The book "Jasenovac: Auschwitz of the Balkans" presented in Novi Sad

Foto: novisad.rs

Professor Dr. Gideon Greif's book "Jasenovac: Auschwitz of the Balkans: Ustasha Empire of Cruelty" has been presented in the ceremonial hall of Matica Srpska in Novi Sad.

Mayor of Novi Sad Milos Vucevic, president of Matica Srpska Professor Dr. Dragan Stanic, Director of the Archives of Vojvodina Dr. Nebojsa Kuzmanovic, Ambassador of Israel Dr. Alona Fischer-Kam, Academician Darko Tanaskovic, and the author were all present.

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"We owe a great debt of gratitude to all those who speak the truth concerning our people, especially considering the constant attempts of high ranked statesmen in neighboring countries to deny the extent of the suffering of Serbs, Jews and Roma in Jasenovac. This book presents these events in an objective way, and we have no right to remain silent - that's not for the sake of returning to history, but in order for this evil never to repeated again," said Vucevic, adding:

"Everyone who fights for truth is welcome in Novi Sad. Let us not forget that this is city suffered greatly from the fascist regime in World War II."

Photo: novisad.rs

Gideon Greif thanked the mayor for the friendly welcome and emphasized that his arrival was aimed at establishing cooperation between the two countries (Serbia and Israel) and their academic institutions.

"This is an opportunity to present a sad and tragic history that has been hidden for decades, and it is high time to expose the crimes of the criminal Ustasha regime that brutally killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, Roma and people of other ethnicities. Crimes should be talked about openly and my publication seeks to tell the real story that has been sidelined for years," said the author.

The Israeli ambassador said she was honored to be involved in promoting a book about Jasenovac that sheds light on one of the tragic moments in the history of Serbs and Jews.

"We need to confront our own history and learn a lesson from the Holocaust so that such things do not happen to anyone in the future," said Alona Fischer-Kam.

Matica Srpska President Dragan Stanic said this book places the Jasenovac phenomenon in a comparative international context, and described is as very vivid and based on many arguments. Among others, the promotion of the book was attended by Jelena Radojcic Buhac, a survivor from Stara Gradiska, one of the Jasenovac concentration camps, who saw 89 of her relatives perish during World War II.

(Telegraf.rs)