Jewish community outraged at Berkuts’ antisemitic propaganda

All-Ukrainian NGO “Ukrainian Independent Council of Jewish Women” sent an open letter to President Yanukovych and the Minister of Internal Affairs Vitaly Zakharchenko due to the fact of anti-Semitism on the page of Special Forces “Berkut” in the social network Facebook, as reported by “Jewish Kyiv”.

In particular, Eleonora Groisman, the NGO’s president, appeals: “We are insulted by the fact that the page “Berkut- Ukraine”, the information support of “Berkut”, is a concentrate of utter anti-Semitism and extremism”.

More than a thousand users FB liked the page and a half of thousand discussed it. Ruling-party leaders, lawyers, public persons and journalists expressed their support to Berkut on the page.

The “zionist” Tymoshenko and the three-part division map of Ukraine

The page is full of such materials as “Zionist Tymoshenko and the three-part division map of Ukraine”, “Jewish roots and connections of the opposition leaders Yulia Tymoshenko, Vitali Klitschko, Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleg Tiagnybok”.

“Jews are the Nazi’s henchmen, the Jews in the service of the Wehrmacht, Jews – collaborators, Zionists – henchmen of Hitler, the Nazi-Sionist flag” and other materials  images of the Nazi swastika on the Star of David, and other similar article headings fill this page.

All materials on the page are posted from “Berkut-Ukraine’s” account.

The page is also filled with images of the Nazi swastika overlayed on the Star of David. 

“We believe that the so-called “educational purposes” of the “Berkut- Ukraine” Special Forces in the popular Facebook social network aim at inciting people against Jews as the perpetrators of all evils, stirring up national hatred and incitement to violence against Jews,” – said Groisman.

And this from the Vkontakte page of Dmytro Usatov – the Berkut trooper from Kherson that ridiculed the naked activist. “The page is created against Ukraine as an independent government…” Screenshot by Oleksandr Roytbud

Meanwhile, on January 24th Israelites came to the Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv to support democratic forces in Ukraine, opposing the corrupt regime of Yanukovych and against the authorities permissiveness and incetement to antisemitism. The participants chanted “Israel for Maidan’s victory”, “Down with the dictatorship!” ,”Glory to the heroes of Maidan!” and honored the memory of “the innocent victims, who wanted to live in a normal civilized country”. A day ago, Leonid Finberg, director the of Iudaic Center at the National University Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, commented on the provocations of Jewish organizations:

“We are hardly surprised by lies lately. Repressive laws, aimed to curtail citizens’ rights and freedoms, that were illegitimately passed by a parliamentary majority are called “developing democracy.” The murderers of Maidan activists are protected by the senile Prime Minister, who publicly stated that it was “a provocation by the opposition.” These odious lies include hints made by pseudo-leaders of Jewish organizations about the participants of peaceful protest acts having anything to do with organizing attacks on two Jews attending the Podil synagogue. Naturally, they have no proof whatsoever. They know everything in advance: the main goal is to attack opponents of the current government. Leaving the current system standing is the only way for them to preserve their criminal businesses. May God be their judge, and I also hope their children and family will judge them, as well. The widely circulated lies must be obvious for them.

The whole world sees and understands that the Maidan is a world of human solidarity and dignity. It is the action of resistance to evil and violence, even at the price of life and health. Is not surprising that the leaders of the opposition and Maidan local defence offered to safeguard the synagogues, knowing the intentions of provocateurs. Not surprisingly, the klezmer ensemble “Pushkin Klezmer Band” performed at Maidan among others. There priests of different confessions, the Rabbi and Mufti prayed together, for a peaceful Ukraine for all its citizens, not criminals. This list is easily continued. But it is not interesting to liars and judas, who are sold for silversmiths; it is interesting to all those who dream about Ukraine, a democratic country, where they will live a normal life: Christians and Jews, Muslims and pagans and atheists, and everyone, everyone, everyone. And is is bound to be, despite all the provocations of all villains, including Jewish ones”.

Source: pravda.com.ua, maidan.org

Note. As stated in the Jewish News, earlier, on January 22nd, United Opposition leading member Mikhaylo Livynskiy addressed Joseph Zisels, chairman of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of Ukraine, and proposed to establish security and patrols around Kyiv’s synagogues by Euromaidan’s self-defense forces. One of the Ukrainain MP’s is appointed as the Program coordinator for protectiing Kyiv’s synagogues.

Joseph Zisels gave these proposals to two of Kyiv’s synagogues on January 23d and 24th, and also – in one National Jewish organisation, theat was planning a funeral ceremony at the International Holocaust Day (January 27) in the third synagogue in Kyiv.

As Volodymyr Yermolenko wrote in his FB account,

“Berkut’s page in the Facebook displays a heady ideological brew. Combination of everything with everything. Their biggest enemies are Jews, European Union and ‘fascists’. It is the law of primitive ideologies: mix together everybody you don’t like and pool them into one. Make of them a sort of a semitic-antisemitic-liberal-chaotic-organized monster. Maidaners are dictators and fascists for them, because they are Jews and want freedom. Hitler and European Union are one for them, Hitler and his Jewish victims are one for them. Pride for their ‘heroism’ in protecting government buildings – and outspoken hatred for ‘bureaucrats’ including Yanukovych. The laws of logics and noncontradiction do not function here. There is an impression that this structure is entirely autonomous. Molotov’s cocktails are in their heads”.

Volodymyr Yermolenko, philosopher and publicist (translated by Maryana Prokopovych, on eurolution.doc)

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