[Paleopsych] AP: Russian lawmakers: Ban Jewish groups

[Premise Checker]

Russian lawmakers: Ban Jewish groups
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=2635 through the Jerusalem Post
5.1.25

[I think this is a first, detesting anti-semitism and then blaming the 
Jews for it.]

    A group of nationalist lawmakers is calling for an investigation aimed
    at outlawing all Jewish organizations in Russia, accusing Jews of
    inciting ethnic hatred and provoking anti-Semitism.

    In a letter dated January 13, about 20 members of the lower parliament
    house, the State Duma, asked Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov to
    investigate their claims and, if they are confirmed, to launch
    proceedings "on the prohibition in our country of all religious and
    ethnic Jewish organizations as extremist."

    Arguing that Jews were to blame for anti-Semitism, the authors of the
    letter want Jewish groups outlawed based on legislation against
    extremism and fomenting ethnic discord.

    "The negative assessments by Russian patriots of the qualities and
    actions against non-Jews that are typical of Jews correspond to the
    truth, indeed these actions are not random but prescribed in Judaism
    and have been practiced for two centuries," says the letter, faxed in
    part to The Associated Press by the office of lawmaker Alexander
    Krutov.

    "Thus," it says, "the statements and publications against Jews that
    have incriminated patriots are self-defense, which is not always
    stylistically correct but is justified in essence".

    The stunning call to ban all Jewish groups comes amid concerns of
    persistent anti-Semitism that continues to plague Russia. Jewish
    leaders have praised President Vladimir Putin's government for
    encouraging religious tolerance, but rights groups accuse the
    authorities of failing to adequately prosecute the perpetrators of
    anti-Semitic and racial violence.

    Russia's chief rabbi, Berel Lazar, said the lawmakers were either
    insane or "quite sane but limitlessly cynical" and were hoping to win
    support "by playing the anti-Semitic card."

    Speaking with Israel Radio, Lazar called on Russia's chief prosecutor
    to move to expel the legislators from the parliament since, he said,
    they were acting against all religions and were harming Russia.
    "Everyone who read this letter surely understood that something
    irregular had taken place. It is a known fact that there are those in
    parliament who posses these views. However, it has been a while since
    an anti-Jewish theme has been raised, and suddenly everyone is talking
    about it", Lazar told the radio.

    According to the rabbi, "The timing was not coincidental and was made
    on the same day in which the UN commemorated 60 years since the
    liberation of Nazi death camps. President Putin is slated to visit
    Auschwitz in the near future and they probably wanted to express their
    objection to the upcoming visit by sending this letter."
    With Putin planning to join events this week commemorating the
    liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops, Russia's Holocaust
    Foundation head Alla Gerber said it was "horrible that as we're
    marking the 60th anniversary of this tragic and great day ... we can
    speak of the danger of fascism in the countries that defeated
    fascism."

    She said that while the Russian state itself is no longer
    anti-Semitic, there are "anti-Semitic campaigns that are led by all
    sorts of organizations."

    "The economic situation is ripe for this, an enemy is needed, and the
    enemy is well-known, traditional," Gerber said.
    Responding to the lawmakers' letter, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom
    said on Israel Radio that the Israeli government "will act on every
    level to combat this. We do not let any group or country live
    peacefully with phenomena like these."

    "There is a large international call to arms against anti-Semitic
    incidents anywhere in the world. To my great sorrow, these incidents
    have been happening a lot lately, but we have to fight anti-Semitism
    anywhere it is."

    Echoing anti-Semitic tracts of the Czarist era, the letter's authors
    accuse Jews of working against the interests of the countries where
    they live and of monopolizing power worldwide. They say the United
    States "has become an instrument for achieving the global aims of
    Judaism."

    "It is possible to say that the entire democratic world today is under
    the monetary and political control of international Judaism, which
    high-profile bankers are openly proud of," the letter says.
    Along with outlawing Jewish organizations, the lawmakers call for the
    prosecution of "individuals responsible for providing these groups
    with state and municipal property, privileges and state financing."

    The prosecutor general's office could not immediately be reached for
    comment on the letter, which the Interfax news agency said was signed
    by lawmakers from the nationalist Rodina and Liberal Democratic
    parties as well as the Communist Party.