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| Sharansky denies the existence of state anti-Semitism in Russia
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MOSCOW (EJP)--- Former Israeli housing minister and Soviet refusenik Natan Sharansky has denied the existence of a “serious problem of anti-Semitism” in Russia, despite recent evidence the contrary.
Speaking during a visit to Moscow last week, Sharansky acknowledge that there a policy of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union which was linked to the state's opposition to Israel.
“But now, there is no such thing,” he said in comments published on the website of the Lubavitch-run Federation of Jewish communities of the former Soviet Union.
Letter was isolated
In January 2005 a virulently anti-Semitic letter was published in the Rus Pravoslavnaya newspaper which was signed by 500 people, including 20 politicians as well as academics and newspaper editors.
Sent to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the open letter called for the banning of “all Jewish organisations” because, the signatories claimed they are “extremist” and “anti-Christian”.
However, Sharansky said he believed the letter was an “isolated event”.
“It is incorrect to say that it reflects the opinion of the authority or of Russia’s residents. Neither it is correct to say that Russia is an anti-Semitic state,” Sharanksy said.
“Regarding this letter, I had to meet with a number of Russian scholars, public figures and authority officials. And I have made the conclusion that there is no anti-Semitism in Russia on the state level, just as there is no anti-Semitic policy today in Russia.
Seasoned politician
Sharanksy was famously arrested by Soviet authorities in 1978 on charges of treason and spying, five years after being refused a visa to move to Israel and then becoming chairman of the Refusenik movement.
He was released in 1986 and soon moved to Israel where he founded the Yisrael B'Aliya party and became a seasoned politician.
Since 1998 the FJC has become the main representative of the Jewish community in Russia and the surrounding countries, lead by its Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar.
Sharansky praised the FJC for uniting Jews in Russia. “Jews in Russia didn’t feel united earlier. But today they do. In addition, the Chasidim help their compatriots. They do it both in Russia and in Israel.”
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