Moscow, 24 April: The president of the Russian Jewish Congress, Yevgeniy Satanovskiy, said in Moscow on Wednesday [24 April] at a news conference on nationalism in Russia that he believes nationalist sentiments in Russia are not so strong as in Western Europe.
"The wave of arsons at synagogues and mosques that have swept across the world, as well as far-right leader [Jean-Marie] Le Pen's success in France, attest to the increase of revanchism and neo-Nazi tendencies in Europe," Satanovskiy said.
The Jewish leader believes that far-right political forces "are using the democratic system and economic difficulties 'to rock the boat', hoping that it will capsize and that they will come to power".
Satanovskiy said that nationalism in Russia has so far been limited to skinhead pranks. "Fortunately, neither synagogues nor mosques are set on fire in our country and rampages cause minor casualties," the congress president said.
Satanovskiy stressed that "ideas that Russians' anti-Semitism is long-standing and deep-rooted are only stereotypes". Satanovskiy said that "historic distrust among different peoples and their wish to blame believers
of other religions for all sins are quite strong in Russia today".
"When concerns about 20 April [Hitler birth anniversary] have eased, we should not relax and fail to understand the threat of nationalism. Otherwise
we will soon face every day as if it is Hitler's birthday," Satanovskiy said.
Source: Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1247 gmt 24 Apr 02