Israelis honor WW2 victims in Serbian village

A group of Israelis whose family members were killed in a Macva village during WW2 visited a memorial there Friday. The delegation was welcomed by the locals and the Sremska Mitrovica mayor, Zoran Miscevic. Israelis honor WW2 victims in Serbian village "Events such as the one remembered today must not be forgotten. Future generations must learn in order to avoid that the history repeats itself," Miscevic said on the occasion. The Israeli delegation head, Ben David, told the gathering his parents died in the infamous "Kladovo transport", while his sister managed to survive the executions. David had already emigrated to what was to become Israel, thus avoiding the tragedy that befell his family. Some 55,000 European Jews were passing through Serbia on their way to Palestine on the eve of the WW2 in the region, escaping the countries already at war, where they were subjected to ethnic, religious and racial persecution. Some estimates say that between three and five thousand people died in the process, with the "Kladovo transport" victims being among the first. In 1939, they tried to reach the Black Sea via the Danube, in order to continue to the Middle East. However, one such transport was stopped near the port of Kladovo due to ice that blocked the river traffic. Some of the Jews were then transferred to Sabac, where they stayed until Serbia itself was occupied by Germany in the spring of 1941. Others remained in Kladovo, a tiny town of 3,000 people, which absorbed 1,000 Jews. 700 of those who were forced to settle in Sabac, however, along with a group of Serbs and Romas, were executed in October 1941 by German firing squads in a field in Zasavica, in the municipality of Sremska Mitrovica. Those who made it to the British Palestine, joined hundreds of thousands of others in an effort to re-establish the Jewish homeland, achieved in May 1948 with the declaration of independence of the modern State of Israel. Their descendants visiting Serbia this week also paid tribute at numerous other memorial sites dedicated to the Jewish victims of the WW2.

Israelis honor WW2 victims in Serbian village

"Events such as the one remembered today must not be forgotten. Future generations must learn in order to avoid that the history repeats itself," Miščević said on the occasion.

The Israeli delegation head, Ben David, told the gathering his parents died in the infamous "Kladovo transport", while his sister managed to survive the executions.

David had already emigrated to what was to become Israel, thus avoiding the tragedy that befell his family.

Some 55,000 European Jews were passing through Serbia on their way to Palestine on the eve of the WW2 in the region, escaping the countries already at war, where they were subjected to ethnic, religious and racial persecution.

Some estimates say that between three and five thousand people died in the process, with the "Kladovo transport" victims being among the first.

In 1939, they tried to reach the Black Sea via the Danube, in order to continue to the Middle East. However, one such transport was stopped near the port of Kladovo due to ice that blocked the river traffic.

Some of the Jews were then transferred to Šabac, where they stayed until Serbia itself was occupied by Germany in the spring of 1941.

Others remained in Kladovo, a tiny town of 3,000 people, which absorbed 1,000 Jews.

700 of those who were forced to settle in Šabac, however, along with a group of Serbs and Romas, were executed in October 1941 by German firing squads in a field in Zasavica, in the municipality of Sremska Mitrovica.

Those who made it to the British Palestine, joined hundreds of thousands of others in an effort to re-establish the Jewish homeland, achieved in May 1948 with the declaration of independence of the modern State of Israel.

Their descendants visiting Serbia this week also paid tribute at numerous other memorial sites dedicated to the Jewish victims of the WW2.