Zelensky: Ukrainians don’t care if President is Jewish, Christian or Muslim
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. Photo: jpost.com
The Ukrainian people do not care who their president is - a Jew, a Christian or a Muslim, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky said in an interview with the Israeli edition “The Jerusalem Post”.
“I have never been targeted by anti-Semitic remarks, either during the campaign or since I have been elected president,” Zelensky said, when asked about the reaction of ordinary Ukrainians to his Jewish roots. “Ukrainian people do not care whether their President is Jewish, Christian or Muslim, as long as he defends the interests of the Ukrainian people.”
According to him, there is no acute problem of anti-Semitism in Ukraine. Regarding the recent anti-Semitic attacks against Hassidic Jews who arrived in Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Zelensky assured that not a single case remains unanswered.
“We strongly condemn anti-Semitic attacks of any kind. Antisemitism is a poison that has no place in Ukraine. We are working very closely with the local authorities and the representatives of the Jewish community in Ukraine and in Uman to protect the pilgrims. We respond to every antisemitic aggression.”
As reported, at the opening of the II Kyiv Jewish Forum, the President of Ukraine said that "Ukraine has always been an open country that respects all faiths".
Read also
Shevchuk tells Budanov of UGCC’s “state-building role”
The head of the Uniates told the head of the Presidential Office that his Church was ready to partner with the state and presented him with a book on the work of special services in the Church.
Authorities decline to disclose Ukraine’s population size
The State Statistics Service acknowledged that it has up-to-date population estimates for the country, but has decided not to make them public.
Lithuanian govt vows to protect Orthodox Church from Russian intelligence
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has called for curbing the influence of Russian intelligence services on the Church, while an adviser to President Nausėda warned against labeling the entire structure a security threat.
During Ramadan, Patriarch Theodoros hosts Islamic iftar at his residence
Patriarch Theodoros of Alexandria hosted a meal for Muslim workers breaking their fast in the courtyard of the Patriarchate and thanked a sheikh for his “brotherhood.”
Lawsuit filed against Patriarch of Constantinople
A Turkish official has accused Patriarch Bartholomew and dozens of clergy of “illegal activity” and violating the Treaty of Lausanne.
OCU cleric buried with Church Slavonic funeral shroud
In the Ternopil Eparchy of the OCU, a cleric was buried under a funeral shroud bearing inscriptions in Church Slavonic.