Italian Jewish teens intimidated at hotel in Bulgaria

Several men dressed in black shouted Nazi slogans on Sunday at dozens of Italian Jewish teenagers from the Bnei Akiva religious-Zionist youth movement attending a summer camp in Sofia, an Italian Jewish community leader said.

The provocateurs gathered outside the hotel where the boys were staying and shouted “Sieg Heil” at them, the LaPresse news service reported. Victor Fadlun, the president of the Jewish Community of Rome, told JNS that no one was hurt in the incident, which was reported to Bulgarian police.

“The Jewish Community of Rome firmly condemns this latest episode of antisemitism, which targets Italian Jewish teenagers and their educators, in a European Union country,” Fadlun said. “We call on the Bulgarian authorities to shed light on this attack and to identify and prosecute those responsible as soon as possible.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed “deep solidarity” with the young people threatened.

“I condemn this latest episode of antisemitism, a germ that must be fought, a form of hatred and discrimination that must be eradicated. I stand with President Victor Fadlun and the Jewish Community of Rome,” Tajani posted on X.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini wrote on X: “What happened in Sofia is extremely serious. We firmly condemn any type of violence by extremists, Nazis or communists against Jewish communities.

“Any form of ‘Jew-hunting’ is hateful and unacceptable, often fueled by a climate of hatred and delegitimization that some have been helping to spread for too long. Solidarity with the young Italian Jews involved.”

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