Israel Matzav: Ukraine joins the organ theft blood libel

Ukraine joins the organ theft blood libel

Here's a reminder that you don't have to be a Muslim to be an anti-Semite. Ukraine has adopted the organ theft libel.

Stories appearing on several Ukrainian Web sites claim Israel has brought around some 25,000 Ukrainian children into the country over the past two years in order to harvest their organs.

The claim, which was made by a Ukrainian philosophy professor and author at a pseudo-academic conference in Kiev five days ago, is the latest expression of a wave of anti-Semitism in the country. It comes a few months after a Swedish tabloid ran an article alleging that Israel Defense Forces soldiers have killed Palestinian civilians for their organs.

Jews, Israel and anti-Semitism have become a major motif of the presidential election campaign in Ukraine, with some figures making anti-Semitic statements and others condemning them. Some candidates, including a Jew and someone whose rivals claim is Jewish, blame a third rival - Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko [pictured. CiJ] - for bringing anti-Semitism into the race.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of anti-Semites in the world. With the current focus on Islamist Jew-hatred, we forget that for centuries, Jews were relatively safe (albeit with dhimmi status) in Muslim countries and were in danger in Christian countries. The Ukraine itself has a rich history of anti-Semitism. We must always be vigilant (without becoming paranoid).

Israel Matzav: Ukraine joins the organ theft blood libel