Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi: Kyiv terrorist was a militant antisemite

Location of the shooting in Kyiv. Photo: open sources

Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi commented on the terrorist attack in Kyiv’s Holosiiv district, in which six people were killed. Another 14 civilians, including a child, suffered injuries of varying severity. The assailant opened fire at close range and held hostages inside one of the city’s supermarkets.

According to the religious leader, the perpetrator openly held anti-Ukrainian views and was a virulent antisemite. He stressed that the attacker admired Hitler’s methods and publicly called for “purges,” as well as for the physical extermination of Jews and Ukrainians. The rabbi noted that such manifestations of hatred point to a profound moral sickness in society.

Asman also stressed that antisemitism often serves as an early sign of deep moral decay in society. “Antisemitism is almost never ‘just a single hateful thought.’ Very often it is one of the first signs of a profound moral illness, when a person begins dividing the world into those who may be despised, humiliated, and then destroyed.” In his view, a person consumed by hatred of Jews will inevitably come to hate Ukrainians’ right to freedom as well.

The religious leader called on the authorities neither to romanticize nor ignore such manifestations of evil, but to respond firmly and preventively. He expressed condolences to the families of the dead and said he is praying for the recovery of all those wounded. The spiritual leader added that may the Almighty preserve Ukraine from people whose hearts have been surrendered to darkness.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Chief Rabbi had thanked Zelensky for the law against antisemitism.

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