The chief rabbi of Moscow in exile, Pinchas Goldschmidt, called on the Jews of Russia to leave the country while they still can, in an exclusive interview with our Anglo-Saxon colleagues from the
Guardian
, this Friday, December 30.
He believes that the Jewish community could serve as a scapegoat for Vladimir Putin, whose regime is in difficulty due to the war in Ukraine, which is bogged down.
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“
When we look at Russian history, whenever the political system was in danger, you see the government trying to redirect the anger and discontent of the crowds to the Jewish community,
” he told the British newspaper.
And to clarify: “
We saw it in the tsarist era and at the end of the Stalinist regime.
(...) We are witnessing a rise in anti-Semitism, as Russia reverts to a new kind of Soviet Union.
Step by step, the iron curtain falls.
That's why I think the best option for Russian Jews is to leave.
»
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Pinchas Goldschmidt's remarks come almost six months after his exile from Russia.
The chief rabbi had resigned from his post before leaving the country in July, refusing to support the “
special operation”
in Ukraine supported by Putin.
Fewer and fewer Jews in Russia
Over the past century, the Jewish population in Russia has shrunk dramatically.
In 1926, when the Soviet Union still existed, it was estimated at 2,672,000 people, 59% of them living in Ukraine.
Just before the war in Ukraine, only 165,000 Jews still lived in the Russian Federation, out of more than 145 million Russians.
And according to Pinchas Goldschmidt, 25-30% of the remaining Jews have already left, or plan to do so.
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This percentage could increase if Israel suddenly decides to deliver arms to Ukraine, thus alienating the Russian regime.
For the time being, Tel-Aviv remains relatively neutral, for fear, in particular, that the Kremlin decides to prevent any "Alyah" (immigration by a Jew to the land of Israel).
“
Alyah
is important
for Tel Aviv because it strengthens its Jewish demographics vis-à-vis its Arab population.
Russia could hinder this emigration
(in the event of Israel's support for Kiev), "analyzed for
Le Figaro
General (2S) and geopolitical consultant François Chauvancy.
Last July, the Russian government had already called for the closure of the Jewish Agency in Russia, which promotes immigration to Israel.
A sign that anti-Semitism in Russia is increasingly palpable, as Pinchas Goldschmidt feels.