Russian President Vladimir Putin called on European Jews facing rising anti-Semitism to return to Russia.
“They can come to us,” Putin told a delegation from the European Jewish Congress (EJC) during a meeting in Moscow. “They left from the Soviet Union. Let them return.”
“I’ve seen reports that [Jewish] people [in Europe] are afraid of wearing a yarmulke in public. They’re trying to hide their ethnicity,” Putin said.
During the meeting, EJC President Moshe Kantor described the “very real exodus of Jews from certain parts” of Western Europe.
“While Jews were once again a prominent target for global terror during 2015, the attacks in Paris, the U.S., and elsewhere, and the mass murder of Russians on an airline in the Sinai, show that the terrorists target us all,” Kantor said in the meeting.
Rising anti-Semitism in Europe has been tied to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda terrorist organizations, in addition to homegrown extremists inspired by groups like Islamic State. French Jews have been hit particularly hard by Islamic extremism, with a French Jewish leader in Marseille recently suggesting that Jews should no longer wear yarmulkes in public.
At the same time, the EJC commended Russia on the country’s statistical decrease in anti-Semitism in recent years.
(Source: JNS.org)
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15 Responses
Russian in the past has allocated part of Siberian land(rich with diamonds and gold) in order to create Jewish autonomic region of Birobidzhan where Yiddish is an official language.
When was the last time a country invited the Jewish people?
Is Putin’s offer suggestive of Pharaoh trying to get us to come back in this week’s Paraha?
“Putin Says Fearful European Jews Should Return To Russia”
Why is Putin afraid of European Jews returning to Russia?
Maisa bRabi Akiva…
And the fox said to the fish, “why don’t you come up on the dry land”
A Ruskie bleibt a Ruskie. Wouldn’t trust them for a second
Putin happens to have a very close relationship with the Jewish community. He grew up in a Jewish neighbor’s home. His offer is sincere.
Putin is the real deal, you don’t see the guy in the white house inviting jews who are oppressed to the US only his fellow Muslims.
to curiosity
Putin Says, Fearful European Jews, Should …
Russia, with Putin as its leader, is one of the only Countries left on this earth, that has made gay marriage illegal. There is no question that HKB”H has granted him/them Siyata Dishmaya because of that. Shame on the corrupt judges in America that have dragged us down (with barely a peep out of anyone) & legalized Toeva! That’s why Russia has earned the respect/fear from the other nations while America has become the weak laughing stock of the world.
What are the Rabbonim in Russia saying about it?
A low class president brings the states to low class…..
In the year 5876, Jewish children will be learning about this part of The Jewish People’s History, in which Putin will be remembered as one of “the nice kings who was nice to the Jews”. Typical of such nice kings, just about everyone else in the immediate past and future are “bad kings”.
isn’t this the same Russia that’s been selling Iran weapons?? I agree with #3…Hashem tatzileinu mikol oyveynu!
#14, Russia honored Irans sanctions, until Obama said Iran is welcome back, Russia didn’t sell anything. Putin opposes toeiva marriage.