EAJC: Distortion of Judaism Is an Unacceptable Practice

On October 26, the Russian publication "Argumenty i Fakty" published an article by Lieutenant General Alexey Pavlov, Assistant Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation. In the piece, titled "What's Brewing in the 'Witches' Cauldron'", the author refers to the followers of Lubavitch Hasidism (Chabad) as a "sect" and calls for the "desatanization" of Ukraine. According to Pavlov, "the core principle of Chabad-Lubavitch is the superiority of its members over all other nations and peoples." Such rhetoric has sparked a wave of indignation within the Jewish community of Russia and the Israeli media.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress deems these assertions entirely unacceptable. Such views, disseminated through one of the most widely read print publications in Russia, could have dangerous repercussions and trigger a surge in antisemitism. A particularly aggravating factor is the official position held by the author. We firmly believe that an individual involved in matters of national security of any state lacks the standing to promote such provocative ideas. We call upon the Russian authorities to address this matter.

Commenting on the publication, the President of the EAJC, Dr. Michael Mirilashvili, stated: "The terminology used by the author of this article was once invoked to justify the most heinous crimes against the Jewish people in the last century — consequences of which we still endure today. Individuals harboring such views must not be permitted to propagate them unimpeded in the mass media."

"Attempting to distort the public perception of Judaism is an entirely unacceptable practice that has no place in the modern world. As history demonstrates, the dissemination of such ideas has led to the darkest events of the past. Those who spew misanthropic rhetoric are generally indifferent to historical truth. They fail to consider the consequences of their words, driven primarily by cheap popularity among radical groups. Such manipulation is intolerable, as its destructive side effect is the incitement of antisemitic sentiment within society," stated EAJC President Michael Mirilashvili.