ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE CENTRAL BOARD OF JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN GREECE REGARDING HOLOCAUST DENIAL IN GREEK PARLIAMENT

On June 6, 2013, during the Plenary Assembly of the Greek Parliament the Golden Dawn MP and spokesman Ilias Kasidiaris stirred controversy in Parliament after suggesting he is a Holocaust denier.

Following the event the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece sent the following letter to the speaker of the Greek Parliament Mr. Evangellos Meimarakis, as well as to the Parliamentarian speakers of all democratic parties.

  

“Holocaust denial by a Member of the Greek Parliament offends the Greek Parliament itself, which in 2004 unanimously voted the enactment of the Remembrance Day of the Greek Jews, Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust, just as it has been adopted by all civilized nations that are not willing to forget.  

Holocaust denial by a Member of the Greek Parliament is an insult to the battles of the Greek people against Nazism, an insult to the memory of those who died defending dignity and humanity against the atrocities of the Nazi, an insult to the victims of industrialized gas chambers where 6 million Jews, our brothers, including 70,000 Greek Jews suffered a horrible death. It also constitutes an insult to the memory of those who fought to rescue their Greek Jewish compatriots, led by the Archbishop of Athens Damaskinos, during the period of German occupation.  

Holocaust denial, in the bastion of Greek democracy proves that Democracy itself must be legislatively shielded against all those who conspire against it.

It is therefore necessary, today more than ever in the past that all democratic forces of our Parliament consent to a legislation that predicts zero tolerance for racial violence, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and will declare Holocaust deniers deposed from their Parliamentary duty.   

Holocaust denial constitutes a promotion for repeating the most hideous crime against humanity.

Consequently Holocaust deniers cannot be members of the Parliament in a democratic country in Europe.

The Central Board of Jewish, urges the Greek Parliament to condemn and isolate Holocaust deniers, because ideas and practices of racism, intolerance and anti-Semitism within the National House of Representatives, endanger democracy itself".

Athens, June 7, 2013
Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece

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