You're reading: Kolomoisky: No anti-Semitism at state level in Ukraine

DNIPROPETROVSK – 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.