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Knesset Speaker Rivlin Condemns "Shulchan Aruch" Affair In Russia
2005-06-27
Communicated by the Knesset Spokesman
Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin made the following remarks today (Monday), 27.6.05, in the Knesset plenum:
"According to reports in both Israel and Russia, some - as yet unknown - official in Russia has ordered the opening of an official investigation, the focus of which is the Jewish legal codex known as the Shulchan Aruch. [See http://tinyurl.com/bknhd & http://tinyurl.com/a9v6s - GPO]
We are aware of official condemnations in Russia (including by both houses of parliament) against this sharply anti-Semitic invective, but condemnations - thus it seems once again - are not enough.
I am convinced that all MKs join me in my hope that these reports are fundamentally mistaken and that no official source in the democratic Russia of 2005 is involved in a new blood libel against the Jewish People.
Anti-Semitism is, first and foremost, a malignant disease that damages the society in which it develops. All democratic societies, especially those without longstanding democratic traditions, must internalize the universal lesson that Europe and the world learned in blood from the rise of Nazi Germany: Democracies - if they want to survive - must defend themselves against those who threaten it.
Democracies that fear to defend themselves, democracies that fear to stop those who abuse the freedoms that they provide, democracies that show forbearance for fascism, racism and anti-Semitism - will not last.
The Foreign Ministry has demanded clarifications on this matter from Russia and we in the Knesset will closely monitor events; we firmly believe in the 'zero tolerance' approach for such severe displays of anti-Semitism.
The Knesset will not ignore manifestations of anti-Semitism in the world. Every anti-Semitic thug must know that the Jewish state will not allow blood libels against the Jewish People to return to the world."
Source: IMRA – Independent Media Review and Analysis
