The Venizelist party, which is intensely anti-Semitic, has begun a bitter anti-Jewish campaign in connection with the forthcoming general election in Greece.
At the same time the party put into effect a boycott against Jewish merchants in those portions of the country where Venizelist influence is strongest.
Anti-Jewish leaflets calling for a war “against the Jews and the Freemasons” are being distributed daily in the streets of this city by Christian students belonging to the National Students Union.
“No Greek will hesitate to use any weapon and to fight on the streets in order to prevent Greece from falling into the hands of the Jews,” Immerissios Kyrix, Venizelist paper, declared in commenting on reports that the present government would abolish the special electoral college for Jews.
The Venizelist press also came out with stories declaring that the segregation of Jews into a special electoral college was demanded by the treaties of Lausanne and Sevres, which established the minority rights of the Jews in Greece.
Government newspapers, however, support the Jews and a number of high government officials have made it clear that under no circumstances will they consent to the segregation of the Jews in a special electoral list, since they consider the Jews as equal citizens, entitled to vote together with all other citizens of the country.
In the meantime the discussion of the Jewish problem occupies much space in the Greek press. Hardly a day passes without the opposition press attacking the government on the electoral college issue and inciting against the Jews.
CALL FOR CONFERENCE
“Anti-Semitic agitation in Greece has become a very serious problem for the Jew,” Renancecia D’Judea, organ of the Greek Zionist Federation, declared. It urged that an all-Greek Jewish conference be called to deal with the situation.
The Zionist organ cited the fact that Jewish commercial agents in the provincial districts had been boycotted by pro-Venizelist groups, and were unable to sell their goods. Venizelists are particularly powerful in Crete, Thessalia and in the Greek Archipelago, where the population is unwilling to buy goods from Jews.
Premier Paniyoti Tsaldaris issued a statement declaring that the Greek government will establish a separate electoral college for the Turks in Greek Thrace, but will never consent to the segregation of Jews. “The patriotism of the Greek Jews can never be questioned,” the premier declared.
Former Premier M. Michalacopulos, leader of the democratic opposition and a likely candidate for the presidency, also expressed his regard for the Jews and his opposition to anti-Semitism.
“At various times I have expressed my sympathy toward the Jews whose activities I consider beneficial to the country,” the former premier said. I am against segregating Jewish voters because this would hamper their assimilation. Venizelos plays a double game with the Jews. He helps them when he needs them, but he attacks them when he is no longer interested in their support.
Governor General Priclis Rhallis of Salonica also attacked the Venizelist anti-Jewish agitation pointing out that in 1925, Venizelos himself opposed the segregation of the Jews.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
