19 November 2007
Speaking before a gathering of the Jerusalem-based Israel Council on Foreign Relations, Ukrainian president Victor Yushchenko condemned anti-Semitism, calling it a marginal phenomenon in his country which would not be tolerated. "I want to make clear that none of the major political parties in Ukraine is anti-Semitic. For too long, Ukrainian nationalism has been equated with anti-Semitism, and that is unfortunate."
The Ukrainian leader announced that a new Holocaust memorial museum would be built in Ukraine which would be the largest institution of its type in the world. He called upon Israelis of Ukrainian origin to visit their former homeland and pledged to work to protect the many Jewish heritage sites there. President Yushchenko also emphasized the many reforms that have taken place under his leadership and the country's transition to democracy. He expressed his hope for further investment from Israel.
The event was chaired by Michael Schneider, Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress. In his opening remarks he called for the return of Jewish communal property that had been looted by the Nazis and the Communists. He declared that the Jewish people, who had known so much suffering, also acknowledged the suffering of Ukrainians under Stalinist rule, and he called upon Ukraine to play a part in neutralizing the Iranian nuclear threat.
