European Jewish Congress Meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin

The President of Russia described the organization as an ally of Russia in the struggle against xenophobia, anti-Semitism, radicalization and preserving the memory of the Shoah. He told the delegation the development of Jewish life in Russia, with the creation of new schools, new synagogues. The President of the World Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, praised Poutin by calling the Russian president "a real friend the Jewish community in Russia. "

 

The European Jewish Congress came to explain the situation of Jewish communities in Europe, mentioning the rise of anti-Semitism and terrorist attacks that specifically targeted Jews in Toulouse, Paris, Brussels and Copenhagen. The Russian President knew that some European Jews were afraid to wear their yarmulkes in the street.

 

Moshe Kantor said that the Jews were not the targeted only by Islamic extremists but also by radical nationalists. He told Putin that some of these ultra-nationalists proposed tactical reconciliation with the Jewish community, to the point that "the president of the French Jewish community, one of our most respected presidents and the president of the largest community in Europe, Roger Cukierman, brought this matter to the Executive Committee of the European Jewish Congress...  We took a unanimous resolution that any consolidation with the far right is absolutely unacceptable. "

 

The Russian President opened his country to European Jews. "They should come to Russia. We are ready to accept them," responded Vladimir Putin at the end of the presentation. "During the Soviet era, Jews left Russia, but now they can come back," said the Russian President.

 

The exchange was followed by an open discussion, during over an hour, with the other members of the delegation, on different subjects including Russian policy in the Middle East. 

 

Moshe Kantor was accompanied by Raya Kalenova, Director of the European Jewish Congress, Serge Rozen, President of Belgian CCOJB, Jonathan Arkush, Chairman of the Board of British Deputies, Isaac Querub Caro, President of the Spanish Jewish community, Ariel Muzicant, Vice President of the European Jewish Congress, Herbert Winter, President of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities, Alexander Boroda and Berl Lazar, Chief Rabbi and President of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Russia, Arkady Sukharenko, President of Latvia community also representing the Baltic States, and Eve Gani, Director of International Relations of the CRIF.

 

After the meeting, she handed the Russian president a special request from CRIF that asked Putin to ensure that criminals like Dieudonné M'bala M'bala and Alain Soral will not use the Russian medias to difuse their anti-Semitic theses.