Jews in Ukraine Endangered

by Stephen Lendman

Xenophonic, ultranationalist, fascist anti-Semites run Ukraine, courtesy of US policy under Obama - Trump so far doing nothing to halt them waging war on their own people.

Nazi symbolism is openly displayed in Kiev. Ultranationists parade through the city, honoring Nazi-era collaborator/mass murderer Stepan Bandera.

State-sponsored murder targets Donbass residents and anyone critical of regime power and practices. Press freedom was abolished, independent journalists endangered.

So are Ukrainian Jews. The nation has a disturbing history of anti-Semitism, notably after the 1917 Russian revolution and during the Nazi era in Germany.

Today's militant Ukrainian ultranationalists trace their roots to those eras. Once again, it's the wrong time to be Jewish in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Jewish Committee executive director Eduard Dolinsky believes Jewish identity is in danger of disappearing. The "Jewish community is in crisis," he said. 

"Either we should decide that the last one turns off the light, or we need to continue our struggle." He cited economic crisis conditions, Kiev's war on Donbass, and reemergence of extremist anti-Semitic groups following the 2014 coup.

On New Year's day, these elements marched through Kiev, a torchlight parade, chanting Juden raus (Jews out) and other anti-Semitic slogans.

Hundreds of police guarded them, "after the march (saying) they hadn't seen any anti-Semitic incidents," Dolinsky explained.

During the procession, they displayed Bandera portraits. Legislation intends whitewashing the crimes these groups committed, including cold-blooded murder in Odessa and elsewhere, along with horrors during the Nazi era.

An outraged Dolinsky said "(t)his is immoral and denounces the foundation on which contemporary European civilization stands." 

"This is just a killing of the memory of (millions of) Jews who perished in the holocaust." Last July, Poland's parliament passed a resolution, calling fascist high crimes committed against its people during WW II genocide.

Many Ukrainian Jews left after US-supported putschists usurped power - some to Russia, other European countries and Israel. It's unsafe to stay.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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