Deputy Minister Dinkova discusses with Israeli Ambassador Bulgaria's contribution to fighting anti-Semitism
08 November 2021 News
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Zaritsa Dinkova met with the Ambassador of Israel to Bulgaria Yoram Elron. They discussed the outcome of the International High-Level Conference on Holocaust Remembrance and the Fight against Anti-Semitism, held on 13 October 2021 in Malmö, Sweden.
At the forum, our country was represented by Deputy Minister Dinkova. During the conference, Bulgaria undertook four national commitments that will further enhance the effect of efforts to combat anti-Semitism, intolerance and hate speech.
The position of the National Anti-Semitism Coordinator will be made permanent at the level of Deputy Foreign Minister. The initial appointment of a National Coordinator in 2017 led to visible improvements in the coordination of the relevant ministries, other bodies and civil society.
The government will work with leading sports clubs to encourage the expansion of the working definition of anti-Semitism. Bulgaria has already launched a national campaign for its implementation by leading Bulgarian universities.
The Bulgarian authorities will work to create a permanent exhibition at the National History Museum and / or a virtual "Pantheon of Saviors" dedicated to the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during World War II. This will further promote one of the positive examples of how the active involvement of citizens can stop intolerance and hate speech, in particular anti-Semitism.
Our country will finalize a draft National Action Plan to Combat Anti-Semitism by the end of 2022. It will be prepared under a joint project of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and the Norwegian Centre for Holocaust and Minority Studies. The National Action Plan will further consolidate a comprehensive and systematic approach to combating anti-Semitism.
Deputy Minister Dinkova stressed that Bulgarian society has a long historical tradition of tolerance. On this solid basis, Bulgaria pursues a consistent policy aimed at preventing and eliminating all forms of discrimination, and in particular anti-Semitism.