The Bulgarian-Palestine Committee has held a meeting here to protest against the antisemitic terrorism in Bulgaria, revealed by the arrest of Dimiter Kalpaktschiew (reported in the J.T.A. Bulletin of the 6th. inst.) for kidnapping Jews and trying to extort money from them. In addition to Kalpaktschiew and Karmanov, who were arrested at the beginning of the month, the police have now arrested Radan Radeff, who was also a member of the antisemitic terrorist band headed by Kalpaktschiew. A great deal of indignation has been roused among both Jews and non-Jews by a confession made to the police by Kalpaktschiew that he had completed arrangements just before his arrest for kidnapping the President of the Central Consistory of the Bulgarian Jews, Colonel Tadjer, and the President of the Bulgarian Section of the Jewish Agency, M. Farchi. The police have on investigation found confirmation of his statement. He hated the Jews, Kalpaktschiew told the police and he believed that he was serving his country by doing away with them.
The speakers at the meeting blamed the Rodna Zastita organisation for spreading antisemitism in the country by its anti-Jewish propaganda, and contended that although small groups of people infected by this propaganda resorted to acts of antisemitic terrorism, there was no real soil for antisemitism in Bulgaria.
The Jews are good and loyal citizens of the fatherland, they said, interested in the welfare of the country, and the anti-Jewish activities of the Rodna Zastita can only do harm to the interests and the good name of Bulgaria.
A Committee has been set up, consisting of General Nikiphoroff, the President of the Pro-Palestine Committee, Dr. K. Stanischeff, the Vice-President, M. Grigor Wassileff, an ex-Cabinet Minister, and Drs. Penakoff and Triphonorr, which will shortly open a campaign to combat antisemitism and to enlighten the Government and public opinion in regard to the dangers of the antisemitic movement.
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