AJC blasts Baltakos, stands by PM

The American Jewish Congress has issued an announcement calling the resignation of Takis Baltakos, chief of staff to Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, entirely warranted, following the revelation of his meeting with a senior official of the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn.

“What Mr. Baltakos did is an affront to Prime Minister Samaras and to the vast majority of the Greek people,” said AJC Executive Director David Harris. “Meeting with Golden Dawn is shocking enough by itself, but expressing sympathy for the party -- or, in reality, the criminal organization, as the government has declared -- is beyond belief,” said David Harris, adding: “The video is damning.”

The Jewish American leader voiced support for prime Minister Antonis Samaras. “This incident must have been a real shock for Prime Minister Samaras, who has shown such strong moral and political leadership in confronting Golden Dawn,” said Mr Harris. “At the same time, we are encouraged that the prime minister and Greece’s judicial and legislative bodies will continue to pursue Golden Dawn, whose racism and xenophobia threaten democratic Greece.”

As AJC stresses the organization has been visiting Greece regularly for over three decades, cooperates closely with Hellenic-American groups, and has an association agreement with KIS, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece.