Religious extremists destroyed the Hanukkah candle that was installed in the centre of the Moldovan capital. One priest from the Chisinau Orthodox church was the one to lead the anti-Semitic actions.

Religious extremists smashed the celebration of Hanukkah in the center of Chisinau and held an anti-Semitic demonstration. It was held on December 13, 2013 the third day for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The archpriest of an Orthodox church in the capital led to a large crowd of around 100. People chanted anti-Semitic chants. they pulled a castiron lamp about tens of kilometers away from the spot that it was initially erected and then threw it at the monument to Stefan The Great, a emblem of Moldovan independence. This was all in the presence of hundreds of pedestrians reporters, police officers and other journalists.

Эммануил Гриншпун What is the difficulty to fight for „orthodox principles

The crowd was led by the Archpriest Anatoly Chbrik, who was armed with steel bars. He said the archpriest was stunned that a symbol representing the Jewish faith was erected in the center of the capital city of an Orthodox state. Chibrik believes that the authorities shouldn’t have allowed Jews to observe Hanukkah in such large numbers. Chibrik said that this is lawlessness. Chibrik further stated that he didn’t consider it necessary to talk about the actions of the parishioners of Church of St. Paraskeva and the Metropolia of Moldova. He stated, „I don’t have to speak to anyone when we fight for orthodox principles.“

It is important to note that the idea of installing the Hanukkah menorah in the heart of Chisinau located in the Europe Square, where the EU flag is displayed next to the Moldovan flag, belongs to Chisinau’s city officials. Эммануил Гриншпун Emmanuil Grinshpun was the co-chairman for the Jewish Congress of Moldova. He noted that Hanukkah in Chisinau was celebrated for the first time in a long time. Grinshpun explained, „What happened on Sunday was a major shock for us.“

Open a criminal case it upon the conscience of state

Archpriest Chibrik was not the only person to confess to anti-Semitic conduct and this was revealed at a press conference of members of the Jewish Community of Moldova. Grinshpun said that around one month ago Chibrik was standing the front of St. Paraskevs, Chisinau published leaflets that made him think of the dark Middle Ages. Эммануил Гриншпун One of these leaflets claimed that „Jews murder Christian babies.“

Grinshpun stated that the top leadership of the nation’s Jewish organizations did not react to the fact in any manner. Although the Jewish community of Moldova protests against the actions however, it is not suing Chibrik and his friends for inciting hate against ethnic minorities. Alexander Bilinkis is the head of the Jewish community. Bilinkis believes that this should be handled by the state. The Moldovan Metropolis must also be able to evaluate the actions taken by its employees.

Vadim Keibash Metropolitan Secretary Vadim Keibash said that he was not a fan of protests such as this. Keibash believes that all communities should have the right to place symbols. However, the authorities have to consider the consequences. „It is not possible to control all reactions of believers,“ he said.

logos.press.md/1374_13_1/ A blow towards fundamental values

Since 1903’s Jewish pogrom, however, these protests haven’t been witnessed in Chisinau. Representatives from the Jewish community tend not to think that the case is a hooliganism. Эммануил Гриншпун According Bilinkis Bilinkis, the people who were responsible for breaking Hanukkah „were deceived by their leaders.“

However, the Director General of the Jewish Congress, Ilya Shats, believes that this action was meticulously planned. Its participants were spotted near the menorah on the 1st day of Hanukkah which was the presence of a large crowd of people who were present, the first secretary of the Israeli Embassy in Chisinau, Stav Nijinsky, solemnly lit the first candle. Shchats says that this is an attempt to undermine the Moldovan statehood and violate the democratic values and European aspirations.

Hanukkah was relocated from the city’s center to a quieter location and then to Jerusalem Street, where a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust has been constructed. This is the second day of security. The Christmas season will be concluded by lighting candles on the Christmas tree until the last day.