NEW YORK – The World Jewish Congress on Monday welcomed the results of the general elections in Greece. “The World Jewish Congress congratulates Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on the strong show of support that he received this week from the people of Greece, who are entrusting him to carry the country forward in prosperity and progress,” said World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder.
“Prime Minister Mitsotakis is a true ally of Israel and has always demonstrated deep support and friendship for the Jewish community in Greece. We look forward to working together with him in the months and years to come, and trust that he will include among his top priorities the serious need to eradicate any and all remnants of antisemitism and neo-Nazi ideology from within the country,” Lauder said.
“On that note, we are extremely pleased to learn that the far-right Golden Dawn party failed to gain even 3 percent of the vote, in clear evidence that Greek society is fed up with its brand of extremist and hateful nationalism, after more than seven years in parliament. In 2013, the World Jewish Congress’ Executive Committee met in Thessaloniki to draw international attention to the growing expressions of antisemitism amid the rise of the Golden Dawn and received assurances from then-Prime Minister Antonis Samaras that such extremism would not be tolerated,” Lauder said.
“Finally, the era of the Golden Dawn is over. There can be no place for leniency when it comes to combating violent xenophobia, neither on the streets nor in government. A new day has come to Greece, and we wish both Prime Minister Mitsotakis and all citizens of the country the best of luck going forward,” Lauder said.
David Saltiel, President of the Central Board of Jewish Communities of Greece and Vice President of the World Jewish Congress, said:“We welcome the new government and trust that we will continue our cooperation in combating antisemitism and promoting the memory of the Holocaust."