Efstathios C. Lianos Liantis
Head of the Greek Delegation to the IHRA
Member country since: 2005
Remembrance Days: 27 January (International Holocaust Remembrance Day)
Georgios Polydorakis (Expert Counselor, Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives, Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs) – Deputy Head of Delegation
Zanet Battinou (Director of the Jewish Museum of Greece) – Museums and Memorials Working Group
Paul Isaac Hagouel (Jewish Community of Thessaloniki) – Academic Working Group
Vassiliki Keramida (Ministry of Education) – Education Working Group
Leon Saltiel (Central Board of Jewish Communities) – Academic Working Group
Angeliki Ziaka (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) – Academic Working Group
Georgios Antoniou (Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki) – Education Working Group
Georgios-Ioannis Vilanakis (Pan-Hellenic Confederation of Greek Roma “Ellan Passe”) – Committee on the Genocide of the Roma
Athanasios Mitrou (Management and Communication Assistant at the European Roma Grassroots Organisations Network, Pan-Hellenic Confederation of Greek Roma “Ellan Passe”) – Committee on the Genocide of the Roma
Georgios Pilichos (Auschwitz and Holocaust Scholar) – Memorials and Museums Working Group
The historic meeting of the Jewish world with Greek civilization in ancient times was one of the most important cultural events in the history of humanity and formed the foundation of modern Western Culture. Jewish Hellenism is an integral part of Greek history and the Jewish presence in mainland Greece dates back more than two millennia.
The overwhelming majority of Greek citizens reject all acts of xenophobia and intolerance. This is due to our long history as the cradle of Democracy and our strong belief in the importance of humanistic values. In addition, the principles of the Stockholm Declaration have been implemented in many ways in contemporary Greek society, such as through education, academic research, memorials and, of course, the press and other mass media channels. In this regard, a milestone is the 2014 Anti-racism Law which is far more encompassing than any other contemporary definition of antisemitism.
All Greek societal institutions strive continuously to eradicate any remnant of prejudice. To this effect, our participation in the IHRA highlights our determination to honour the martyrdom and sacrifice of thousands of Jewish Greeks in the Holocaust and is the springboard for a more thorough understanding of the past, which leads to a continuous enhancement of tolerance and understanding in the present and, hopefully, for generations to come.