Ukraine’s Chief Rabbi and famous oligarch rally behind Zelenskyy, slam Putin's anti-Semitic comment

Rabbi Azman expressed his pride in Zelenskyy in a comment to UNIAN on June 16, stating, “I am personally proud of President Zelenskyy for not fleeing, and for doing everything possible to help the Ukrainian people.”

“And it’s not just me. I believe the entire world is proud of him.”He also denied that neo-Nazis were in power in Ukraine – a frequent false charge by the Kremlin – stating, “In Ukraine, there are honorable people who defend their homeland.”

Read also: Jewish New Year in War-Torn Ukraine

Renowned Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Pinchuk also came to Zelenskyy’s defense, declaring, “Today, the Russian dictator called the president of our nation a ‘disgrace to the Jewish people.’ I am a Ukrainian citizen, I am Jewish, and in my interactions with Jews from around the world over the past several years, I have only heard positive feedback about Volodymyr Zelenskyy.”

According to Pinchuk, his counterparts express pride in the president, and Jews from various countries genuinely admire him. “And it’s not about his nationality; it’s about Zelenskyy embodying the fight for freedom. Freedom is one of the core values of the Jewish people,” Pinchuk added.

Pinchuk said that the election of a Jew as president in Ukraine vividly demonstrates the “fundamental difference between a free, democratic Ukraine and the anti-Semitic Russian empire.”

“The Jews of Ukraine are an integral part of the Ukrainian people,” Pinchuk said.

Read also: From the archives: Kremlin’s mouthpiece RIA publishes Russian fascist manifesto

“They bravely fight on the front lines, sacrificing their lives and contributing to Ukraine’s imminent victory. Regardless of what the ‘Jewish friends’ of our enemy say, whom he has not yet named, their names are likely to be found on international sanction lists.”

On June 16, Putin, referring to comments from unnamed “Jewish friends,” labeled Ukrainian President Zelenskyy a “disgrace to the Jewish people.”

We’re bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine