Moshe Kantor, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the European Jewish Congress, the President of the World Holocaust Forum, condemned the attack on two Jewish students in Kiev, reports Interfax-Ukraine.
Late on Sunday night, August 28, two Jewish students from Jewish University “Yeshiva” were attacked by a group of unknown persons in the underpass near retail complex Mandarin-Plaza.
“This is a very disturbing event that no one should overlook. The fact that Jewish students are afraid to walk in the streets, fearing Anti-Semitic attacks such as this one is dreadful,” says Mr. Kantor in his statement.
Mr. Kantor called upon the Government “to act strongly against this rise in this dangerous phenomenon”. “I praise President (Viktor) Yushchenko for his condemnation to this act, but I strongly believe more should be done. Arresting and punishing the attackers is also important,” the statement says.
The President of the World Holocaust Forum stressed the importance of “combating this growing and dangerous phenomenon of Anti-Semitism” and its eradication. He believes this is crucial for the safety of every nation and of humanity in general.
“We should always remember and learn from our dreadful recent history – it will probably always start from the Jews, but it never ends with them,” the statement says. “The fillings of hate towards the different, towards the stranger were always the seeds of evil and of dark chapters in human history.”
According to Mr. Kantor, Ukraine and all governments around the world should incorporate in their educational program a serious chapter about the Holocaust and its lessons. He believes that “only through education could we really shape the thoughts and ideas of the public and of the young generation and promise the elimination of predacious thoughts who lead to Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia”.
Mr. Kantor noted that in the last few months serious talks with the Ukrainian administration have been held regarding holding the second World Holocaust Forum, a conference of world leaders on the Holocaust and its lessons, in Ukraine. “Such an event in the Ukraine would certainly have a strong positive impact on the Ukrainian society,” strongly believes Mr. Kantor.
