21

Zuroff: Someone in EU should wake up and explain what is going on in Croatia

by InSerbia, Dec. 31, 2016

Director of the Jerusalem-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, Efraim Zuroff, says the current situation regarding neo-fascism in Croatia is very bad.
Zuroff has repeatedly warned about the rise of neo-fascism in Croatia, and now say he is not optimistic that the situation could change, except with “a real leadership” in that country.
He, however, noted that Croatia’s President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic had her photograph taken while visiting Canada recently wrapped up in the Ustasha flag – and wondered, “what can one expect.”
The Ustasha regime was in power in the Nazi-allied Independent State of Croatia (NDH), that existed from 1941 until 1945 and ran death camps for Serbs, Jews, and Roma, including in Jasenovac.
“That is the message that is being sent to the Croatian people. One can conclude either that she is nostalgic towards the Ustasha, or the wrong person for the job. Unfortunately,” Zuroff has told Radio Free Europe.
Referring to the fact Croatia is a member of the EU, Zuroff added that he thought “someone in the European Union should wake up and explain what is going on in Croatia – because what is happening now in that country is truly unacceptable.”
“I personally raise my voice against Nazism everywhere, but changes will be possible only when Croatian citizens themselves understand that these things are totally unacceptable,” he said.
As for the recent unveiling of a memorial plaque in Jasenovac that features the Ustasha greeting, “For home ready,” Zuroff said he feels there is “no desire in Croatia to launch an investigation.”
“Actually, there is no desire to do anything about that issue. This is a problem and it is a sad story. I doubt that any serious action will taken in the present circumstances. It is inconceivable that a memorial plaque like that is installed anywhere in Croatia, especially not in Jasenovac,” said the Simon Wiesenthal Center director.
He explained that the greeting represents an insult to all those who lost their family members in Jasenovac, Jadovno or other Ustasha concentration camps in Croatia, and also to those that the Ustasha sent to Auschwitz.
“It is an insult to all those who have suffered under the Ustasha regime, which was one of the most blood thirsty in Eastern Europe during the Second World War,” said Zuroff.
Asked “why there was no pressure from the West, from Brussels, Washington, or from Jerusalem,” Zuroff said that Croatia itself “has a law against propagating Ustasha slogans.”
“This can be prohibited and punished, but the government is afraid to do so. In Croatia today, there is a large number of people who believe that the cry of ‘For home ready’ is a great thing and that the Ustashas are God’s gift to humanity. Many think that they were heroes who knew how to confront Croatian enemies and so they want them to come back,” he said.
Otherwise, how would one explain (Catholic) mass that is served each year in the heart of Croatian capital Zagreb for the NDH leader, Ante Pavelic, “one of the greatest mass murderers during the Second World War,” asked Zuroff, adding that he would not be surprised if it happens again this December.
“Does Pavelic deserve mass? Of course not. It’s a digrace,” said Zuroff.
Asked “how come so many young people support the Ustasha idea,” Zuroff replied that “it depends on the environment they grow up in and how they are brought up.”
“Education has failed here as well, but also the political leadership of the democratic Croatia, particularly (former president) Franjo Tudjman. Although he fought against the Ustasha, and although his brother was killed by the Ustasha, and although he was a Partisan, he became a Croatian nationalist. He did this for political reasons, because he wanted to become president,” said Zuroff.


SUPPORT OFFGUARDIAN

If you enjoy OffG's content, please help us make our monthly fund-raising goal and keep the site alive.

For other ways to donate, including direct-transfer bank details click HERE.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

21 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
ex-sarajlija
ex-sarajlija
Jan 10, 2017 3:40 PM

Vaska, why don’t you clean in front of your door first and talk about Serbian fascism which has been blooming since 1989 when Milošević had started his fascist colour revolution. Serbs like siding with ZioNazis when that suits them, but they never brag about their capital Belgrade being first “Yuden frei” capital in Europe – German-occupied Serbia/Belgrade – August 1942. Do I need to remind you about Srebrenica, Sarajevo, Eastern Bosnia … and all other war crimes committed by Serbs in Bosnia during 1992-95 war?
Serbs are still celebrating war criminals Karadžić, Mladić, Šešelj as their heroes. Both current President of Serbia Nikolić and Prime minister Vučić during the war in Bosnia, and until few years back were close associates of Šešelj and his paramilitary Četnici, which has committed same heinous crimes like Croatian Ustaše, during both WWII and recent war in ex-YU.
Being Bosnian myself, I do not have any reason to defend Croatian Nazis, but I am just asking you Serbs to stop pointing finger to others when you should be looking in the mirror. Pot calling the kettle black!

Arrby
Arrby
Jan 11, 2017 12:21 AM
Reply to  ex-sarajlija

Nice bit of propaganda there friend.

bevin
bevin
Jan 10, 2017 2:52 AM

What is true of Croatia is equally the case throughout the former Soviet sphere of influence in eastern Europe. Similar nazi revivalists rule in the three Baltic states, in Poland, in Ukraine and are powerful in all the former Warsaw Pact countries. For this there are a variety of reasons but none is more powerful than the fact that the US imperialists kept the traditions of the wartime collaborators alive, particularly in the US and Canada where they were encouraged to settle in the post war years and their nationalist, authoritarian, pietist politics-maintained in the form of ethnic voting blocs- incubated the fascism that was formed a virtual regime in exile rushed ‘home’, after the fall of the Soviet Union, to fill the power vacuums and build business friendly, neo-liberal, imperialist puppet regimes just like the old days before the Red Army (of Glorious memory) drove them out and liberated their peoples.

