Ukrainian Jews urge ignoring DESS amendments to anti-Semitism law

Meeting of the DESS head with representatives of the U.S. Jewish community. Photo: DESS

The United Jewish Community of Ukraine (UJCU) issued a statement regarding the DESS proposal to amend Ukraine’s Law “On Preventing and Combating Anti-Semitism”. The main objective of the DESS amendments is to appoint a special coordinator for combating anti-Semitism.

The UJCU expressed concern over the formalism of this initiative, emphasizing that most of the proposed changes duplicate existing legal provisions. The statement notes: “This proposal includes elements of formalism and may have the opposite effect on efforts to combat and counteract anti-Semitism in Ukraine.”

The UJCU believes that the task of combating anti-Semitism could be assigned to the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman). The statement explains: “This responsibility fully aligns with the Ombudsman’s mission, which is to protect human and citizen rights and freedoms.”

The UJCU also reminds the public that Ukraine’s Law “On Preventing and Combating Anti-Semitism” has already been adopted, and corresponding amendments to the Criminal Code (Article 161) were made in 2022 to classify anti-Semitic crimes.

In conclusion, the UJCU calls on the public and lawmakers to disregard the DESS initiative, as it “does not offer any significant positive legislative changes.”

As previously reported by the UOJ, the State Service for Ethnopolitics urged Ukrainians to protect Jewish rights.

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