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world news Dialuna 9 november 2020

Dutch Protestant Church admits failing Jews in World War II

(AP) — The Dutch before Adolf Hitler came to their minds, walking naked in
Protestant Church made power in Germany. the camp, suffering constant
a far-reaching recognition “For centuries a rift was hunger, even eating butterfly
of guilt Sunday for its maintained that could later cocoons,” he said. In March
failure to do more to help isolate the Jews in society in 1945, he said the camp’s
Jews during and after such a way that they could be prisoners were transported
World War II, and for the taken away and murdered,” to eastern Germany and
church’s role in preparing De Reuver said. expected to face the gas
”the ground in which the chamber, but Soviet soldiers
seeds of anti-Semitism “Also in the war years, the liberated them on April 1.
and hatred could grow.” ecclesiastical authorities often “My mother didn’t survive.
lacked the courage to choose Mama was weakened from
The long-awaited, historic a position for the Jewish the hunger in that awful train
statement came at a solemn citizens of our country,” he transport and was buried in
ceremony to mark Monday’s added. More than 100,000 a mass grave by the railroad
anniversary of the Nazis’ anti- Dutch Jews — 70% of the tracks,” he said. Other family
Jewish Kristallnacht pogrom, Jewish community — didn’t members contracted typhus.
or the “Night of Broken survive World War II. Most Vorst finally made it home in
Glass.” On Nov. 9, 1938, Jews were deported, along with March the following year.
were terrorized throughout Roma and Sinti, and killed in of this sinful history.” in Sunday’s ceremony, and
Germany and Austria. At Nazi concentration camps. He acknowledged that the recounted his experience. “I De Reuver promised that the
least 91 people were killed, problems didn’t end with the was 5 years old when I was Protestant Church would
hundreds of synagogues In a statement to the Nazi defeat in 1945, noting taken away in April 1943. I work to fight anti-Semitism
burned down, around 7,500 Netherlands’ Jewish problems with restitution still see agents standing in the going forward. Stressing the
Jewish businesses vandalized, community, de Reuver of property to the Jewish front garden of our house in importance of educating
and up to 30,000 Jewish men ackowledged it had taken community when some Rotterdam,” Rabbi Les Vorst future generations about racist
arrested, many of whom were far too long for the church returned from concentration said. He and his parents, hatred, the church said, “We
taken away to concentration to recognize its role, adding: camps, and the resistance of sister and two brothers were undertake to do everything
camps. “We hope it is not too late.” some Christian families who sent to a Dutch concentration possible to further develop
“The church recognizes had taken in Jewish orphans camp at Westerbork, then Judeo-Christian relations
René de Reuver, speaking on faults and feels a present to return them to their Jewish transferred to another camp. into a deep friendship of
behalf of the General Synod responsibility,” he said. “Anti- relatives after the war. two equal partners, united
of the Protestant Church in Semitism is a sin against “The conditions there were among others in the fight
the Netherlands, said the God and against people. The A rabbi who survived the unbearable. People were against contemporary anti-
church’s role began long Protestant Church is also part Holocaust also took part abused, people were losing Semitism.”
UK bans non-resident arrivals from Denmark over mink fears

(AP) — The British gov- British national or resident the Danish government has
ernment has banned travelers who had been in or ordered the cull of all 15
freight drivers who have transited through Denmark million minks bred at Den-
traveled through Den- in the preceding 14 days mark’s 1,139 mink farms and
mark over the past 14 days would be denied entry. has put more than a quarter
and aren't residents of the million Danes in a northern
U.K. from entering Eng- “Given the significant un- region of the country into
land, as it tightened travel knowns regarding the new lockdown. It has said a mu-
restrictions from a coun- mutation of COVID-19 tation of the virus has been
try witnessing widespread originating in Denmark we found in 12 people infected
coronavirus outbreaks at have moved quickly to pro- by minks.
mink farms. tect our citizens and prevent
the spread of the virus to the Denmark, the world’s largest
Under the new rules that U.K,” the Department for mink fur exporter, produces
came into force at 4 a.m. Transport said in a statement an estimated 17 million furs
Sunday, passenger planes and Sunday. per year. Kopenhagen Fur, a
ships traveling from Den- were required to quarantine cooperative of 1,500 Danish
mark, and any accompanying From Saturday, British na- themselves with other mem- The travel ban and extra re- breeders, accounts for 40%
freight, also won't be allowed tionals or residents return- bers of their household until quirements will be reviewed of the global mink produc-
to dock. Freight drivers had ing to the U.K. directly or two weeks passed since they after a week, it added. tion. Most of its exports go to
been exempt from the ban. indirectly from Denmark were last in Denmark. Non- Taking a safety first approach, China and Hong Kong.

Club-wielding police in Belarus arrest over 500 protesters

(AP) — Club-swinging tors tried to enter the center including well-known model dependent news media since Lukashenko. “Joe Biden has
police went after demon- of Minsk from several direc- Olga Khizhinkova, a former coming to power in 1994, has spoken out more than once
strators in Belarus' capital tions, but police cordoned off Miss Belarus. refused dialogue with op- and taken a firm position of
who were demanding the the area with armored vehi- The wave of protests, un- ponents and has alleged that support for the Belarusian
resignation of the coun- cles and phalanxes of riot of- precedented in their size and Western countries have in- people,” she said. She also ex-
try’s authoritarian presi- ficers and prevented the pro- duration, began after the Aug. cited the protests. horted protesters to continue
dent on Sunday, the 90th testers from assembling in a 9 election that official results His main election challenger, demonstrating.
consecutive day of pro- single place. say gave President Alexander Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, “We have stood against law-
tests. The Belarusian Association Lukashenko a sixth term in who fled to Lithuania un- lessness and violence for 90
of Journalists said at least office. The opposition and der pressure from officials days already. In these 90 days,
Human rights activists said nine journalists were de- some poll workers say the re- after the election, on Sun- Belarusians made the regime
hundreds of people were ar- tained. The human rights sults were manipulated. day expressed hope that Joe understand that they have
rested. organization Viasna said 548 Lukashenko, who has sup- Biden, the U.S. president- lost legitimacy and author-
Thousands of demonstra- people were arrested in all, pressed opposition and in- elect, would put pressure on ity,” she said.