Final Report of the International Commission on the - Minority Rights ...
Final Report of the International Commission on the - Minority Rights ...
Final Report of the International Commission on the - Minority Rights ...
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fulfilling Ant<strong>on</strong>escu’s instructi<strong>on</strong>s. Indeed I<strong>on</strong> Ant<strong>on</strong>escu stated <strong>on</strong> October 6, 1941, at a meeting <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Council <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ministers: “I have decided to evacuate all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> [<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Jews] forever from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se regi<strong>on</strong>s. I still have<br />
about 10,000 Jews in Bessarabia who will be sent bey<strong>on</strong>d <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dniester within several days, and if<br />
circumstances permit, bey<strong>on</strong>d <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Urals.” On November 14 in ano<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r meeting <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Council <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Ministers, I<strong>on</strong> Ant<strong>on</strong>escu stated: “I have enough difficulties with those Jidani that I sent to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bug. How<br />
many died <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir way is known <strong>on</strong>ly by me.” Participants at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same meeting heard <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> following<br />
situati<strong>on</strong> reports from General Voiculescu, governor <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Bessarabia: “The Jidani d<strong>on</strong>’t exist anymore.<br />
There are 100 sick Jews in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ghetto at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> crossing point for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> deportees from Bukovina.”<br />
At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> November 13, 1941, sessi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Council <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ministers, Ant<strong>on</strong>escu ordered that deported<br />
Jewish state retirees be denied <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir pensi<strong>on</strong>s. In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> same sessi<strong>on</strong> Ant<strong>on</strong>escu expressed a deep interest in<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> campaign against <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Jews <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Odessa, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n underway:<br />
Ant<strong>on</strong>escu: Has <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> repressi<strong>on</strong> been sufficiently severe?<br />
Alexianu: It has been, Marshal.<br />
Ant<strong>on</strong>escu: What do you mean by “sufficiently severe”?…<br />
Alexianu: It was very severe, Marshal.<br />
Ant<strong>on</strong>escu: I said that for every dead Romanian, 200 Jews [should die] and that for every Romanian<br />
wounded 100 Jews [should die]. Did you [see to] that?<br />
Alexianu: The Jews <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Odessa were executed and hung in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> streets….<br />
Ant<strong>on</strong>escu: Do it, because I am <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong>e who answers for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country and to history. [If <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Jews <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
America d<strong>on</strong>’t like this] let <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m come and settle <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> score with me.<br />
During his trial I<strong>on</strong> Ant<strong>on</strong>escu acknowledged his resp<strong>on</strong>sibility in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Odessa executi<strong>on</strong>s in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
following way:<br />
Public Prosecutor Saracu: Who signed <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> order to execute 200 people for every <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficer and 100 for<br />
every soldier?<br />
Accused I<strong>on</strong> Ant<strong>on</strong>escu: I gave that order, because I also did it in Romania and I promulgated many<br />
more repressive laws, as did all states during that period….We did not execute any Jews, we did not<br />
execute any youth; I did give <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> order for reprisals, but not for massacres.<br />
In fact <strong>on</strong> October 24, 1941, General Macici, commander <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Sec<strong>on</strong>d Army Corps (<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Romanian<br />
military command in Odessa), received telegram no. 563 from Col<strong>on</strong>el Davidescu, chief <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Military<br />
Cabinet, which stated that Marshal Ant<strong>on</strong>escu had ordered fur<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r reprisals: “1) Executi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> all Jews<br />
from Bessarabia who have sought refuge in Odessa; 2) All individuals who fall under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> stipulati<strong>on</strong>s <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
[telegram 562] <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> October 23, 1941, not yet executed and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>rs who can be added <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>reto [sic] will<br />
be placed inside a building that will be mined and det<strong>on</strong>ated. This acti<strong>on</strong> will take place <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> day <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
burial <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> victims; 3) This order will be destroyed after being read.” On October 27, 1941, Col<strong>on</strong>el<br />
Davidescu asked if this order had been carried out, to which <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Fourth Army replied that it had indeed<br />
been executed (telegram 3218).<br />
At <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> December 4, 1941, meeting <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Council <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Ministers, Ant<strong>on</strong>escu indicated his frustrati<strong>on</strong><br />
that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Jews <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> Chisinau had been deported before <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y could be plundered. Because <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> that oversight,<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Jews were robbed by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir escorts at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> crossing points <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Dniester ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> state bank<br />
in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> ghetto. This is what underlay Ant<strong>on</strong>escu’s demand for a commissi<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> inquiry ra<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r than any<br />
outrage at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> abuses suffered by <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Jews. “Instead <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> eating <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> bread <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Romanian country it is<br />
better that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y eat <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> bread <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> that regi<strong>on</strong>.” Observing that even Nazi Germany was slow at <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>