Prefer Jewish News on Google
Antisemitic incidents decreased by 27 percent in Ukraine in 2019
Jewish group documented 66 hateful incidents towards Jews compared to 90 the previous year
A Jewish organisation in Ukraine said that the number of antisemitic incidents documented there last year decreased by 27 percent over 2018.
The United Jewish Community of Ukraine, one of several groups representing Ukrainian Jewry, said in a report published Monday that it has documented 66 antisemitic incidents in 2019 compared to 90 in the previous year.
It attributed the purported change to the election in May of Volodymyr Zelensky, a Jewish actor, as president.
The Jewish group that published the report is headed by Igor Kolomoisky, a nationalist Jewish billionaire who owns the television channel where Zelensky worked.
Ukraine has no government watchdog that monitors racist incidents and publishes aggregated reports.
Organisations from within the fractious Jewish community of Ukraine have often disagreed on these issues.
Israel’s Ministry for Diaspora Affairs in 2018 said that in 2017, Ukraine had had more than 130 antisemitic incidents – more than the combined tally of documented cases that year from the entire former Soviet Union.
Some groups, including the Vaad Association of Jewish organisations and Communities, disputed that report, while others, including the Ukrainian Jewish Committee, said it seemed reliable.
Monday’s report details one physical assault on a person — an activist for free speech whom perpetrators beat up in December in Kiev while calling him a Jew.
Other cases included threats and antisemitic vandalism at Jewish cemeteries and Holocaust monuments.
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
