PRESIDENT KATSAV APPLAUD'S CROATIA'S RESOLUTENESS TO FACE PAST

JERUSALEM, Oct 30 (Hina) - Israel appreciates Croatian President Stjepan Mesic's personal resoluteness and that of the Croatian government to face their own past, Israeli President Moshe Katsav said in Jerusalem Tuesday. Katsav also applauded Mesic's decision to educate the new generations about the holocaust. The Israeli people, he continued, hails the course of relations between the two countries and is prepared to exert efforts in the building of political and economic bridges with Croatia, he said. "The holocaust is a crime with no precedent in the history in mankind," President Mesic said, stressing that there were still those, historians in particular, who were trying to negate the holocaust. This is why it is important to resists historical revision and to transfer lectures on the holocaust to all new generations, he said. After the elections Croatia has turned a new leaf in its history, Mesic said, stressing that "this Croatia does not hide from its own past and is prepared to face the dark side of its history". "I am proud to be here as the first Croatian President," he said and voiced hope that his visit to Israel would open a new chapter in relations between the two countries. (hina) lml