Antisemitism in Ukraine as factions collide

Over the past few months the news out of Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine has been a source of concern for many people who care about the rule of law and national sovereignty in Europe. As a war of words escalated into actual fighting on the ground between a number of different factions we saw Russia use the chaos in the region to its own advantage by taking control of the Crimea, an area of the Ukraine which is home to many Russian-speaking people, but which has been semi-autonomous or a part of the Ukraine for generations.  Now it appears that tensions may boil over again in the eastern part of the Ukraine where a dangerous mix of Ukrainian nationalists, pro-Russian militias, local government activists and other unknown entities risk sparking a larger conflict

While all Ukrainians seem to be feeling the pressure from these forces, there have been disturbing reports recently that an element of Antisemitism has made its way into the conflict, with reports in several online news outlets that flyers instructing Jews to register with the local authorities (and promising expulsion from the country if they fail to comply) had been posted and distributed near Jewish institutions in the city of Donetsk. It is still unclear, from media reports, exactly who is responsible for the creation and distribution of this hateful material, but it does appear to be connected to pro-Russian militias agitating for a Russian take-over of a larger part of eastern Ukraine.

Regardless of exactly who is behind this heinous assault on democracy, it is a chilling reminder that Antisemitism in Eastern Europe is still, sadly, present in modern society. These leaflets are evocative not only of the Holocaust and the increasingly strict limitations Jews in Eastern Europe faced in the years leading up to World War II, but of the  undercurrent of Antisemitism which ran throughout much of Europe for centuries, occasionally flaring up in the form of pogroms. It seems to me that whomever is behind this was trying not only to intimidate the Jewish communities of eastern Ukraine, but to terrorize the society as a whole.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about events in Ukraine and how they may impact the Jewish community there to read this thoughtful piece by Rabbi Jim Morgan of the Boston Jewish Community Relations Council.  You may also want to check out this article published on the Israeli news website Ynet for a more in-depth exploration of this latest incident.

In the days and weeks ahead I will continue to watch the news coming out of this part of the world, and plan to keep the community updated on events as they impact Jewish communities throughout eastern Europe, here on this blog.

Thanks for reading.

Copyright Daniel E. Levenson 2014.