Bulgarian authorities probe antisemitic vandalism targeting a Varna synagogue and Burgas Holocaust memorial, condemning attacks as “unacceptable.”
Bulgarian authorities have launched a full-scale investigation following two shocking antisemitic attacks that occurred overnight between October 3 and 4, according to a report by Ynet.
The first incident saw the word “Nazi” spray-painted on the facade of a synagogue in Varna, a major port city on the Black Sea. The second targeted a Holocaust memorial in Burgas, a monument honoring Bulgaria’s heroic rescue of its Jewish community during World War II — an act of national pride that stands as a beacon of moral courage in European history.
The Burgas memorial was not only defaced but physically damaged, an act that has provoked widespread outrage.
In a forceful statement issued Thursday, Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry denounced the desecrations as “unacceptable and deeply offensive,” warning that they “cast a shadow over Bulgaria’s historic achievements, of which the Bulgarian people are rightly proud.”
The Ministry further asserted that antisemitism is alien to Bulgarian society, calling the attacks a deliberate attempt to sow division and hatred. Officials vowed that those responsible would be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Police have appealed to the public for information as the investigation intensifies. Jewish organizations across Europe have commended Bulgaria’s swift response, noting that defending Jewish heritage is defending the soul of Europe itself.
