The Ustasha regime was one of the horrible regimes of Nazi collaborationists in this region, and an active partner in the killing of dozens of thousands of ethnic Jews, Serbs, Roma, and other opponents to the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said on Wednesday in Jasenovac.

He added that Croatia has the moral obligation to deal with the past as it is the foundation of every just society and an important element of its friendship with Israel.

Rivlin and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic visited the Jasenovac Memorial Museum and laid wreaths at the Jasenovac memorial.

Rivlin said that not only the majority of Jews who lived in the 1941-45 NDH were killed at the Jasenovac concentration camp, but tens of thousands of Serbs, Roma and other opponents to the regime as well.

He said Croatia’s ability to deal with the past and not ignore it was a moral obligation which was the foundation of every just society. It will also remain an important element in the friendship between Croatia and Israel, he added.

We all have an obligation to do everything to honour the memory of those who perished, and any support for laws or attempts to eradicate or silence historical research into the crimes committed by the Nazis and their collaborationists must not be allowed, said Rivlin.

On the eve of World War II, around 40,000 Jews lived in the NDH, and to them Croatia had been a warm home for centuries – however, during World War II it became a mass grave for the majority of Croatian Jews, who were killed only because they were Jews, he said. Rivlin also said the Kaddish prayer for the dead.

President Grabar-Kitarovic expressed deep sorrow for the victims of the Holocaust in Croatia and the victims of the collaborationist Ustasha regime, and added that not one political goal can justify any crimes committed in their name.

“In this place, under the Jasenovac memorial, I wish to express my deep sorrow for all the victims of the Holocaust in Croatia and the victims of the collaborationist Ustasha regime during World War II which brought horrific suffering to the Jewish community, but also to the Serbs, Roma and Croats, and all those who were considered to be enemies of the regime of that time,” Grabar-Kitarovic said.

“Not one political objective nor order can justify the crimes that were committed in its name. As such, Croatia continues to care about the collective memory of the crimes that occurred here, of the tragedy of Croatian citizens, and above all the crimes against Croatian citizens,” Grabar-Kitarovic added.

We owe remembering each individual victim of the Holocaust. I believe that that is best done in silence, with a sincere human bow to the victims, she added.

Grabar-Kitarovic said that many Croats opposed that regime, and died for freedom and humanity, putting the country on the right side of history.

Many of the Righteous Among the Nations rejected the regime. They were a symbol of light and courage in the darkness of war and crime. We are exceptionally grateful for their courage, she added, referring to 117 Croatians proclaimed Righteous Among the Nations, a title awarded by Israel to non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from persecution.

She added that the contemporary Republic of Croatia is founded on the anti-fascist struggle in World War II as well as the 1991-95 war of independence, which was extremely important for Croatians because it finally brought them freedom, and that Croatia was forced to defend itself from aggression which brought horrific crimes and destruction with it.

“After World War II we were convinced that nothing similar could ever happen again on European soil. And then the tragedies of Skabrnja, Vukovar and Srebrenica occurred. Those tragedies testify that peace and values of humanity and democracy must never be taken for granted, the president said, referring to war crimes committed during the wars of the 1990s.

She added that today Croatia is a proud member of the European Union and NATO, founded on common values which it shares with Israel and the international community, values of democracy, freedom and respect of every individual, regardless of their origin.

“I take this opportunity to once again condemn all totalitarian regimes – nazism, fascism, communism – and to stress that education is the strongest weapon against any form of radical ideology, division, hate and racism,” she said.

“That is why I most strongly condemn manipulation with the numbers of victims of the Holocaust in the Jasenovac concentration camp that aren’t founded on historical fact and are used for daily politicking or to impose collective guilt on Croatia and the Croatian people,” Grabar-Kitarovic said.

“We are here above all as human beings, as parents, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters. We have to responsibly insist on the truth. So that we don’t forget. So that it never occurs again,” Grabar-Kitarovic said, concluding her speech with a Hebrew phrase “Tikkun olam”, or “make the world a better place.”

Follow N1 via mobile apps for Android | iPhone/iPad | Windows| and social media on Twitter | Facebook.