Recently, two strange events have coincided that cannot leave the Jews of Ukraine indifferent.
During a recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the rabbis of Israel (in particular, Chief Rabbis Yitzhak Yosef and David Lau) and many European countries (France, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, etc.), organized by the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berl Lazar, an extremely disrespectful assessment of the personality of one of the main Nazi executioners of World War II, Joseph Goebbels, was made, which in the original language literally reads as follows: “He achieved his goal, he was a talented man. You have to be stupid to deny what happened. You have to be not just stupid, you have to be impudent to deny what happened. Unfortunately, this impudent, just like 70 years ago, often achieves its goal.”
It is significant that the quote from the Russian president first appeared in news agency feeds and then disappeared from there and from television screens; the report from the office of Israel's Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef also does not mention this strange phrase.
This statement was hotly discussed in the media and on social networks, causing a fair amount of indignation. After all, the compliment in talent and the ability to "get your way" came from the lips of the Russian president to one of the bloodiest executioners of the 20th century, Hitler's associates and the main haters of Jews, a direct descendant of Amalek, one of the authors of the idea of the total destruction of the Jews, whose atrocities were condemned by the Nuremberg Tribunal. What Goebbels was able to “achieve” is clearly visible, for example, in the Auschwitz-Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, dozens of other concentration camps, where “the Jewish question was finally solved”… Next to the name of Goebbels, there can be nothing but compliments or praises – except curses for every Jew: the bloody ashes into which Goebbels and his “talented” Nazi associates turned six million of our brothers and sisters during World War II still beats in our hearts! And no one has the right to mock these victims to the whole world, praising their executioners! How did it happen that respected rabbis and Jewish leaders were not offended by what was said at this meeting? Why did such a shameful incident not find appreciation in religious and public organizations of Russia and European countries? Don't they also agree with such strange historical conclusions and assessments if they remain silent and do not comment on the words about Goebbels?
Indulging in the mood of rehabilitating the executioners of the Jewish people has never led to anything good - it is enough to look into history. Ukrainian Jews, the United Jewish Community of Ukraine express surprise and indignation on this occasion.
Another fact also surprises and outrages them: the visit of the Chief Rabbi of Russia, Berl Lazar, to Crimea and a meeting with the self-proclaimed so-called Prime Minister of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, during which they discussed the issues of “the life of the Jews of Crimea.” Berl Lazar even promised Aksyonov “assistance in the development of your region.”
The entire world community recognizes Crimea as the territory of Ukraine, and Ukraine as a single and indivisible country in the center of Europe. The neighboring state in the Crimean situation violated all possible and impossible legal norms and rules, disregarded the opinion of world and European countries and international organizations. The annexation of Crimea by Russia is perhaps the most shameful fact in modern history.
The understandable indignation of Ukrainian Jews at attempts not only to legalize violations of world norms and interstate relations. We do not really understand how the chief rabbi of Russia sits at the table with a person against whom the state of Ukraine officially charges a serious crime, how he builds plans for Aksyonov's "regional development" without even informing the Jewish community of Ukraine how he intends to develop in the occupied territory.
Crimea is Ukraine, and for the United Jewish Community of Ukraine there are no other axioms. Jews living in Crimea are citizens of Ukraine, our brothers and sisters, a part of our community. Jews of Ukraine are a wise and peace-loving people. Jews of Ukraine are patriots of an independent state. They will never agree to bury their historical memory or move the borders. We are ready to say frankly: we do not like it when executioners and inhumans are considered “talented” and “capable of achieving something,” and such assessments entail a refutation or apology to the memory of the people who were subjected to total destruction, to the Jews of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and other countries. We do not like it when development plans are made with occupiers and criminals.
We really hope that Jewish organizations in Russia will not be afraid to say this out loud!
President of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine
Ihor KOLOMOYSKIY
Source: http://www.megapolis.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=15047738 with a link to http://www.jewish.kiev.ua/news/7815/
Photo: UNIAN
