Masked pro-Russian militants have ordered Jews in an eastern Ukraine city to “register” with authorities, a shocking reminder of the darkest days of the World War II Nazi regime.
Jews in the city of Donetsk, where militants have taken over government buildings in a bid to annex the city under Russian rule, said they were handed leaflets ordering them to provide a list of property they own and pay a registration fee “or else have their citizenship revoked, face deportation and see their assets confiscated,” reported Ynet News, Israel’s largest news website.
The leaflets bore the name of Denis Pushilin, who identified himself as chairman of “Donetsk’s temporary government,” and were distributed near the Donetsk synagogue and other areas, according to the reports.
“ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles. Evasion of registration will result in citizenship revoke and you will be forced outside the country with a confiscation of property,” the leaflet read, according to Ynet News.
Pushilin acknowledged that flyers were distributed under his organization’s name in Donetsk, but denied any connection to them, Ynet reported in Hebrew.
“We don’t know if these notifications were distributed by pro-Russian activists or someone else, but it’s serious that it exists,” said Olga Reznikova, 32, a Jewish resident of Donetsk. “The text reminds me of the fascists in 1941,” she added, referring to the Nazis who occupied Ukraine during World War II.
Reznikova told Ynet she never experienced anti-Semitism in the city until she saw this leaflet.
The order was quickly condemned by the US.
“In the year 2014, after all of the miles traveled and all of the journey of history, this is not just intolerable,” US Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters. “It’s grotesque. It is beyond unacceptable.”
Michael Salberg, director of international affairs at the New York City-based Anti-Defamation League, said it is unclear if the leaflets were the product of pro-Russian leadership or a splinter group.
Either way, he said, the anti-Semitism is troubling.
“The message is a message to all the people that we’re going to exert our power over you,” he said. “Jews are the default scapegoat throughout history for despots to send a message to the general public: Don’t step out of line.”