Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-01-27

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Alt.Migration Minister Mouzalas: Europe is divided over the refugees issue

[02] Day of the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust

[03] Ships docked until Friday morning due to seamens' strike

[04] Farmers close Tempi Valley; Peloponnese non accessible

[01] Alt.Migration Minister Mouzalas: Europe is divided over the refugees issue

Referring to Denmark's decision to take the personal valuables from the refugees he noted: "Denmark's stance reminds me of the Jews in the trains ...the memories are still fresh."

He added that "others do not want the black people, others do not want bachelors, others mothers with children, this is not a European prospect".

Regarding Ankara's stance, Mouzalas said that "in the last period Turkey accepted back 123 migrants and sent 60,000". The outcome of Monday's meeting (of EU ministers) was that Turkey holds the key of the inflow and has not met its responsibilities. We proposed that when migrants and refugees arrive on Greek islands to be counted and to be sent to hotspots, separate the migrants from the refugees and the next day to go back to Turkey, he underlined.

Mouzalas said that November's report on the progress made in the construction of hotspots will be discussed today at the College of the Commissioners. "The report is bad," he said and added that "it is true that the works have not progressed as they should have done so" and reiterated that the hotspots will be ready by the end of February and will operate in early March.

[02] Day of the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust

The approximately 50,000 indigenous Greek Jews members of a flourishing social, economic, cultural life of Thessaloniki's Jewish community were led to crematoria, on nineteen rail death missions, from the old station (March to August of 1943). Less than 2,000 of them managed to survive and return to Thessaloniki (a thousand of them from the camps and the rest from the countryside, where they had been hiding) in a city that hardly resembled the one they had left behind.

The Greek state, in a particularly difficult period after the World War II and before the civil war, was among the first ones in Europe to adopt laws on the restitution of property. Many Jewish beneficiaries fought in courts for years to prove that they own their property as their title deeds had been lost or destroyed, and their relatives, acquaintances, neighbours, friends, witnesses who could confirm ownership of property had died.

Today we celebrate with the rest of Greeks, the "Day of the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust," that the Greek parliament adopted, unanimously, by Law 3218/2004 (Government Gazette A 12).

It is the first time since the day it was established that a delegation of Greek Jews will attend a special session of the parliament plenum held on the occasion on Wednesday. Guests of honour will be the Greek Jewish survivors of the Holocaust.

"It is an important day as because though these events we condemn intolerance, anti-Semitism and racism and we give a message to the younger generations. This day is not only for the Jews. It is for the lessons the Holocaust has taught us. We must not forget, we should draw conclusions so that such things do not happen again," the president of the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki David Saltiel told ANA-MPA.

Thessaloniki has been declared a "martyr city" since 2012 and is included in the "Martyr Cities & Villages of Greece Network."

[03] Ships docked until Friday morning due to seamens' strike

PNO demands the withdrawal of the social security draft law referring to the government's "intransigent and inflexible stance" and has decided to participate in public sector union employees (GSEE ) 24h strike on February 4.

The Seamen's Union also warns with escalation of their mobilisations the day the controversial bill will be tabled in parliament.

[04] Farmers close Tempi Valley; Peloponnese non accessible

The farmers of Thessaly escalate their mobilisations protesting against the government's reforms in the social security system and in the taxation.

Meanwhile, farmers from Peloponnese closed Athens-Corinth old national road at Isthmus at 11:00 on Wednesday interrupting the connection between Peloponnese and central Greece. It is reminded that farmers have closed on Tuesday afternoon the new Athens-Corinth national road at Corinth Canal toll station for an indefinate period.

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