[MGSA-L] Greek Jews’ citizenship reinstated

[June Samaras]

Greek Jews’ citizenship reinstated

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/09/04/3089224/greek-jews-citizenship-reinstated

September 4, 2011

ATHENS, Greece (JTA) -- Jews who left Greece during World War II can
have their citizenship reinstated after the passage of a new law.

The Greek government on Sept. 2 passed an amendment to a new foreign
resident law, which will automatically reinstate Greek citizenship for
all Jews that were born in or before 1945.

The number of Greek Jews affected by the amendment is likely no more
than 300-350, according to reports.

Their descendants, although eligible, will not receive citizenship
automatically. They will have to apply and if they meet the proper
criteria will receive their Greek passports and citizenship.

The amendment comes after 65 years of appeals, applications and
behind-the-scenes efforts by the Greek Jewish community.

The problem was created during and after WWII. During the war a number
of Jews were able to escape to Turkey where the Greek consular officer
tried to persuade them to join the Greek Army in Egypt. Those who
refused and wanted to reach Palestine were stripped of their
citizenship.

Another group of Greek Jews fought with the communist partisans'
organization against the Nazis. After WWII and during the civil war in
Greece from 1946-1951, the members were hunted down as communists and
either executed, imprisoned or exiled in concentration camps that
mirrored the Russian gulags. In order to avoid that fate, many Jews
accepted the government's offer to go to Palestine and be stripped of
their citizenship.

During the debate in the Judicial Committee of the Greek parliament,
Justice Minister Harry Kastanidis said "it is an honor to Greece [to
have these people requesting their citizenship back], an honor that
Greece would be obligated to reinstate their citizenship no questions
asked."

The far-right LAOS Party fought against the amendment, saying: "The
law will raise many serious issues from other ethnic groups, a thing
we of course all deprecate, such as Bulgarians, Muslims, Armenians,
Albanians, Skopje, and maybe even Chams (a sub-group of Albanians who
originally resided in the coastal region of Epirus in north-western
Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria.) What will you do
then?"

As expected the communist party was also against the amendment, saying
that this was one step closer to forming close ties with Israel in
order to further the "imperialistic plans regarding the natural gas
reserves."

-- 
June Samaras
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : june.samaras at gmail.com