Alan
Alan
Jan 9, 2017 7:58 PM

Mr Zuroff’s Zionist blind spot compromises his credibility.

mohandeer
mohandeer
Jan 9, 2017 5:02 PM

Reblogged this on Worldtruth.

Greg Bacon
Greg Bacon
Jan 9, 2017 3:18 PM

How many British MPs are working for Israel?
Once, no one would have hesitated to call British politicians acting in the interests of a foreign power, and very possibly taking financial benefits for doing so, “traitors”. And yet, as Al Jazeera’s secretly filmed footage shows, Israeli spies like Shai Masot can readily meet and conspire with a Tory MP’s much-trusted aide to discuss how best to “take down” the deputy foreign minister, Alan Duncan, over his criticisms of Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied territories. Maria Strizzolo, MP Robert Halfon’s assistant, suggests engineering a “little scandal” to damage Duncan.
https://alethonews.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/how-many-british-mps-are-working-for-israel/

Greg Bacon
Greg Bacon
Jan 9, 2017 12:56 PM

Souvenir coin with a swastika and Star of David owned by a young German Jewish girl
The coin was struck in 1934 to memorialize the journey of Baron von Mildenstein, a Nazi party member, to Palestine. The trip resulted in a pro-Zionist report encouraging Jewish emigration, published in the nationalist newspaper.
https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn517746

Greg Bacon
Greg Bacon
Jan 9, 2017 12:53 PM

What’s that about one pic saying a 1,000 words?

mohandeer
mohandeer
Jan 9, 2017 5:27 PM
Reply to  Greg Bacon

I think we all know that certain privileged and wealthy Jews struck a bargain with Hitler in return for their collaboration and support of him and they headed off for another nation’s lands, that is not in question. But quite what it has to do with the uptick of fascism and neo nazi trending escapes me and a coin with a Star of David and a Swastika seems to be irrelevant to the concerns we all should have.
What is important is the fact that certain areas in the EU ARE trending towards ugly and deadly ideology.
Whilst I do not support Zionism or Israel in it’s current state, I tend to agree with Zuroff. Someone should be looking into this neo nazi trend and redirecting it, preferably before we see a repeat of the atrocities against the Jews in Europe being repeated again. This time, the Jews might per chance escape being the victims and Muslims will be the targets, but either outcome is totally unacceptable and must be headed off at the pass.
Have you forgotten that those Jews who were never in line for a safe passage to a promised land, were the real victims and the real or “true” Jews who were left behind to face the monster that was Nazi Germany? Nazism was pro Zionist and anti Jew precisely because they were bigots and haters and wanted rid of Jews if not off to the promised land, then off the face of the earth was close enough.
Naftalie Bennet has no problem with anti-Semites as long as they are pro Zionists willing to “persuade” Jews to flee to Israel, the more the better. I doubt he will care how this end is achieved.
Decent people, however, should.

Jen
Jen
Jan 9, 2017 11:21 PM
Reply to  mohandeer

I second Mohandeer’s comment: the fact that Efraim Zuroff happens to work for an organisation whose agenda aligns with that of the pro-Israeli lobby in Washington and the Israeli government under Satanyahu should not diminish the urgency, credibility or importance of his warning regarding the situation in Croatia which is very similar to what presently exists in Ukraine. We need only one or two changes in the Croatian government for Croatia to go full Nazi-retard and for minority groups in Croatia – be they Jewish, Roma, Serbian, Bosnian, Muslim, Orthodox Christian or other – to suffer the same harassment and discrimination possibly leading to eventual forced emigration or even imprisonment in camps.
The issue isn’t a simple one of nationalists versus Jews, it’s one of whoever The Powers That Be happen to be, pushing for a war against Russia and China to steal those nations’ land and resources, and reviving old conflicts and hatreds as convenient tools to bewitch the public and dividing people against one another so they can be easily exploited and pushed into supporting (and fighting in) this war.

McIrish
McIrish
Jan 9, 2017 11:33 AM

The fearful rise of Fascism and Nazism across our European continent is something Western leaders are turning a purposefully blind eye to. Why, God alone knows. One would have thought that history would teach them that its a monster that cannot be tamed and controlled. Look what’s going on in the Ukraine, yet its only Putin who’s calling a spade a spade (or a Nazi a Nazi) and why is this? Where are GCHQ with all their technological knowhow? Where are the Blairites, Hillary Benn giving ‘extraordinary speeches’ of the dangers of the rise of the far-right? Why have the West collectively got their head stuck in the sand (the politest way I could put it) ? What’s going on behind the scenes?

