by Benjamin Weinthal

Bulgaria’s investigatory report placed the blame squarely on Hezbollah for the murders of five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver last July.

Since the disclosure on Tuesday by the Bulgarian interior minister, the country’s media has been saturated with coverage of the findings.

In a series of interviews with The Jerusalem Post over the past few days with media experts, journalists and a top Jewish leader, a diverse picture of reactions has emerged.

Solomon Bali, president of the B’nai B’rith Carmel lodge in Sofia, said, “I was not surprised by Hezbollah” being identified as the agent behind the terrorist attack, but about the timing of the announcement.

Bali had expected the Bulgarian authorities to attribute the blame to Hezbollah at a later stage. “The truth has to be spoken,” he said.

When asked about the effects on the local Jewish community, Bali said, “Yes, that brings some tensions against the Jews.

It is not nice for us to see some of the comments [on the Internet], but we will survive.”

“I am amazed by the reaction in the social media against the decision of the government,” he added. Some of the Internet comments said the Bulgarians blamed Hezbollah “because of the Jews and Americans,” and this “brings terrorism into the country,” Bali said…more.