Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Anti-semitism in Russia

The Boston Globe has published an AP report about a move by a number of members of the Russian State Duma (Parliament) to ban all Jewish organizations in Russia:

A group of nationalist Russian lawmakers called Monday for a sweeping investigation aimed at outlawing all Jewish organizations and punishing officials who support them, accusing Jews of fomenting ethnic hatred and saying they provoke anti-Semitism.

In a letter dated Jan. 13, about 20 members of the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, asked Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov to investigate their claims and to launch proceedings "on the prohibition in our country of all religious and ethnic Jewish organizations as extremist."

The letter, faxed in part to The Associated Press by the office of lawmaker Alexander Krutov, said, "The negative assessments by Russian patriots of the qualities and actions against non-Jews that are typical of Jews correspond to the truth ... The statements and publications against Jews that have incriminated patriots are self-defense, which is not always stylistically correct but is justified in essence."

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Outlaw all Jewish organizations ... punish those who support them ... Jews foment hatred and provoke anti-semitism ... actions against Jews are in self-defense. All that's missing is the requirement for Jews to sew a yellow Star of David on their lapels. But wait; why should the Russian lawmakers waste time re-inventing the wheel? I'm sure there's a copy of the Nuremberg Laws laying around in Moscow somewhere....

I couldn't find this report in either the New York Times or the Washington Post, although the Miami Herald and a number of smaller papers carried it. I wonder why?

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