Amid growing conflict between ethnic Russians and ethnic Ukrainians in the former Soviet republic of Ukraine, long-buried anti-Semitic sentiments have begun to surface.
For example, back on April 8th, Nazi symbols were drawn on a Holocaust monument in Odessa, Ukraine. The symbols
—swastikas and the SS Wolfsangel sign—were painted on the memorial site. Swastikas also appeared on a wall surrounding a Jewish cemetery along with messages like “Death to the Jews.”
Another incident a week later grabbed world attention when armed masked men handed out fliers to people leaving a Passover service at a Donetsk synagogue. The official-looking documents appeared to notify Jews of a requirement to register with the authorities and pay a registration fee.
The flyers, which have since been described as a hoax by the leader of the Jewish community in Donetsk, nevertheless, raised concerns. They reminded older residents of requirements imposed under Nazi Germany. And with tens of thousands of Russian troops amassing on Ukraine’s eastern border, many Jews are increasingly concerned about their safety.
Sohnut, a Ukrainian organization that assists with emigration to Israel is reporting a sharp rise in the numbers of Jews asking how to apply for repatriation to Israel. The head of the organization said, “I cannot say for sure that they will make a decision to leave, but I do see a rise in the level of interest. People call the Israeli embassy in Kiev. They start gathering the documents.”
In fact, applications for emigration to Israel are up nearly 70% over the same period a year ago.
Of course, long-time friends of Jewish Voice Ministries understand that this new wave of emigration to Israel is merely an ongoing fulfillment of Bible prophecy. The re-gathering to Israel of the “diaspora” after centuries of dispersion among the nations is a major prophetic signal that we are in the end times. So is the dark resurgence of anti-Semitism in Europe.
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