Albanian Parliament holds session on holocaust

TIRANA, May 7 – The Albanian Parliament held a special session for the Holocaust, which has been considered as one of the gravest events in the history of humanity.
Prime Minister Sali Berisha declared that the Holocaust is the most barbarian act in the civilization memory.
“Dictatorships are the worst things of this world. Holocaust would not have these proportions if not for the indifference. The Holocaust had more than 6 million victims. We express our honor to the victims and to those who defended the Jews,” said Berisha, who, during his visit in the USA last month, went to the Holocaust museum where he mentioned Albania’s role in defending the Jews during the WWII.
Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli reminded the activity of Albanians for saving the Jews during the holocaust.
“The Albanians did not hand over any Jew, despite the danger. Few people know the sacrifices that the Albanians did after the WWII for the Jewish people”, Topalli declared.
Some 1,200 Jewish residents and refugees from other Balkan countries were hidden by Albanian families during World War II, according to official records.
Albania was occupied between 1939 to 1943 by fascist Italy, followed by Nazi Germany until 1944. Resistance fighters who helped liberate the country formed the communist party that ruled Albania until 1990.
Albania became a haven for persecuted Jews, something that has received little international attention because Albania remained isolated for decades under communism.
About 300 Jews were living in Albania at the collapse of communism in 1990, but most have since emigrated to the United States and Israel.