A self-exiled Soviet author said that “The Jews in the Ukraine are so intimidated that they are ready to sign anything.” Anatoli Kuznetsov, author of a book on Babi Yar, in a letter published in the Daily Telegraph, referred to a letter, printed March 12 in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda. alleging that Zionists collaborated with the Nazis in the Babi Yar massacre of Jews during World War I. The letter was signed by Ukrainian Jews. Mr. Kuznetsov said the allegation was “carrying cynicism beyond the bounds of comprehension” and observed that “the people who signed the slander in Pravda presumably were forced to do it.” Kuznetsov, who defected to the west last August, has claimed to have more knowledge about the Babi Yar massacre than “anyone else in the world,” having lived in Kiev, near Babi Yar, at the time. Kuznetsov said the Soviet censors had completely mutilated the account of the tragedy in his book and is planning to publish soon the complete text of his work.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
