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Euroasian Jewish News
The statement of Refat Chubarov, the Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, in support of Joseph Zissels, the EAJC General Cou
30.07.2003
Indoor discussions, which actually ensure proper level of democratic functioning, are essential for the activity of all public associations including national-cultural or religious. Often these discussions exceed the bounds of the organization and become a common property.
Jewish organizations of Ukraine have not been able to escape such a situation. And it is natural, because many Jewish organizations of Ukraine have active leaders trying to accomplish a set of specific goals. Only those who do nothing encounter no problems.
It is necessary to mention that a considerable amount of the projects realized by Jewish organizations of Ukraine are introduced not only to satisfy the requirements of Ukrainian Jewish community but for the sake of the whole Ukrainian society.
Through my work, I have contacts with many public organizations in Ukraine, including those acting to preserve and develop national cultures of poly-ethnic Ukrainian society. Therefore, I cannot overlook the statements in the mass-media (especially on the Internet), which apply to Joseph Zissels, well-known public figure in Ukraine.
Mr.Zissels is one of a few who do not need a special introduction, moreover, to be protected by anyone, and I will therefore keep my comments here brief. Mr.Zissels’ belongs to the cohort of right advocates, who protected all enslaved nations even during the USSR. Mr.Zissels, well-known leader of the Jewish movement in the USSR, could be also ranked among activists of other national movements in the territory of the former USSR, including Crimean-Tatar movement.
I was shocked to read the statement by a group of leaders representing some Ukrainian Jewish organizations declaring Joseph Zissels “persona non-grata in the Jewish community of Ukraine”. Without mentioning the details of the discussion in Ukrainian Jewish Community and traditional to Jewish public life institutions, I myself must ask how a person who devoted his life to fighting for the rights of Jews in a totalitarian society could be declared persona non-grata in Jewish society?
Furthermore, to say that Zissels has failed to represent the concerns of Ukrainian Jewry is unnecessary, since he leads a number of Ukrainian and international Jewish organizations.
While recognizing the indisputable right of any public organization or individuals to state their point of view on the issues disturbing them or concerning activity of concrete persons, I’d like to state that I completely disagree all the insinuations concerning Joseph Zissels, a person who demonstrated adherence to the principles of democracy and tolerance during times when one could pay with his or her life for doing so.
Refat Chubarov, Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
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