During a visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel the Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev received gratitude for the leading role of the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office in preventing the so-called "Lukovmarsh" Sofia. The delegation is composed of Tsvetomir Yosifov - Head of the International Department at the Supreme Cassation Prosecutor's Office and Yasen Todorov - Deputy Head of the National Investigation Service.
The Head of the European Affairs Bureau Talya Fresher, the Head of Jewish Relations and World Religions Bureau Shuli Davidovich and Eyal Naor, Head of the Southeastern Europe Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that Israel highly appreciates the efforts made by the Bulgarian Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev to prevent an anti-Semitic event such as the "Lukovmarch", which is seen as a platform uniting people from Europe, manifesting neo-Nazi ideas.
During the meeting, the challenges facing the democratic world were discussed in connection with the frequent manifestations of hate speech. In this regard, the Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev drew attention to the fact that at national level there are still gaps in Bulgarian legislation, that should specify the signs of hate crimes, as well as the lack of efficient methods for reporting manifestations of anti-Semitism in social media and the Internet generally.
Talya Fresher stressed that the Jewish community in the world is concerned about the increased intensity of anti-Semitism in some European countries and especially its new forms resulting from the advancement of technology and the digitization of public life. Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev emphasized that joint efforts of the democratic community are needed to counter the threats of cyber-terrorism. Bulgarian delegation made the Israeli diplomats acquainted with the initiative of the Association of Prosecutors in Bulgaria and the Chamber of Investigators in Bulgaria to build a monument in the center of Sofia to commemorate Bulgarian lawyers who helped rescuing the Bulgarian Jews from the Holocaust.
Gusti Braverman, a member of the Board of Directors and Director of the Diaspora Department of the World Zionist Organization, also acknowledged the activity of the Prosecutor's Office in preventing "Lukovmarsh". The organization was founded by Theodor Herzl, described as the "spiritual father of Israel". The prevention of anti-Semitic manifestations in Bulgaria was highly appreciated by the Israeli state and defined as a significant example of upholding democratic values.
The Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev held firm that the Prosecutor’s office of the Republic of Bulgaria will continue to make efforts to prevent anti-Semitism and prevent the imposition of anti-democratic behaviour among society.
As part of the working visit to Israel, the delegation, led by Ivan Geshev, held a meeting with Robert Singer, Chairman of the Center for Jewish Impact, and representatives of the legal community. The legal aspects regarding the treatment of hate crimes and the possibilities of cooperation between the Bulgarian prosecutor's office and the Israeli non-governmental sector in countering manifestations of anti-Semitism and hate speech were discussed, which would contribute to the consolidation of Bulgaria as an example of EU member state, which has successfully limited the manifestations of anti-democratic ideologies. This will be a clear sign of the traditionally good relations between Bulgaria and Israel.
The Bulgarian delegation also held a meeting with representatives of the Bulgarian community in Israel and visited the clinic where Prof. Yosef Alkalay practices. He is long-term president of the World Society of Dermatology, whose parents were born in Bulgaria, and who himself received Bulgarian citizenship in 2011.
The Bulgarian delegation also visited a Kibbutz, located on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, founded by Bulgarian Jews in 1943. The local residents shared that despite the difficulties and risks, they live happily. Ivan Geshev, Tsvetomir Yosifov and Yasen Todorov were made acquainted with the Israeli border security system and later placed ceramic tiles on a wall built by a local resident as a symbol of hope for a better future notwithstanding challenges and difficulties .