President Moshe Katzav set off on a state visit to Muldova in the former Soviet Union today. On the schedule today: a speech in the Parliament in Kishinev, marking the 100th anniversary of the Kishinev pogrom against Jews. Transportation Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who was born in Kishinev, led an Israeli delegation three months ago to an official three-day conference in Muldova marking the anniversary of the pogrom.
Close to 50 Jews were slaughtered in the murderous riot that lasted two days in April 1903; more than 500 were injured, many homes and businesses were destroyed, and 2,000 families were left homeless. Two years later, in another massacre in Kishinev, 19 Jews were murdered - but this time, some of the Jews were prepared and fought together in self-defense units. The first pogrom had led to charges that the Jews were too passive and did little to help themselves.
Minister Lieberman reported in April that the Jewish community in Kishinev appears quite comfortable: "They number some 15,000 Jews, they have schools, synagogues, and nice positions in the community, etc. They don't seem to be considering Aliyah [immigration to Israel] at present... The fact that they want to remain in Kishinev is primarily a failure of ours"