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Bulgaria: Israel’s Friend That You Didn’t Know About
Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Photo: Pexels.
In these challenging times, Bulgaria remains a key strategic partner for Israel in southeastern Europe. In July 2023, President Rumen Radev emphasized this by stating, “There exists a genuine sense of friendship and understanding between the peoples of the two countries based on deep cultural and historical ties, active partnership and mutual trust.”
Bulgaria has a history of low antisemitism, and has consistently supported the Jewish people. Its saving of the Bulgarian Jews during World War II was an unprecedented act that sealed the bond between Bulgaria and the Jewish people for eternity. At the time, Bulgarian politicians from across the political spectrum, members of Parliament led by Dimitar Peshev, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, writers, lawyers, doctors, artists, journalists, and many other prominent public figures stood up for their fellow Jewish citizens and opposed the government’s plan to deport them.
As a result, all of Bulgaria’s pre-war Jewish community who lived within the country’s borders — nearly 50,000 Jews — remained alive. A total of 11,343 Jews living in Bulgarian-occupied territories in Macedonia and Thrace were deported to concentration camps, with the participation of Bulgarian authorities.
After 1948, most Bulgarian Jews left Soviet-allied Bulgaria and immigrated to Israel. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Bulgarian Jews constituted 5% of all new immigrants in the 1948-1954 period. They created a living bridge between Bulgaria and Israel that has lasted for decades and should continue for many years to come.
Following the October 7, 2023 terrorist atrocities, Bulgaria demonstrated strong institutional support for Israel. The government condemned Hamas’s terrorist attack and expressed unwavering support for Israel. The National Assembly building was illuminated with the colors of the Israeli flag as a sign of solidarity. Bulgaria granted permission to Israeli citizens to fly to Israel and use the same planes to return without any restrictions, and at no additional cost. A “Prayer for Peace” was held at Sofia Central Synagogue that was attended by the president, the chairman of the National Assembly, and other high-ranking officials, along with leaders and members of all religious faiths, ruling majority members, and ambassadors.
In October 2023, the National Assembly approved a strong declaration in support of Israel, with no opposing votes. In November, Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem, reaffirming Bulgaria’s full support for Israel and belief in Israel’s right to self-defense. A group of Bulgarian MPs visited Kfar Aza, Sderot, and the Shura military base to witness the aftermath of the October 7 massacre firsthand.
Bulgaria continued to stand by Israel in the following months. Pro-Palestinian rallies were banned by the authorities due to their indirect support for the terrorist organization Hamas. As antisemitism surged in the rest of Europe in the wake of October 7, its manifestations in Bulgaria have been limited to occasional hate speech on social media. Bulgarian universities have adhered to sound academic practices and provided a platform for Israeli voices to be heard.
On April 5, 2024, the UN Human Rights Council adopted an anti-Israel resolution condemning Israel for the war in Gaza, opposing its right to defend itself, and demanding that it be subjected to an arms embargo. Bulgaria was one of six countries, including the United States and Germany, that voted against the resolution. This was a strong demonstration that Bulgaria continues to be one of Israel’s most dependable global partners.
Economic and trade relations
Bulgaria and Israel cooperate in many fields, including politics, economics, strategic issues, culture, innovation, cybersecurity, energy, healthcare, and environmental protection. Many Israeli companies have offices in Bulgaria.
Bulgarian-Israeli trade and economic relations are founded on a robust bilateral legal framework established in the 1990s and strengthened by agreements such as the 2009 Economic Cooperation Agreement, the 2012 Agreement for Bilateral Cooperation in Industrial Research and Development, and the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding between the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Bulgarian Ministry of Economy, Energy, and Tourism, regarding defense industry cooperation. Israel recently ratified the Agreement for Cooperation in the Field of Water, which is expected to take effect immediately.
In recent years, bilateral trade has grown and diversified. In 2022, Israeli exports to Bulgaria totaled $62.8 million, including copper scrap, non-woven fabrics, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, polymers, plastic elements, and fertilizers. In the same year, Israel imported $320 million worth of goods from Bulgaria, including petroleum oils, wheat, rye, barley, starch, plastic elements, passenger cars, and chemical elements. By the end of 2023, Israeli investments in Bulgaria amounted to €298.1 million, according to the Bulgarian National Bank.
