site.btaPresident: Bulgarians' Tolerance Is a Safeguard against Xenophobia and Antisemitism

At a meeting on Wednesday with Anne-Sophie Sebban-Becache, Vice President of Europe at the American Jewish Committee, who is visiting Bulgaria, President Rumen Radev said that the tolerance of the Bulgarian people is a safeguard against xenophobia and antisemitism, which have no roots in Bulgarian society, the President’s Press Secretariat reported on Friday.

“Bulgaria will always proudly preserve the history of saving its entire Jewish community during the Second World War as a priceless example of humanity and solidarity in one of the darkest periods in history,” Radev said, as quoted in the press release. He added that Bulgaria counts on the support of the American Jewish Committee to promote this enduring moral lesson internationally.

Sebban-Becache said that Bulgaria’s historic example in rescuing its Jewish community must never be forgotten and remains critically important for younger generations. She noted that while many political leaders protect their Jewish communities, few countries have tolerance so deeply embedded in their national identity as Bulgaria.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of Bulgaria’s partnership with the American Jewish Committee in promoting investment and cooperation in science and high technologies with the United States and Israel.