Ukrainian Jews worry that rise of Svoboda party will bring anti-Semitism back into vogue

[Behind the Aegis]

Source: AZ Jewish Post

KIEV, Ukraine (JTA) — Marching in formation, six young men in dark jackets approach an anti-government rally in Cherkasy, a city some 125 miles southeast of Kiev.

At the appointed moment, they remove their windbreakers to reveal white T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Beat the kikes.” Their jackets carry the name of Svoboda, the ultranationalist Ukrainian political party.

A small riot quickly ensues. Angry protestors rip at the T-shirts, but the Svoboda-labeled men give as good as they get. One of the men beats Victor Smal, a lawyer and human rights activist, so savagely that he is rendered barely recognizable.

In the days after this April 6 melee, Svoboda denied that the provocateurs at the rally were their men. Yuriy Syrotiuk, a Svoboda parliamentarian, called the men criminals and complained that police were not responding to an act of incitement, Interfax reported. Some suggested the men were anti-Svoboda activists seeking to tarnish its image.


Read more: http://azjewishpost.com/2013/ukrainian-jews-worry-that-rise-of-svoboda-party-will-bring-anti-semitism-back-into-vogue/

[dipsydoodle]

1. Kike seems to be a US expression.

Odd how its wound its way back to the Ukraine and even odder they wear t shirts written in english ://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kike

On slang expressions which we , meaning my school friends and I , used back on the fifties we were either yids or goys with no offense taken in either direction. There was no local anti-semitism - we were all just mates pretty much evenly divided between the two religions. Both expressions are from a distant past and I've not heard either used for a very long time now other than Tottenham Hotspurs / Spurs supporters club who call themselves the Yid Army. Coinicidentlally there's a school reunion is a couple of weeks time and doubtless a few of us will bump into each other.

[Ash_F]

2. "Yet the party also speaks admiringly of Israel"

"Yet the party also speaks admiringly of Israel, and Tyahnybok has made a point of advertising his meeting last December with Israel’s ambassador to Ukraine. Alexander Aronets, Svoboda’s press secretary, has praised Israel on his Facebook page as ”one of the most nationalistic countries in the world.”

Good relations with Israel may be desirable to Svoboda as a defense against accusations of anti-Semitism, a tactic employed by other European nationalist movements that have made overtures in Israel’s direction."

I wasn't expecting to read something like that.

TRANSLATION: "We hate Jews but we hate Muslims more so they can't be all bad."

Hatred of Muslims bringing right wingers together across the globe.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. I don't know why that was unexpected.

Your translation is also wrong. They "love" Israel because it is place for all the Jews to go. The right-wing in our country "love" Israel because it feeds their "end of the world" fantasies. Both groups use their love of Israel as a way to say "we aren't anti-Semites" as explained in the article. It is the cousin of "some of my best friends are Jews." No doubt they still hate Muslims too, but make no mistake it is the hate of Jews that brings the world together.

[Ash_F]

5. No, I'm pretty sure the oppression of Muslims is what really earns brownie points...

..here and abroad. The other stuff might be about 10% of it.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. No, I am pretty sure it is the hate of Jews. It isn't limited to the Ukraine.

After all, that is the actual subject of the article. Furthermore, equating support for Israel is as fallacious as stating that support for Palestinians is the equivalent of anti-Semitism.

[Ash_F]

7. When right wingers say 'nationalism'

or patriotism(here) they are talking about about racial purity and hierarchy. That is what the guy likes about Israel. I know it is hard to accept. I'm sorry that it's that way too.

[Behind the Aegis]

8. They like it because it means a place to send the Jews.

Sorry that you are unable to see the writing on the wall in regards to their "love" of Israel.

[Ash_F]

9. Right wingers around the world said the same about South Africa not 30 years ago

Pretty sure it wasn't because they wanted to send all White Christians there. It was about how they were still treating Blacks, who much to their dismay, had been gaining ground in civil rights in their own countries.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. Conflate all you want, distract all you want...

...the problem is anti-Semitism. It is the premise of the article and the very topic you have avoided the entire conversation, instead opting for a "look over there" moment, in order to get in some swipes at Israel. It goes to show why anti-Semitism is still such a problem because not only is it deeply ingrained in certain places and cultures, it is now overlooked, ignored, or side-stepped in order to not discuss it.

[Ash_F]

11. You seem...upset.

You linked the article. I took the time to read it. The whole thing. Which is more than what most of DU is going to do today. I was responding to something in the article YOU wanted us to read.

It's not a 'look over here'. The entire article is about the political party of which the quoted person is a leader. If it was irrelevant to the article, the writer should have left it out. But they chose not to, so maybe they thought it was worth sharing?

[Behind the Aegis]

12. Not at all. Quite used to your tacitic.

Anything to give you a lead into the "evil Israel" and avoid the actual topic. You missed the relevance of why Israel was mentioned, though it has been explained to you three times (twice by me, once in the article). It is as I described above, avoid and deflect.

[Ash_F]

13. Straw-man.

You are in denial.

I'm not a fan of right-wing racist governments anywhere, so it does catch my eye when two of them get buddy buddy as is evidenced here. When progressive opposition finally gains ground in Israel to achieve human rights reform, and it will happen, you will see a lot more positive comments from myself and most of DU.

[Behind the Aegis]

14. Your arguments are actually red herrings, not Strawman.

Your power's of observation are sorely lacking as I am neither upset nor in denial. You are projecting your denial onto me. The Ukrainian party "loves" Israel because "some of their best friends are Jews (Israel) and therefore can't be anti-Semitic." It is a simple and quite old tactic, one would think it would be easy to spot.

[Aristus]

3. Svoboda means "Freedom."

I fucking hate the way right-wingers, of every national stripe, have taken that word and used it to swell themselves up as the protectors and defenders of it; and the only ones who really understand the concept.

They make the word filthy and meaningless.

I'm tired of it...