Tourism
Tourism traditions between Bulgaria and Israel are longstanding. Israelis are warmly welcomed in Bulgaria, and the number of Israeli tourists has been steadily increasing. This positive trend was unaffected by Hezbollah’s terrorist attack on Israelis on July 18, 2012, at Burgas Airport in Sarafovo.
In 2022, more than 174,000 Israeli tourists visited Bulgaria compared to 54,342 the previous year, according to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. Direct flights between Tel Aviv and Sofia are operated by six companies, varying by season. Israelis are drawn to Bulgaria’s natural beauty, rich history, warm hospitality, and cuisine. Popular destinations for Israeli tourists include Sofia, Nessebar, Varna, Bansko, Samokov, Borovets and Plovdiv. At the same time, Israel is a favored destination for pilgrims from Christian-majority Bulgaria.
In January 2023, the tourism ministers of Bulgaria and Israel, Ilin Dimitrov and Haim Katz, respectively, signed an agreement in Sofia to enhance cooperation in specific tourism sectors, such as spa and wellness, adventure, cultural-historical, and religious tourism.
Why strong ties with Bulgaria are important
Bulgaria is an important ally for Israel in the Balkans, especially after the deterioration in Israeli-Turkish relations over the ongoing war in Gaza. In 2023, Bulgaria and Turkey celebrated the 100th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. They enjoy good neighborly relations and are NATO allies. Turkey is Bulgaria’s largest non-EU trading partner, with trade between the two countries exceeding €7 billion in 2022. Bilateral tourism is also significant. Bulgaria supports Turkey’s EU membership bid and is often referred to as “Turkey’s gateway to Europe.”
When regional and global challenges arise, Bulgaria and Turkey look to each other for mutual support. After Russia cut gas supplies to EU nations via Ukraine, the two countries cooperated to ensure the energy security of southeastern Europe, with Turkey playing a crucial role thanks to its LNG terminals. Bulgaria is in the middle of several EU energy corridors and has its own extensive network of gas pipelines. This positions Bulgaria as an important transit country for potential pipelines that could transport non-Russian gas to eastern as well as central Europe, which would help Europe reduce its dependency on Russia.
On May 2, Turkey’s trade ministry announced that it was freezing all trade with Israel due to the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. (Trade turnover between Israel and Turkey amounted to over $7 billion in 2023.) To bypass these restrictions and maintain the flow of Turkish goods to Israel, importers are considering routes through European countries like Bulgaria and Romania.
Bulgaria, a co-founder of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), has been active in its development and regional cooperation efforts. Initiated by Turkey, BSEC has grown into a significant international organization that works to enhance regional economic integration. Bulgaria values BSEC’s economic cooperation, seeing it as vital for regional development with substantial trade and energy potential across two continents.
Since Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, BSEC’s scope has expanded, integrating EU member states, strategic partners, candidate countries, and partner countries. Key priorities include energy and transport infrastructure, security, and the adoption of European democratic norms.
Bulgaria supports various strategic projects, including major pipelines and transport links, to enhance regional cooperation. Overall, BSEC has proven to be a successful framework for regional cooperation. Bulgaria remains dedicated to fostering synergy between BSEC and the EU, contributing to the region’s prosperity and stability.
Given these factors, Bulgaria could serve as a catalyst for the fostering of closer ties between Israel and BSEC member countries. It could also serve as a mediator between Israel and Turkey when those states are ready for a rapprochement. Additionally, Bulgaria could serve as a gateway to Israel for other Balkan countries, allowing them to replace Turkey’s significance for Israel in an assortment of sectors and strengthen their ties with Israel.
Prof. Efrat Aviv is a senior researcher at the BESA Center and an associate professor in the Department of History and at Bar-Ilan University. Dr. Petar Stoilov is a researcher at the University Center for Regional Studies and Analyses at Sofia University, “St. Kliment Ohridski”. A version of this article was originally published by The BESA Center.
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‘Free Palestine’ Activist in Arizona Wearing ‘Israel Kills Children’ T-Shirt Gets Arrested After Refusing to Leave Gym
A pro-Palestinian activist who was kicked out of a gym in Gilbert, Arizona, and arrested after he wore a shirt that read “Israel Kills Children.” Photo: Screenshot
A pro-Palestinian activist wearing an offensive T-shirt critical of Israel was kicked out of a gym in Gilbert, Arizona, and arrested this week after he ignored requests by gym management to leave the premises.
