NETANYAHU: WE MUST NOT ALLOW SUFFERINGS TO REPEAT

DONJA GRADINA, OCTOBER 21 /SRNA/ – Israeli writer Iddo Netanyahu stated during his visit to the Donja Gradina Memorial Zone, the largest execution site in the Ustasha-run Jasenovac concentration camp system, that it is very important for people to visit this place and make sure that such crimes never happen again.

"The State of Israel was founded to ensure things like this never happen again," Netanyahu told the press.

He stated that he had not previously had the opportunity to visit camps or places of mass suffering.

"I didn't know until recently that so many non-Jews, like Serbs and Roma, were killed during World War II," Netanyahu said, adding that there are no limits to human cruelty.

Marko Romić, the envoy to the Republika Srpska president, said that Netanyahu's visit to Donja Gradina is of great importance.

"This is a place where the deep suffering of the Serb and Jewish peoples has forever bound our shared history and, more importantly, our shared future. With this, we show and prove that Israel is a secure partner and friend of Republika Srpska, and that our two nations, by remembering these terrible tragedies, are building a safer future," said Romić.

Borivoje Golubović, Minister of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, reminded that during the time of the Independent State of Croatia /NDH/, not only Serbs but also Jews and Roma were brutally murdered in Donja Gradina.

"This is the tragic fate shared by the Serb and Jewish peoples. It is our duty, and the duty of future generations, to preserve the culture of remembrance, in the way the Jewish people does," Golubović said.

Senka Jujić, the minister of administration and local self-government, said that the silence of Donja Gradina reminds that peace and freedom must be protected and valued above all else.

"The numbers speak louder than any words. Here, 700,000 man, women, children, the elderly were killed. In the most monstrous ways, 500,000 Serbs, 40,000 Roma, 33,000 Jews, 127,000 anti-fascists, and 20,000 children were tortured and murdered here," Jujić recalled.

Tanja Tuleković, Director of the Donja Gradina Memorial Zone, said that Netanyahu’s today’s visit is proof of Serb-Jewish friendship and the bond based on historical facts on the suffering of both peoples.

"Today's visit is also very important for spreading the truth about the atrocities of the Jasenovac concentration camp and its largest killing ground, Donja Gradina. Donja Gradina is a place of learning. We believe this visit will lead to new forms of cooperation and joint projects," said Tuleković.

Mirko Dimić, curator of the Donja Gradina Memorial Zone, held a historical class for the delegation, after which the guests toured the memorial complex.

Donja Gradina was the largest execution site within the Jasenovac concentration camp system, where 20,000 children also perished.

According to data from the Donja Gradina Memorial Zone, a total of 700,000 victims were killed in the notorious Ustaša-run camp Jasenovac during World War II, including 500,000 Serbs, 40,000 Roma, 33,000 Jews, and 127,000 anti-fascists.