President Pavlopoulos: Holocaust the most atrocious crime against humanity

President of Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos noted the need to remember that the Holocaust was the most atrocious crime against humanity and not to be complacent because the danger of the nostalgic for nazism and fascism emerges again in our continent, during the inauguration on Sunday of the new wing of the Jewish Museum in Thessaloniki.

As members of the international community we must remember, for the sake of humanity that the Holocaust was the most atrocious crime against it, because it insulted the human existence in its core and totally discredited the value of man, of his life and freedom and of his dignity. So, it can never happen again at any cost, Pavlopoulos said.

We should not believe that the nightmares of WWII are finally over as long as the condition that may lead to its re-appearance have not been eliminated, underlined the president and explained that he mostly refers to the uncontrollable widening of inequalities and the retreat of the social state of law, which they take advantage of for the development of the own dynamic, the nazi and fascist formations that have re-appeared in Europe.

"The reasons that grist to the mill of the supporters of totalitarian ideologies should be tackled at its root" he underlined and wished that "The Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki to be the beacon for the fulfillment of the self evident and permanent duty against humanity".

Pavlopoulos said that his presence today at the Museum is the minimum homage to the memory of the Jews of Thessaloniki and to all the tragic victims of the Holocaust "independent of nationality".

The president was welcomed to the Museum by the President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and president of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki David Saltiel.

"We consider your presence here another contribution of the Greek state and of you personally against anti-Semitism in an international environment that tends to forget the atrocities of the past" said Saltiel and referred to the Museum as a standing reminder of the long Jewish presence in Thessaloniki.