in the heart of Europe.”
A message of solidarity with the Italian youths affected by the incident was sent by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani.
The Interior Ministry said on August 4 that employees of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Blagoevgrad took immediate action in connection with a verbal conflict between two groups, Bulgarian and Italian citizens, that occurred on the territory of the Regional Administration in Bansko on August 2. There was no physical contact between the two groups.
