Jerusalem – The Simon Wiesenthal Center today welcomed the passage in Belgrade by the Serbian Parliament of a bill to establish a memorial complex on the site of the notorious Sajmiste death camp, where more than twenty thousand prisoners – primarily Jews (in gas vans) and Serbs – were murdered by German Nazis and local collaborators.
In a statement issued here today by its Director for Eastern European Affairs, Holocaust historian Dr. Efraim Zuroff, who was previously chosen to head the International Advisory Committee of the project, the Center praised the decision and urged the Serbian authorities to expedite the project.
According to Zuroff:
“The passage of the bill marks the final stage of the preparations of many years to turn the site of Staro Sajmiste into a memorial center, which will finally properly honor the memory of the numerous victims of the camp. It will not only deal with commemoration, but also with education and hopefully play a major role in educating society about the horrors perpetrated by the Nazis and their local collaborators.”
For additional information please contact the Israel Office of the Wiesenthal Center:
Tel: +972-2-563-1274 or Tel: +972-50-721-4156
www.operationlastchance.org
www.wiesenthal.com
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