The head of the European Jewish Congress called on Croatia on Wednesday to adopt severe anti-Semitic laws after recent incidents in which local Jews were targeted.
Pierre Besnainou said that in the European Union, which Croatia hopes to join by 2009, "we have ever more harsh (anti-Semitic) laws and we hope that Croatia ... will adopt very harsh laws so that the incidents like the recent ones can be adequately punished."
Besnainou, who came to Croatia to visit the local Jewish community, said he told President Stipe Mesic that the country should adopt a strong law condemning any anti-Semitic act.
The Croatian Jewish community has reported receiving two letters within the past week at its headquarters, one threatening to "Pay Palestinians to destroy Jews," And another denying the Holocaust and offending Jews. In addition, a local assistant rabbi, Zvi Eliezer Alonie, was verbally attacked and pushed by a group of skinheads in downtown Zagreb on Saturday.
Croatian police detained the writer of the first letter - a 21-year-old student - and said it was investigating other incidents. But Alonie told Croatian media his attackers would have been arrested in his home country of Germany already just because they carried Nazi symbols.
'Times that we thought had passed long ago'
A statement from the Zagreb Jewish community said the incidents recalled "The times that we thought had passed long ago."
Croatia has laws punishing glorification of Nazism or fascism, but it does not have a separate law dealing with anti-Semitism. The issue is particularly sensitive in a country that was a Nazi puppet state during World War II. Even though some in the country of 4.5 million still tend to diminish the crimes committed by their compatriots in the World War II, the pro-Western government has clearly condemned Nazism and fascism.
Besnainou said the Jewish community in Europe still supports Croatia's bid to join the EU following the start of the membership talks on Oct. 3, "And we actively act" In that regard.