MOSCOW - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Wednesday with representatives of the Russian Jewish community during his visit to Moscow, in talks organized by the Russian Jewish Congress – an affiliate of the World Jewish Congress – and the Embassy of Israel in Moscow.
The meeting took place immediately after Netanyahu’s talks at the Kremlin. Approximately 30 leaders of Jewish organizations of Russia took part, including President of the RJC and WJC Vice President Yuri Kanner, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia Alexander Boroda, Moscow Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, Moscow Mayor Advisor Leonid Pechatnikov, and members of the board of the Russian Jewish Congress.
"This is not the first time that the Russian Jewish Congress has participated in organizing a meeting of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with the Jewish community of Russia. This time, we and the head of the government talked again about the importance of Israel for the Diaspora and the importance of the Diaspora for Israel," said RJC President and WJC VP Kanner said after the meeting.
“Although I personally have the opportunity to communicate with Prime Minister Netanyahu regularly, outside of such meetings, these talks are essential for those members of the community who don't have this access, including the principals of Jewish schools, philanthropists, rabbis, and others,” Kanner added. “It is important for them to have the government of the State of Israel assesses their activities, and to have the prime minister, as a top representative of Israel, listen to the concerns and involvement of Jewish people living Russia. Indeed, during these meetings, on both the Russian and Israeli sides, we follow the call of the prayer "Shema Yisrael!" ("Listen Israel!").”
During the meeting, the Jewish leaders and the Israeli prime minister spoke about the rise of anti-Semitism in the world, and the importance of Russia and Israel maximizing their relations to form a joint resistance against anti-Semitism, and also discussed the significantly growing number of female philanthropists, in part due to the Women's League of the Russian Jewish Congress. Kanner also noted to the prime minister that representatives of the Women’s League, led by Alina Gonikman, were present the meeting.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in his address that the Russian-speaking community in Israel – comprising more than a million people – have changed the country, and, together with the Jewish community still in Russia and in Moscow form a "bridge" between the people of the two countries.
Netanyahu also spoke of the importance of Israel’s good relations with Russia, one of the strongest world powers. He added that Israelis care not only about themselves, but about all Jews, wherever they are. He stressed the importance of fighting antisemitism, and said that here is one solution, and that is a strong Israel.