The man, who goes by the social media handle Resistance is Beautiful, posted videos of the incident on Wednesday on Instagram. It began when he was exercising at a Life Time gym in Gilbert while wearing a black short-sleeve T-shirt that said “Israel Kills Children.” He said that when he arrived at the gym and was checked in, a gym employee told him that he needed to take off the shirt, whose message was an apparent commentary on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war falsely accusing the Jewish state of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. He refused to take off the shirt.
Shortly afterward, the gym’s manager approached the activist and told him that he must leave the premises for not having “an active membership, or the gym would call the police. When the activist refused to leave the facility, police were called to escort him out of the building.
“You don’t have an active membership so I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” the gym’s manager, Mike Esposito, said to the anti-Israel activist in a video shared on Instagram.
“I just paid for my membership, what do you mean?” the activist replied. “I pay for my membership … I’ve been a member here for three years. Payment goes through every month.”
“Someone from corporate … the cops are on their way,” Esposito said. “Your membership is not active so we called the police because you’re trespassing here in the club.”
The activist then asked Esposito, “Is the problem the shirt? Or is it the skin color?” He also told the manager: “You know where there are no more gyms left? In Palestine. Because you guys bombed it all. Are you offended by the shirt or the fact that you guys kill all the Palestinians in the gyms over there [in Gaza]. Is the problem the shirt?”
Esposito, who is reportedly not Jewish or Israeli but of Italian descent, ignored the man’s questions about the T-shirt and his remarks about Palestinians. Instead, the manager repeatedly said that the activist does not have an active membership at the facility. “You just don’t have an active membership, so right now you’re trespassing because you’re in the club without an active membership,” he said. “We have to ask you to leave.”
Two Gilbert police officers arrived not long afterward and arrested the anti-Israel activist for trespassing. Before they escorted him out of the gym, he told police, “There’s a Holocaust going on in Palestine … there are no more gyms left in Palestine, you guys bombed all of them. Free Palestine.” He also shared that he wore the “Israel Kills Children” T-shirt previously at the gym, and staff members told him in the past that it was offensive. “They’ve always said, ‘Oh that shirt is offensive.’ You know, typical Gilbert white supremacy stuff,” he said.
The founder, CEO, chairman, and president of Life Time is Bahram Akradi, who was born in Tehran, Iran, and emigrated to the US months before the 1979 Iranian revolution. He founded the chain of gyms in 1992.
The activist was released from the Gilbert police station shortly after the incident at the gym. “There is no greater honor in the world than to sit in a jail cell for Palestine,” he said in an Instagram video posted on Wednesday after his release. “And we’ll do it over and over and over again until we break this enemy and we get Palestine back. That’s my word.”
The man has shared other photos and videos on social media of him clashing with police officers in Gilbert, trespassing while carrying a Palestinian flag and getting arrested for his anti-Israel activism. He also shared clips of himself wearing other anti-Israel shirts, including one that read “Israel is a terrorist project, Free Palestine,” and another that said, “Israel KILLS and America covers it up.”
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Gal Gadot Addresses Controversy Over Not Wearing Hostage Pin to the Golden Globes
Gal Gadot at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Photo: Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY via Reuters Connect
Israeli actress Gal Gadot took to social media on Wednesday to explain why she did not wear to the 82nd Golden Globes this past weekend a pin in solidarity with the 100 hostages still held by Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip for more than 450 days.
In a message shared on her Instagram Story, the “Wonder Woman” star, 39, started by clarifying that contrary to Israeli media reports, she was “never forbidden” by Golden Globes organizers from wearing to the award ceremony on Sunday night in Beverly Hills a pin that featured a yellow ribbon, which is a symbol that calls for the return of hostages abducted by Hamas terrorists from Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“Some people chose to tell a story that never happened, and I prefer to focus on what’s real and truly important — our hostages,” she wrote. She then detailed her conscious decision not to wear a pin with a yellow ribbon to the Golden Globes — a move for which she was widely criticized by many pro-Israel supporters on social media. The “Red Notice” star explained that she instead chose to show solidarity with the hostages by wearing a yellow sapphire ring to the award show, where she was a presenter.
