Silski Visti Award - 03.18.2005

Yushchenko honors Ukraine paper accused of anti-Semitism



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NCSJ Press Release


Ha'aretz/AP


Jerusalem Post

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 Press Release - 03.18.2005

NCSJ Questions Ukraine Newspaper's Award

Contact: Mark Levin/Lesley Weiss, NCSJ (202-898-2500)

Washington, D.C. -- NCSJ expressed concern over Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko’s decision, announced this week, to honor the staff of the newspaper Silski Visti with medals “for significant personal contribution to the development of Ukrainian journalism,” because this same newspaper has been accused of inciting anti-Semitism in its pages.

In January 2004, a local court in Kyiv ruled that publication of the newspaper be suspended for fomenting interethnic hatred. The charges were brought after the paper published the article “Jews in Ukraine Today: Reality Without Myths,” in which author Vasyl Yaremenko claims the Ukrainian people are being ruled by Jews. The paper successfully appealed the ruling and continued to publish without disassociating itself from the anti-Semitic views.

“President Yuschenko’s recognition of Silski Visti for its role as Ukraine’s main opposition newspaper during the previous Ukrainian administration, does not excuse the paper’s publication of anti-Semitic articles.” said Mark B. Levin, NCSJ Executive Director. “We hope to discuss this issue when we meet with President Yuschenko during his visit to Washington, D.C. next month,” he added.

NCSJ is in ongoing contact with the Jewish leadership in Ukraine about this issue and other issues of concern to the Jewish community.

NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia, is the mandated central coordinating agency of the organized Jewish community for policy and activities on behalf of the estimated 1.5 million Jews in the former Soviet Union, including the 500,000 Jews in Ukraine. 

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