Kiev – Ukrainian police are investigating at attack on a rabbi in a Kiev street that the man’s wife said on Friday was clearly an anti-Semitic act.
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Russia has branded Ukraine’s new authorities as “fascists” backed by anti-Jewish militants in justifying its takeover of Crimea and hostility to those who overthrew the Moscow-backed Ukrainian president last month.
Ukrainian Jewish leaders have said they have generally seen little sign of a growing threat to their community.
Racheli Cohen, wife of rabbi Hillel Cohen, said Thursday’s attack by two men on her husband was clearly an anti-Semitic act. “They struck him in the leg, shouting anti-Semitic slurs,” she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA).
Kiev police, quoted by Interfax-Ukraine news agency, said they were looking for two men who shouted anti-Jewish insults at the rabbi and struck him with sticks before making off in a car.
Cohen runs the Ukrainian branch of Hatzalah, a worldwide volunteer emergency services group for Jewish communities.
Jewish leaders have warned of a risk of anti-Semitic violence due to general instability in the country.
But many play down the importance of far-right groups that had a role in the uprising, some of which admire nationalists who at times during World War Two joined forces with invading Nazi troops.
Last month, a provincial synagogue was firebombed and there were some assaults on Jews in the streets in previous months.
(Report
The Ukrainians are nothing but savages. Their history during Wordl War Two, where many became members of the SS (i.e. Ivan Demjanjuk), and actively aided the Nazis against Jews, is something which must never be forgotten. Therefore, I have as much sympathy for them as I do for the Syrians, the Egyptians, the Iraqis, and the Libyans. Every single one of those countries persecuted Jews. Yidden should leave Ukraine now, while they still have the opportunity.
It is quite possible that the attackers were funded by Russia as a pretext for Russian takeover of the ukraine
It is sad when I questioned that Jews are now residing in the Ukraine one wise person told me I don’t know what I saying. The facts are that the Ukrainian heroes should scare any Jew who knows history but unfortunately there is widespread historical ignorance for which Jews suffers. Chmidelnitzkij and Bandera hated Jews , persecuted Jews and killed Jews. Any Jew must guard his life in the Ukraine
Lviv is also part of the Ukraine and when the Nazis entered the city they did not lift a finger and the local Ukraines murdered Jews with joy and it is foolish to think that the “new democratic”Ukraine wiped that latent hatred
The lubabvitchers should encourage the Yidden in Ukraine to leave.