Two local Jewish leaders in a Ukrainian city accused a member of the city council of spreading anti-Semitic propaganda.
In an open letter released last week, the leaders of Jewish organizations in Kherson accused Sergey Kirichenko, a member of the Union of Left Powers in Ukraine, of systematic anti-Semitic propaganda.
According to the letter, Kirichenko in several appearances on the local radio show “Vik†and in the local Vik publication accused Jews of robbing the Ukrainians, plotting to enslave them and exterminate Slavs in general. Kirichenko also said that Jews “occupied the region,” and he posted “Catechism of a Jew in the USSR†— an updated version of the notorious “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” — on his personal Web site.
Kirichenko also praised the Nazi occupation of Kherson, a city of 329,000 in southern Ukraine, during the Holocaust.
Hate speech is illegal in Ukraine. It is unclear whether local authorities will bring charges over Kirichenko’s statements.
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