Ukrainian Jews told to register with Donetsk government; world reaction to leaflets is swift and condemnatory

DONETESK, Ukraine (WJC) — Armed men have handed out a leaflet calling on Jews to register their religion and property with the interim pro-Russian government or face deportation and loss of citizenship.

The leaflet distributed in Donetsk, Ukraine calling for all Jews over 16 years old to register as Jews is the latest worry of the Jewish community in the city. The leaflet demanded the city’s Jews supply a detailed list of all the property they own, or else have their citizenship revoked, face deportation and see their assets confiscated. Donetsk, where pro-Russian separatist captured government buildings in the past week, is home to 17,000 Jews. Signed by Chairman of Donetsk’s temporary government Denis Pushilin, the leaflet was distributed to Jews near the Donetsk synagogue and later in other areas of the city where pro-Russians activists have declared Donetsk as an independent “people’s republic”.

“Dear Ukraine citizens of Jewish nationality,” the flyer began, “due to the fact that the leaders of the Jewish community of Ukraine supported Bendery Junta,” a reference to Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Ukrainian nationalist movement which fought for Ukrainian independence at the end of World War II, “and oppose the pro-Slavic People’s Republic of Donetsk, (the interim government) has decided that all citizens of Jewish descent, over 16 years of age and residing within the republic’s territory are required to report to the Commissioner for Nationalities in the Donetsk Regional Administration building and register.”

The flyers were official-looking documents that carried what was presented as Pushilin’s signature, but the news site tvrain.ru on Wednesday quoted Pushilin as denying any connection to the flyers, calling them a provocation.

Several anti-Semitic attacks, including a stabbing and the attempted torching of a synagogue, have occurred in Ukraine since the eruption in November of a revolution over the perceived pro-Russian policies of former President Viktor Yanukovych.

Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, U.S., E.U.  condemn leaflets; Kerry calls them grotesque

GENEVA (Press Release)–In a joint statement, the United States, European Union, Russia and the Ukraine, whose diplomats had been meeting in Geneva to finds ways to de-escalate tensions in the Ukraine, said, “All sides must refrain from any violence, intimidation or provocative actions. The participants strongly condemned and rejected all expressions of extremism, racism and religious intolerance, including anti-semitism.”

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a joint news conference with EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, elaborateed: “Just in the last couple of days, notices were sent to Jews in one city indicating that they had to identify themselves as Jews. And obviously, the accompanying threat implied is – or threatened – or suffer the consequences, one way or the other.

“In the year 2014, after all of the miles traveled and all of the journey of history, this is not just intolerable; it’s grotesque. It is beyond unacceptable. And any of the people who engage in these kinds of activities, from whatever party or whatever ideology or whatever place they crawl out of, there is no place for that. And unanimously, every party today joined in this condemnation of that kind of behavior.

“In addition, recently, the Ukrainian – the Russian Orthodox Church members in Ukraine were threatened that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was somehow going to attack them in the course of the next days. That kind of behavior, that kind of threat, has no place. And all parties agreed that that kind of behavior is not just grotesque and unacceptable, but it will not stand the test of the direction that Ukraine wants to move in.

“We agreed today that all illegal armed groups must be disarmed, that all illegally seized buildings must be returned to their legitimate owners, and all illegally occupied streets, squares, and other public places in Ukrainian cities and towns must be vacated.”

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ADL denounces fliers

NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL)on Thursday, April 17, condemned the appearance of anti-Semitic fliers in Donetsk, Ukraine, and called on all parties involved in the political conflicts in Ukraine to refrain from “cynical and politically manipulative” exploitation of anti-Semitism.

According to Ukrainian media, three armed and masked men handed out fliers the evening of April 15 on the first night of Passover on the letterhead of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic. The fliers instructed Jews to register with the government or face deportation and confiscation of their property.

The leader of the Donetsk People’s Republic, whose name appeared in the document’s signature, has publicly disavowed the flier.

“We are skeptical about the flier’s authenticity, but the instructions clearly recall the Nazi era and have the effect of intimidating the local Jewish community,” said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.

“We have seen a series of cynical and politically manipulative uses and accusations of anti-Semitism in Ukraine over the past year,” said Foxman. “The perpetrators and their targets are opposing politicians and political movements, but the true victims are the Jewish communities.  We strongly condemn the anti-Semitic content, but also all attempts to use anti-Semitism for political purposes.”

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Congressman Brad Sherman ‘appalled’

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release)–Congressman Brad Sherman, a senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the distribution of anti-Semitic fliers in eastern Ukraine.

“I am appalled at the distribution of anti-Semitic fliers in eastern Ukraine calling on Jews to “register” with the regional government.  While the flyers were purportedly signed in the name of Denis Pushilin, the leader of Donetsk’s pro-Russia separatists, some sources have quoted Mr. Pushilin as denying any connection to or authorship of the flyers.  I strongly urge Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as local Donetsk Russian-speaking community leaders, especially Mr. Pushilin, to not only disclaim but strongly condemn the creation and distribution of these malicious flyers.  I also urge the Donetsk area’s Russian-speaking community leaders to help protect the local Jewish community from any possible attacks or intimidation.”

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