Croatia president apologizes to Holocaust survivors

Thursday, February 16, 2012

The Jerusalem Post, By Lahav Harkov

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic requested forgiveness from Holocaust survivors in his address to the Knesset on Wednesday.

“Some members of my nation worked to systematically destroy parts of humanity [in World War II],” Josipovic said. “We must look in our hearts, at the darkest stain in our history. We must know : The snake is weak, but it is still there.”

He added that an apology is not enough, and that he hopes his country will pass a law to reimburse survivors and their descendants for property they lost during the Holocaust.

Josipovic also called for peace and cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians, saying that a two-state solution will come from mutual recognition of the two sides.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the Knesset about possibilities for economic cooperation between Israel and Croatia, which he had discussed with Josipovic.

Netanyahu added that he believes Croatia is committed to good relations with Israel and to stand up against “barbaric phenomena,” such as the “slaughter in Syria” and the “murderous declarations from Iran.