The Height of Cynicism – Russia's Chief Rabbi Speaks of the Return of Jews

Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar announced plans to support Jewish communities in Donbas and open yeshivas there, expressing optimism about the return of Jews. The author calls this cynicism and an attempt to legitimize the occupation.

Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar made statements about supporting Jewish communities in Donbas and plans to open religious educational institutions there. In an interview with Russian propagandists, he said that the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia oversees aid in Luhansk, Donetsk, and Mariupol through local rabbis. Lazar also expressed optimism about the return of Jews who left the region, including those who moved to Israel. The article's author, Rami Madrich, calls these statements "the height of cynicism" and an attempt to legitimize the occupation of Ukrainian territories through religious rhetoric. He notes that Lazar's rhetoric repeats propaganda clichés about the glorification of Nazi criminals in Ukraine and compares the justification of the Holocaust with support for terrorism. According to the author, such statements create an illusion of normal life in the occupied territories and fit into the general line of Russian propaganda. Earlier, Kursor reported that after Lazar's speech, Russians in comments called Israelis "Zionist fascists."