Sofia, Tel Aviv to Erect Monuments Dedicated to Rescue of 50 000 Jews

Monuments dedicated to Bulgaria's heroic rescue of 50 000 Jews from Nazi concentration camps 70 in World War II will be erected in Sofia and Tel Aviv.

On Wednesday, the Bulgarian Parliament approved a plan for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the historic event.

The Balkan country will spend a total of BGN 150 000 on ceremonies, cultural conferences and other events dedicated to the anniversary.

Even though Bulgaria was technically an ally of Nazi Germany in World War II, 50 000 Bulgarian Jews were not deported to the Nazi death camps in 1943 thanks to mass civil protests, active stance by 43 Bulgarian MPs, and Tsar Boris III's resistance to Hitler's demands for deportation.

Not a single Bulgarian Jew was deported to the death camps.