Greek mayor backs down in controversy over Star of David on monument to Holocaust victims

KAVALA, Greece – Faced with blistering criticism over objecting to the presence of the Star of David on a monument dedicated to Holocaust victims, the mayor of Kavala in northern Greece told protesters Sunday that the dedication ceremony, originally set for this Sunday, will take place "very soon."

Mayor Dimitra Tsanaka confirmed that councilors from her list had objected to the size and placement of the Star of David on a commemorative stone, although she denied she shared the opinion or wanted the star removed, as the Central Board of Jewish Communities has alleged.

Dozens of protesters wearing yellow Stars of David gathered Sunday to denounce the delay in the ceremony.

The memorial commemorates the arrest of 1,484 Jewish residents of Kavala in March 1943 and their deaths in the Treblinka extermination camp.