“Everyone expresses their support in a way that suits them. I chose to share a post with global reach and wear a yellow ring as a symbol of solidarity,” she wrote in the Instagram Story. “What truly matters is that the hostages come home now. My heart is with the families waiting for them. May we experience quieter and safer days.”
The message on her Instagram Story was written in both English and Hebrew, and was accompanied by an image of a yellow ribbon.
Before the Golden Globes took place on Sunday night, Gadot uploaded a post on Instagram that featured a statement and photos about the remaining 100 hostages with a focus on 20-year-old Israeli hostage Liri Albag, who was featured in a video that Hamas released on Saturday. Albag was taken hostage along with six other female soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces at the Nahal Oz army base on the Israel-Gaza border during the deadly Hamas-led terrorist attack in southern Israel in October 2023. The five women are still held hostage by Hamas.
Gadot wrote in her Instagram post on Sunday afternoon that while she prepared to attend the Golden Globes, “my heart is heavy, and my soul aches knowing the hostages are still there [in Gaza].” She added: “Every day that passes without an agreement puts their lives in greater danger. I can’t stop thinking about the families, waiting for them, counting the hours, the minutes, clinging to hope. They must come home. We all deserve to see them return, alive. Bring them home now.”
Gadot presented at the 82nd Golden Globes wearing a custom black silk Giorgio Armani Privé long sleeve gown that she styled with Tiffany & Co. jewelry and a yellow sapphire ring.
A screenshot of Gal Gadot’s Instagram Story.
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Polish President Wants Netanyahu to Be Able to Go to Auschwitz Anniversary Despite ICC Arrest Warrant: Aide
People with Israeli flags attend the International March of the Living at the former Auschwitz Nazi German death camp, in Brzezinka near Oswiecim, Poland, May 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki
Poland’s president asked the government to ensure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can choose to attend the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Nazi death camp without fear of arrest under an ICC warrant, a senior aide said on Thursday.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his ex-defense minister, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group.
Israel has condemned the warrants for Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Gallant, saying that it has acted in self-defense in its air and ground war in Gaza triggered by Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border invasion of and massacre across southern Israel.
On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that President Andrzej Duda had written Prime Minister Donald Tusk saying Poland should ensure Netanyahu can be “unhindered” in attending the Jan. 27 Auschwitz commemoration given the event’s exceptional nature.
Malgorzata Paprocka, the head of Duda’s office, confirmed to state news agency PAP on Thursday that such a letter had been sent.
“In the opinion of the president, there is one issue — precisely because it is the Auschwitz camp, every person from Israel, every representative of the authorities of this country should have the opportunity to take part in this exceptional event.”
She said Duda was waiting for a response. Tusk’s office did not reply to an emailed request for comment.
Duda is a right-wing nationalist who has had tense relations with Tusk’s centrist, pro-European government since it took office in December 2023.
Asked by state-run news channel TVP Info whether Netanyahu could count on a guarantee from Poland that he would not be arrested, Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said: “There is no such topic, because Mr. Netanyahu is not coming to Europe.”
Meanwhile, the Polish Foreign Ministry denied reports on Thursday that the country had threatened to arrest Netanyahu should he choose to attend the Jan. 27 ceremony marking 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz.
“We are aware that this fake news is being spread in the US media, as if Polish Secretary of State Władysław T. Bartoszewski had stated that Prime Minister Netanyahu would be arrested upon his arrival in Poland, based on a ruling by the International Criminal Court,” the Foreign Ministry told JNS in a statement.
“Such a statement has never been made,” the ministry added. “Poland is a safe country and any leader visiting Poland is entitled to protection granted by the Ministry of the Interior.”
A spokesperson for Netanyahu declined to comment. Netanyahu has not said whether he would attend the Auschwitz commemoration. He has attended previous anniversary events at Auschwitz.
Over 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, perished in gas chambers or from starvation, cold, and disease at Auschwitz, which Nazi Germany set up in occupied Poland during World War Two.
More than three million of Poland’s 3.2 million Jews were murdered by the Nazis, accounting for about half of the Jews killed in the Holocaust.
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