Romanian Senator Denies Iași Pogrom Ahead of Israeli President's Speech

A protest erupted in the Romanian Parliament on Monday as members of the SOS România party attempted to disrupt the proceedings ahead of a speech by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The group, led by Simona Macovei, sought to enter the plenary hall with banners and a Palestinian flag, but their protest materials were confiscated.

During the demonstration, Senator Dumitru Manea sparked controversy by denying the historical reality of the Iași Pogrom. He asserted that the atrocities committed against Jews between June 27-30, 1941, were solely carried out by German troops. Manea stated, "There was no pogrom in Iași... We have no responsibility, since these crimes were assumed [by Germany]."

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The greatest political nastiness was that the massacres were called a pogrom. I am a senator from Iași and I don't like it because the population of Iași is wronged, because they and their families are families of genocidaires, of criminals.

Manea's claims directly contradict the findings of historians and the Report of the International Commission for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania. This report indicates that approximately 14,850 Jews were killed during the Iași Pogrom, with responsibility attributed to Romanian authorities, German soldiers, and segments of the civilian population. The senator argued that the term 'pogrom' unfairly labels the people of Iași as genocidaires and criminals, suggesting that historical works lack sufficient proof and that judicial documents should be required to substantiate such claims.

The protest occurred shortly before President Herzog's address, during which he praised Romania's efforts in commemorating the Holocaust and combating antisemitism, highlighting the strengthening relationship between Israel and Romania over the past 78 years.

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There was no pogrom in Iași (...) We have no responsibility, since these crimes were assumed [by Germany].