The President of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress Vadim Rabinovich, who was a candidate in Ukraine’s last Sunday’s presidential election, is one of the biggest sensations of the poll as he won across the country more votes than both Ukrainian ultranationalist leaders.
The election saw the victory of pro-EU businessman Petro Poroshenko, who garnered 53,70 of the votes.
About 2,5% of voters casted their votes for Rabinovich, which is in absolute terms equals to more than 400 000 people.
Rabinovich came close to Mikhail Dobkin, the candidate of the recently ruling Party of Regions and outrun not only a very well-known activist of Maidan, Olga Bohomolets, but also the two main ultranationalists leaders, Oleg Tvagnybok of Swovoda and the leader of the Right Sector movement Oleg Yarosh. In total Rabinovich won more votes than both of them put together.
‘’Propagandists from the Russian media, who for months blew the trumpets about mass bursts of fascism, neo-Nazism in Ukraine and a total anti-Semitism", went down in flames - because there is no better contradiction of their speculations and myths than a victory of a Jewish candidate over both leaders of the Ukrainian nationalist organizations,’’ political analysts said.
‘’Vadim Rabinovich managed to prove that Jewish origin of a talented candidate is no longer an insuperable obstacle to gain popularity among the masses of the Ukrainian voters.’’
When he announced that he was running for president three months ago, he explained that one of his objectives was ‘’to shatter a myth of anti-Semitism in Ukraine.’’
‘’He often did the things that go against the traditional political technologies. Due to the huge corruption in the media, he could not often speak in the air, but always tried to speak frankly and sharply. He suggested a total purge for officials who were in charge for the past 10 years in Ukraine. He also made a suggestion to transform Ukraine into Switzerland of Eastern Europe, open up markets, allow offshores, introduce 30 percent quotas for youth in all enterprises in Ukraine and to create the country’s own Silicon Valley. Voters liked his short but specific program,’’ the analyst said.
Shortly before the presidential vote, Vadim Rabinovich, who is also Co-Chairman of the European Jewish Parliament and owner of Jewish News One television, took charge of the Center political party and centrist views always resonate with the electorate.
‘’It is possible to assume that not only a personality and speaking skills played in favor of Vadim Rabinovich, but also a positive perception factor by the Ukrainian community of an active participation of Jews in public life,’’ the analysts say.
Rabinovich, not only did not conceal his origin but also actively emphasized on it, refusing to debate or come on a talk show on the Sabbath (Saturday).
‘’He managed to prove that the Jewish origin of a talented candidate is no longer an insuperable obstacle to gain popularity among the masses of the Ukrainian voters.’’
Around 200,000 Jews live in the country.