No anti-Semitism at state level in Ukraine, Ihor Kolomoisky says
There are manifestations of anti-Semitism in some regions of Ukraine, but there are no such cases at the state level, President of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine Ihor Kolomoisky has said at the seventh Jewish congress in Dnipropetrovsk on Tuesday.
However, he divided anti-Semitism in two parts: home and state.
"We must divide anti-Semitism in two parts: national anti-Semitism, which has always existed, and state anti-Semitism. Today in Ukraine the law says that there is no state anti-Semitism, apart from individual cases of some officials," Kolomoisky said.
He gave an example, when during the election campaign the heads of the Khmelnytsky regional state administration showed evidence of anti-Semitism.
According to Kolomoisky, local communities and central office of the united community will fight these manifestations with everything at their disposal.
"Concerning state anti-Semitism expressed by any branch of power: legislative, governmental, judicial - if we see it, we'll strongly repulse it," he said.
In the last four years the United Jewish Community of Ukraine has made up "a black list of anti-Semites." Kolomoisky said that is was quite possibly that after the settlement of the legislative nuances, the list would be published.
Talking about the recent elections, the recently appointed president of the Jewish community called on delegates not to succumb to panic because Svoboda had won seats in the Verkhovna Rada. He noted that for slurs against Jews and Russians Oleh Tiahnybok had been excluded from Our Ukraine Party and for many years couldn't get into the Verkhovna Rada.
"We know everything about these moods, we know about anti-Semitism, moreover we know it's not going to disappear. No matter how we fight it, it won't go away. While there are Jews, anti-Semites will exist. Concerning domestic manifestations, what can we do? We should be sincere. Jews are the most nationalist nation in the world. We are people chosen by God, or we think…, [and] our life, our existence provokes reciprocal reactions," he added.
