On June 12, the World Jewish Congress CEO Robert Singer met with the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov. Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress Boris Lozhkin also took part in the meeting.
During the meeting, Arsen Avakov emphasized the inadmissibility of anti-Semitism and xenophobia.
“In today's democratic Ukraine, it is inadmissible for anyone to be discriminated, intimidated, or persecuted due to belonging to another religion, nation or culture. All such criminal manifestations receive a principled and prompt reaction from the side of the police. We keep this issue under control,” said Mr. Minister.
In his turn, Robert Singer expressed his hopes that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not allow unlawful actions against representatives of the Jewish community.
Later Avakov wrote on Twitter that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the World Jewish Congress had agreed to unite efforts to counteract xenophobia and anti-Semitism. “During the working meeting with Robert Singer, they agreed to unite efforts to counter xenophobia and anti-Semitism as tools of the hybrid war. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine received high praise from the WJC for the response to the anti-Semitic excesses in the country,” wrote Avakov.
The World Jewish Congress, an international federation of Jewish communities, was founded in Geneva in 1936 in response to the rise of Nazism and anti-Semitism in Europe. The main priorities of its activity include the fight against delegitimization of Israel, support of the peace process in the Middle East, honoring the Holocaust victims, combating anti-Semitism, and dialogue with other religions.
