Croatia’s Jews to Boycott Official Holocaust Commemoration

Croatia’s Jewish community has confirmed that it will boycott an official Holocaust commemoration to protest the government’s alleged inaction to curb the surge of neo-Nazi sentiments in the country.

The Coordinating Committee of the Jewish Communities of Croatia said Monday it would hold its own commemoration at a World War II Nazi-run death camp on April 15, a week before the ceremony that is to be attended by government officials.

Jewish committee officials have accused Croatia’s new right-wing government of ignoring open public resurgence of anti-Semitism, including pro-Nazi slogans chanted by Croatian fans during a game between Croatia and Israel last month.

Some 30,000 Jews are estimated to have been killed, Hy”d, during the existence of the so-called Independent State of Croatia, most of them in the Jasenovac camp, which is known as the Croatian Auschwitz.