Manda
Manda
Jan 10, 2017 2:16 PM
Reply to  McIrish

“The fearful rise of Fascism and Nazism across our European continent is something Western leaders are turning a purposefully blind eye to. ”
I think they are encouraging it. Ukraine being a prime example. Repressive and vicious ideological and sectarian ‘movements’ have long been a tool of elite run colonial empires to crush any push for more equitable/fair/moral economic and social conditions and society.

Arrby
Arrby
Jan 11, 2017 12:44 AM
Reply to  McIrish

Fascism has been around for a long time. It’s just getting uglier. Fascism is simply a state of affairs wherein the business communtiy and the political class rule, jointly, cutting out the people. We are told that as long as we can vote, then we have democracy. It’s not lost. We don’t need to look for it. Go back to your tv sets etc..
It’s going to be much, much easier – even if still laborious – for elites to carry on with the pretense of, or the form of, democracy than it is for elites to change their minds about things and act in solidarity with the people. That’s just not who this crowd is. There’s no reason for them to show a solidarity with the people that doesn’t actually exist, especially when the whole purpose of neoconservatism and neoliberalism is for the believers to have the gains of exploitation that they sold their souls for. That they are getting tired of the pretense is not surprising. As well, They have just gone from strength to strength. Why hide the fact that they are fascists and we are cattle for herding and slaughter?
“The economic recession is linked to a recession of democracy. The latter is a recession so profound thata many politicians no longer hide the fact that they do not listen. During a Republican presidential debated moderated by Anderson Cooper, for example, one of the candidates was asked an immigration-related question. When he ignored it, Cooper pushed him to answer. Dismissing Cooper, the politician snarled, “You get to ask the questions, I get to answer like I want to,” drawing loud boos from the live audience.” -pages 14, 15 of “Occupy” by Noam Chomsy. I should note that Chomsky does not (perhaps by now, ‘did not’) call the rising fascism ‘fascism’ and his reason has to do with the level of violence in places where fascism is on the rise. Which to me is just wrong. What comes first? The violence or the fascism that leads to it?

jimsresearchnotes
jimsresearchnotes
Jan 9, 2017 8:45 AM

Reblogged this on EU: Ramshackle Empire.

missulenny
missulenny
Jan 9, 2017 2:18 AM

Time to organise a colour revolution for Croatia?
Perhaps the same people who fund the Slime-n WeaselTale centre could finance it?
Or NATO could intervene militarily?
One thing is for sure: nationalism must not be allowed in European (or Arab) Nations. Its too much of a threat to Jewish power structures.

MrGermany
MrGermany
Jan 9, 2017 12:11 AM

Thanks for that info.
As cruel as it is – it seems that Fascism was supported by the US and even Israelis (!?) for fighting “communism” and i guess especially the “taking away of private property” is what “the rich” fought or financed others to fight it – no matter the psychopathic ideology.
That is probably also why the major Banker financing the Hitler Regime Mr Kurt Baron von Schröder – walked out at Nürnberg with a 3 month prison sentence. Ridiculous.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Baron_von_Schr%C3%B6der
Anti-Semitic Zionists – a paradox?
No.
“The avowed aim of Zionism is to ingather all the Jews in the world in the Jewish State. The avowed aim of the anti-Semites is to expel the Jews from all their countries. Both sides want the same. No conflict.
Theodor Herzl, the Founding Father of Zionism, recognized this right from the beginning. He went to Czarist Russia, which was governed by anti-Semites, and offered a deal: we take the Jews off your hands, you help us to convince them to leave. That was in the heyday of the murderous pogroms. But the Jews who left Russia went en masse to America, very few to Ottoman-ruled Palestine.”
the whole article:
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1483105431/
crazy crazy shit.

Arrby
Arrby
Jan 11, 2017 12:51 AM
Reply to  MrGermany

That’s correct. But they weren’t wanted in North America, which was part of the reason why there was political support for Jews to steal Palestine. They certainly weren’t wanted in Canada. Read Lita-Rose Betcherman’s “The Swastika And The Maple Leaf.”

curri
curri
Jan 8, 2017 11:18 PM

Hey Zuroff, you can find all the racism and fascism you want without leaving your home town of Jerusalem.
“Education has failed here as well, but also the political leadership of the democratic Croatia, particularly (former president) Franjo Tudjman. Although he fought against the Ustasha, and although his brother was killed by the Ustasha, and although he was a Partisan, he became a Croatian nationalist. He did this for political reasons, because he wanted to become president,” said Zuroff.”
They no longer bring up that Tudjman once wrote a history book that denied or minimized the Holocaust?

anthony hall (@UptiCToc107)
anthony hall (@UptiCToc107)
Jan 8, 2017 11:14 PM

In Jasenovac a special knife was invented that was used to Cut 1,300 Throats in a single Day. The Ustashe were more Gruesome than the SS Extermination Camp Guards. Croatia`s Catholic Hierachy were soaked in Blood.

paulcarline
paulcarline
Jan 9, 2017 9:26 AM

Is this the ‘final solution’=extermination canard – for which there is no documentary evidence?

Vaska
Vaska
Jan 9, 2017 10:22 PM
Reply to  paulcarline

Are you a neo-Nazi or just an anti-Semite?
Most of the people killed in Jasenovac were Serbs and communists.