Global, Identity

One In Three Ukrainians Don't Want Jews

The Jerusalem Post today tells us of a sad statistic which reflects horribly on the state of Eastern European anti-Semitism:

One in three Ukrainians do not want Jews to be citizens of their country, a survey found.
Conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology, the survey found that 36 percent of respondents do not want to see Jews as citizens of Ukraine, compared to 26 percent in a similar survey conducted in 1994.

The Ukraine still has lingering issues with institutionalized anti-Semitism. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was sold in the Ukrainian Parliament building, prompting one Jewish lawmaker to call for the authorities to have it removed from inventory. Last month, Amnesty International cited the Ukraine for, among other things, “failure to protect religious and ethnic minorities from racist and anti-Semitic attacks.”
Psychographic situations like this, where such a significant portion of the population is supportive of depriving a distinct group within its borders of a right so fundamental as citizenship to the nation one inhabits, provide perfect fodder for an ultra-right-wing demagogue. (Or ultra-left for that matter.) The Ukraine either needs extensive education and bridge building…
…or a whole bunch of tickets on El Al Israair Continental.

9 thoughts on “One In Three Ukrainians Don't Want Jews

  1. … does this mean we can send back the 200,000 Ukranians who’ve sneaked into Israel by abusing our Law of Return?

  2. This is indeed sad. The Ukrainian Jewish community is experiencing quite a revival. At the same time, attacks on people and monuments (such as the damage last summer to the Babiy Yar memorial) are increasing.
    And, yes, Chmielnicki is such a national hero that there is a massive statue of him right in the center of Kyiv.
    I wonder if the pollsters did any regional breakdown. I would guess these attitudes are much worse in the unreconstructed east than in the west.

  3. >…but they’ll gladly take our money for heritage tours and pilgrimages to Uman or other holy sites…
    Of course they will and we’re bleedin’ stupid for it.
    >And what percentage of Israelis don’t want Arabs as citizens?
    I don’t know; do you?

  4. Don’t take it personally.
    If there would be a survey regarding any other nation – results would be same. Replace Jews with Russians, Poles or Bulgarians – answer still would be NO.
    It’s a national country. They don’t want any strangers.
    It’s natural.
    Run this kind of survey in Tel Aviv – ask about Poles, Ukrainians or Brits – lots of people would say no. It’s natural for ANY NATIONAL country.

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