Alex Katz, a Jewish Agency representative in Ukraine, said that this past Shabbat saw a very grave attack on a synagogue in Kiev:
\"On the one hand,\" he told Arutz-7 today, \"it was surprising, because there have not been many incidents of this nature here... In any event, what happened was that a group of 50 guys with shaved-heads threw rocks at the synagogue, broke windows, beat up three worshipers, including the son of the rabbi, and called out, \'Kill the Zhids [Jews]\'. The police say that it was not an anti-Semitic incident, but rather just a bunch of drunken soccer fans. We cannot accept that, because the fact is that they chose a synagogue as their target and chanted very anti-Jewish slogans.\" Katz said that the Jewish community is calling on the government to take sharp action to prevent incidents of this nature. \"In addition,\" he said, \"this Wednesday, there will be a rally here with about 5,000 people expected. They will rally in support of Israel and against local anti-Semitism.\"
It was also reported today that in Berlin, a Jewish woman and daughter had been assaulted in a subway station. However, European anti-Semitic violence comes cloaked in \"diplomatic\" garb as well. The German government announced yesterday that it would no longer supply Israel with parts for its Merkavah tank, in protest of Israel\'s war against terrorism in PLO-controlled areas. In response, Israel\'s Dan Bus Company announced that it was canceling an $18 million order for 100 German-produced MAN buses. Company officials have begun preparing for the opening of negotiations with firms in other countries. \"When we heard that the Germans were considering placing an embargo on spare parts for the Merkavah tank,\" the Dan spokesman said today, \"our chairman Yoel Sharabi decided that we simply could not stand passively by. There are other bus manufacturers in the world... If Germany sticks to its decision, we will apparently look for other bus manufacturers.\"
Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal asked Rabbi Moti Elon today, \"The question is an old one: Why do they hate us?\" Rabbi Elon responded, \"Those who hate Jews actually hate G-d; they manifest their hatred against us, because we represent G-d\'s Name in the world... This is a age-old war against the Eternity of Israel, whether the victim is nine-month-old Shalhevet Pass or an 80-year-old Jew.\"
Q. Has nothing changed, even with the establishment of the State of Israel?
A. Something has changed... in that every Jew has to ask what he or she must do to ensure that every Jew makes aliyah [immigration to Israel] very quickly - the sooner the better.
Q. But they will say that it\'s dangerous here as well?
A. Very true. The Defense Ministry released today that over 24,000 have been killed in the last 140 years of Jewish return to the Land - yet this horrific number is less than just one day\'s victims in the gas chambers of Europe in 1942-3! It\'s hard to absorb that. What are they waiting for? More synagogue burnings? More attacks in subways? … What is unique about our State is that we strive to be a \"light unto the nations\" and that \"My house should be a House of Prayer for all nations.\" But in order for this to happen, we must be a collective \"we\" - culturally, spiritually, and Torah-wise. We are progressing towards this… Can you imagine an aliyah of 100,000 or 200,000 committed Jews - Jews who are personally concerned about the spiritual character of the country? Everything will be different! We must tell them - and I\'ll say it very sharply: Not to make aliyah at this point is simply a violation of \"Do not stand idly by as your neighbor\'s blood is shed\" - not only ours, but theirs as well. They can change the situation.\"
\"On the one hand,\" he told Arutz-7 today, \"it was surprising, because there have not been many incidents of this nature here... In any event, what happened was that a group of 50 guys with shaved-heads threw rocks at the synagogue, broke windows, beat up three worshipers, including the son of the rabbi, and called out, \'Kill the Zhids [Jews]\'. The police say that it was not an anti-Semitic incident, but rather just a bunch of drunken soccer fans. We cannot accept that, because the fact is that they chose a synagogue as their target and chanted very anti-Jewish slogans.\" Katz said that the Jewish community is calling on the government to take sharp action to prevent incidents of this nature. \"In addition,\" he said, \"this Wednesday, there will be a rally here with about 5,000 people expected. They will rally in support of Israel and against local anti-Semitism.\"
It was also reported today that in Berlin, a Jewish woman and daughter had been assaulted in a subway station. However, European anti-Semitic violence comes cloaked in \"diplomatic\" garb as well. The German government announced yesterday that it would no longer supply Israel with parts for its Merkavah tank, in protest of Israel\'s war against terrorism in PLO-controlled areas. In response, Israel\'s Dan Bus Company announced that it was canceling an $18 million order for 100 German-produced MAN buses. Company officials have begun preparing for the opening of negotiations with firms in other countries. \"When we heard that the Germans were considering placing an embargo on spare parts for the Merkavah tank,\" the Dan spokesman said today, \"our chairman Yoel Sharabi decided that we simply could not stand passively by. There are other bus manufacturers in the world... If Germany sticks to its decision, we will apparently look for other bus manufacturers.\"
Arutz-7\'s Haggai Segal asked Rabbi Moti Elon today, \"The question is an old one: Why do they hate us?\" Rabbi Elon responded, \"Those who hate Jews actually hate G-d; they manifest their hatred against us, because we represent G-d\'s Name in the world... This is a age-old war against the Eternity of Israel, whether the victim is nine-month-old Shalhevet Pass or an 80-year-old Jew.\"
Q. Has nothing changed, even with the establishment of the State of Israel?
A. Something has changed... in that every Jew has to ask what he or she must do to ensure that every Jew makes aliyah [immigration to Israel] very quickly - the sooner the better.
Q. But they will say that it\'s dangerous here as well?
A. Very true. The Defense Ministry released today that over 24,000 have been killed in the last 140 years of Jewish return to the Land - yet this horrific number is less than just one day\'s victims in the gas chambers of Europe in 1942-3! It\'s hard to absorb that. What are they waiting for? More synagogue burnings? More attacks in subways? … What is unique about our State is that we strive to be a \"light unto the nations\" and that \"My house should be a House of Prayer for all nations.\" But in order for this to happen, we must be a collective \"we\" - culturally, spiritually, and Torah-wise. We are progressing towards this… Can you imagine an aliyah of 100,000 or 200,000 committed Jews - Jews who are personally concerned about the spiritual character of the country? Everything will be different! We must tell them - and I\'ll say it very sharply: Not to make aliyah at this point is simply a violation of \"Do not stand idly by as your neighbor\'s blood is shed\" - not only ours, but theirs as well. They can change the situation.\"