Uzhgorod, Ukraine – A mayor of a small Ukrainian town who has made headlines for anti-Semitic comments in recent months was approved by his country’s central voting committee to run in January’s presidential race.
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Following his nomination, Uzhgorod Mayor Sergey Ratushniak told a local paper that the Jews were to blame for all his country’s troubles.
Ratushniak, who until recently was not known to be anti-Semitic, surprised local Jews when he reportedly called a political rival who is also running for the Ukrainian presidency an “impudent little Jew” who was “successfully serving the thieves who are in power in Ukraine and is using criminal money to plough ahead towards Ukraine’s presidency.”
The rival, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, is not Jewish.
But according to Sergei Podrazhansky, deputy editor of the Israeli Russian-language newspaper Vesty, Ratushniak succeeded in hurting Yatsenyuk’s chances of winning the presidency.
“Many Ukrainians reconsidered their support when they heard allegations that Yatsenyuk is Jewish,” said Podrazhansky, who grew up in Uzhgorod.
“There is no democratic tradition in the Ukraine so the place is very unpredictable,” added Podrazhansky, who said that Ratushniak is just one of 18 candidates running for president and does not have a chance of winning.
The mayor told the Associated Press in a telephone interview: “Is everybody obliged to love Jews and Israel? If I don’t like Jews and Israel, does that make me an anti-Semite?” Local news agencies reported that Ratushniak assaulted a woman working for Yatsenyuk’s campaign by grabbing her throat and shoving her to the ground.
Ratushniak denies the claims.
However, at the beginning of September, Ukraine prosecutors reportedly brought charges of hooliganism, abuse of office and xenophobia against Ratushniak.
What else do you expect in that g-d forsaken ugly little country.
He’s right. The Jews are to blame for Ukraine’s woes….specifically, Ukraine’s mass murder of 1.5 million of them. Such evil has consequences. As with Europe, it is cursed for all time and surely deserves to disappear into the sands of history.
It is obvious that the man did not mean “Jew” in the sense that we think. I recently supported our Town Supervisor for re-election, and even tough his parents were “known anti-Semites” I praised them as well for the greater good of the Monsey Community. We need to see beyond words and even actions if we intend to build up our Mosdos.
“Is everybody obliged to love Jews and Israel? If I don’t like Jews and Israel, does that make me an anti-Semite?”
Yes, Mr. Ratushniak, it would make you an anti-semite.
Conversely, if you would say “I don’t like THAT jew”, while it might be a politically incorrect way of identifying a person, it would not necessarily be an anti-semitic statement. However, saying “I don’t like jews”, meaning that a group of people you’ve never met you don’t like simply because they’re jewish IS antisemitic.
“Is everybody obliged to love Jews and Israel? If I don’t like Jews and Israel, does that make me an anti-Semite?”
Yes, Mr. Ratushniak, it would make you an anti-semite.
Conversely, if you would say “I don’t like THAT jew”, while it might be a politically incorrect way of identifying a person, it would not necessarily be an anti-semitic statement. However, saying “I don’t like jews”, meaning that a group of people you’ve never met you don’t like simply because they’re jewish IS antisemitic.
I’ve always wondered why chaleras like this bother to excoriate Jews when there are virtually no Jews around to terrorize. Who are they trying to impress? How many typical Ukrainians have even known or seen a Jew? I also agree with #3 – Ukraine has a well-deserved bloody reputation.
Mayor of Uzhgorod was elected to his position. So you can imagine the local population. You see the article does not just mention jews it also mentions his behavior towards other people like a woman that was grabbed by the thoat. What does it tell you? He expresses this behavior towards people who are weaker and cannot respond to him thus expresing his neanderhtal nature.
The only language these type of people understand is the language of threat. Someone has to frighten him for the rest of his life including fists. I know that people here would tell me that by using such methods one lowers oneself to the same level as this mayor.
My answer is no. If this will shut him up then this is the method muct be used. Not necessarily in such primitive way but I am sure that Israelis know such ways.
Uzhgorod is what used to be/is called by Yidden Ungvar. Rav Shlomo Ganzfried z”l, mechaber of Kitzur Shulchan Oruch, was a moreh horo’oh there.
RABBI GANTZFREId WAS THE RABBI THERE NOT neccessarly anative of UNGVAR as i ts called in German more so its not a small town but a capital in the CARPATHIAN REGION OF THE former country of CHECKOSLOVAKI
i was recently there, mamish very little jews live there, and yiddishkeit??? non exist… but still it was a eir vam b’yisroel. It is drenched with heiligkeit… and off course yiddish blood. May hashem send moshiach so all our pain should end…
it really wasnt an ugly city….actually quite beautiful….and there are some very holy people still living there…now they are in danger perhaps…what a shame