Days of Israeli culture in Belgrade

Now here is a piece of good news that does not need to be politicized one bit. Israel and Serbia should have great relations since Serbia is a overwhelmingly Christian nation that derives its values and morals from both Christ and Jewish law. Serbia was the only oasis in the desert of anti-semitism and fascism known as the Balkans during WWII. Stronger relations between Serbia and Israel, including cultural exchange manifestations, should be promoted as our two peoples should be united against the dangers of fundamental Islamists in both the Middle East and in our neck of the woods (Bosnia, Serbian Kosovo, Macedonia, Sandzak, etc.).

In fact, Serbia during the second world war was not an "oasis" of safety for Jews. Thanks to the Nazi occupiers and their local Serbian helpers and collaborators (Ljotić, Nedić, and others), a smaller proportion of Jews survived the war in Serbia than in the neighboring lands.

[Link]
http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/semlin/sr/

[Link]
http://greatersurbiton.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/the-chetniks-and-the-jews/

The higher survival rate of Jews in Croatia, Bosnia and Albania was due to the fact that for much of the war the occupying forces there were Italians, rather than Germans. Mussolini did not share Hitler's enthusiasm for killing Jews.

All the countries in Nazi-occupied Europe had some righteous individuals who risked their own lives in order to save the lives of others. But every Nazi-occupied country also had its willing collaborators. Serbia during the second world war was unfortunately no exception -- much as we would like to believe otherwise.

Now here is a piece of good news that does not need to be politicized one bit. Israel and Serbia should have great relations since Serbia is a overwhelmingly Christian nation that derives its values and morals from both Christ and Jewish law. Serbia was the only oasis in the desert of anti-semitism and fascism known as the Balkans during WWII. Stronger relations between Serbia and Israel, including cultural exchange manifestations, should be promoted as our two peoples should be united against the dangers of fundamental Islamists in both the Middle East and in our neck of the woods (Bosnia, Serbian Kosovo, Macedonia, Sandzak, etc.).

In fact, Serbia during the second world war was not an "oasis" of safety for Jews. Thanks to the Nazi occupiers and their local Serbian helpers and collaborators (Ljotić, Nedić, and others), a smaller proportion of Jews survived the war in Serbia than in the neighboring lands.

[Link]
http://www.open.ac.uk/socialsciences/semlin/sr/

[Link]
http://greatersurbiton.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/the-chetniks-and-the-jews/

The higher survival rate of Jews in Croatia, Bosnia and Albania was due to the fact that for much of the war the occupying forces there were Italians, rather than Germans. Mussolini did not share Hitler's enthusiasm for killing Jews.

All the countries in Nazi-occupied Europe had some righteous individuals who risked their own lives in order to save the lives of others. But every Nazi-occupied country also had its willing collaborators. Serbia during the second world war was unfortunately no exception -- much as we would like to believe otherwise.