CRO ANTI-FASCISTS WELCOME ANNOUNCED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL

ISRAEL $ ZAGREB, Aug 26 (Hina) - The Association of Anti-Fascist Fighters of Croatia on Tuesday issued a statement welcoming an announced establishment of diplomatic relations between Croatia and Israel. "We also welcome the statement of the President of Croatia on the occasion of the announcement of the establishment of those relations, which condemn Ustasha crimes committed during WW2, as well as the condemnation of fascism, nazism, racial and religious hatred and intolerance", said the statement. "Present-day Croatia follows the anti-fascist struggle, and not NDH (Independent Republic of Croatia,1941-1945), as is stated in the preamble of the Croatian constitution", the statement further said, and pointed out that "anti-fascist Croatia regretted and regrets the crime over Jews committed by Ustashas". In the Croatian people's anti-fascist struggle, many Jews and members of other peoples had actually been saved, it added. "We believe the statement issued on the occasion of the announcement of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel will be the beginning of a practice of a principled attitude towards the original anti-fascists", the statement concluded. (hina) ha jn 261314 MET aug 97