Russian Jews face ‘grave dangers’ if Putin is ousted, warns senior rabbi
Russian Jews would be in serious danger if Russian President Vladimir Putin was ever ousted from power, a senior Russian rabbi has stated. He added, the current government guarantees the safety of Jewish people better than many Western powers do.
“The Jews of Russia must realize the dangers inherent in the
possible collapse of the Putin government, understand the rules
of the game and be aware of the limitations,” the head of
Russian Federation of Jewish Communities Aleksandr Boroda said at
an annual Jewish learning event, which was organized by Limmud
FSU.
The conference, which saw around 1,400 participants attend,
opened on Friday at the state-owned Klyasma resort in the Moscow
region.
Boroda mentioned that Putin’s government provides more guaranteed
support for the Jews than those in Europe and the US, adding that
Russian religious institutions are better protected against
anti-Semitism, while other countries don’t provide enough
security.
“In Russia, there is virtually unlimited freedom of religion
and the Jewish community must ensure this situation
continues,” Boroda said. “We do not have the privilege
of losing what we have achieved and the support of the government
for the community.”
All Russian Jews, especially those who oppose Putin and his
administration “must understand the grave dangers that they
take upon themselves and the potential consequences,” he
added.
Such support of the current Russian government provoked a wave of
criticism among liberal Jews and Jews from Ukraine. They accuse
Moscow of infringing upon civil liberties and fueling the crisis
in Ukraine.
The Russian Federation of Jewish Communities also praised
President Putin’s contribution in helping to re-consolidate the
Russian Jewish community, which consists of at least 350,000
people.
The acting government has supported the renovation of dozens of
synagogues and funded the establishment of a large Jewish museum
in Moscow.
