Jewish community leaders met with Moldovan officials to discuss property restitution and measures to combat antisemitism

Late last week, a representative delegation of Jewish leaders concluded a visit to Moldova. The delegation was led by the President of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), Mikhail Mirilashvili, and included the Executive Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress, Robert Singer, the Director General of the EAJC, Dr. Haim Ben Yakov, the President of the Jewish Community of Moldova, Alexander Bilinkis, and the Vice-President of the EAJC, Emmanuil Grinshpun. During the visit, the delegation held several working meetings with the Minister of Economy and Infrastructure of Moldova, Chiril Gaburici, the Minister of Education, Culture and Research, Monica Babuc, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Tudor Ulianovschi, and other political and public figures of the country. The delegation focused primarily on the development and strengthening of the local Jewish community, as well as combating antisemitism and promoting Holocaust education.

At the meeting with the Minister of Economy and Infrastructure of Moldova, Chiril Gaburici, the parties addressed a wide range of issues, including the restitution of Jewish property, the preservation of Jewish cemeteries, and the development of Jewish heritage tourism in the country. The Minister committed to examining the issues regarding the restitution of Jewish property confiscated during the German occupation, or the provision of monetary compensation.

During the meeting with the Minister of Education, Culture and Research of Moldova, Monica Babuc, the parties discussed the measures taken by the Moldovan authorities to combat antisemitism and commemorate the victims of the Holocaust. Monica Babuc noted that in July 2016, the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova adopted a Declaration on the Final Report of the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania, chaired by Elie Wiesel, and in January 2017, the Government approved an Action Plan for its implementation. Furthermore, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27) was designated as an official national day of commemoration.

According to Babuc, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research attaches great importance to Holocaust remembrance and combating manifestations of antisemitism. Specifically, in partnership with the country's Jewish community, the Ministry organizes events such as the National Essay Contest "The Holocaust: History and Life Lessons," held jointly with the Jewish Cultural Center "KEDEM"; the visual arts competition and exhibition "The Colors of Genocide" at the Alexandru Plămădeală College of Fine Arts, among others. Regarding the update of the educational curriculum in the Republic of Moldova on Holocaust history, Monica Babuc emphasized that modules dedicated to the Holocaust have been integrated into school curricula for "History of the Romanians and Universal History" and "Civic Education" since 2010. Other topics of discussion included the current status of the establishment of the Museum of Jewish History in Moldova, the preservation and protection of monuments dedicated to Holocaust victims, and the maintenance of Jewish cemeteries.

Recently, the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova issued a special statement condemning the exploitation of nationality as an instrument in political struggles. The statement stresses: "We are compelled to note with concern that in our country's history, the incitement of such an atmosphere has repeatedly led to physical violence against members of our community. The bloody lessons of the 20th century must not and cannot be forgotten. We call upon all opinion leaders in our country — politicians, public figures, international experts, journalists, bloggers, and commentators — to criticize actions, not ethnicity and nationality; criticize ideas, not religion; criticize political programs, not the language in which they are articulated!"

Prior to the meeting with Babuc, the delegation visited the "Victims of Fascism" memorial in Chisinau, erected in memory of the Jews, Roma, and Moldovans systematically killed during the occupation of Moldova.

Additionally, a meeting was held during the visit with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Tudor Ulianovschi. The parties discussed various aspects of the fight against antisemitism, particularly the necessity for public condemnation by national authorities of any manifestations of hatred towards Jewish people. Ulianovschi reaffirmed the state's unequivocal commitment to the values of tolerance regarding national minorities in Moldova and expressed gratitude to the EAJC and the WJC for their support of the local Jewish community.

.