Ukraine could well have been lost among the four dozen countries at the global forum in Jerusalem dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.
During the discussion at Ukraine Crisis Media Center we asked human rights watchdogs and sociologists: are there grounds to consider that the anti-Semitic sentiment in Ukraine is rising?
Most Ukrainians disavow anti-Semitic views and right-wing extremism. This is bad news for the Kremlin propagandists who try to use the crimes of yesterday’s minority to obscure the achievements of today’s majority. More importantly, it is good news for Ukraine, and for its small but resilient Jewish communities that now enjoy representation at the highest levels.
Nearly one-third of Ukrainians voted for Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the first round of the country’s presidential elections. Since Zelenskiy is Jewish, and since he is apparently backed by businessman Ihor Kolomoisky, who is also Jewish, many Ukrainians have said that the old stereotype of Ukrainian anti-Semitism no longer applies.
The assessment of the official Israeli position on anti-Semitism in Ukraine coincides with the data compiled by the Jewish community and national human rights non-governmental organizations.