Follow-up....
Oh, well... now, we know what Putin and Sharon have been talking about: Sharon asked Putin a favor --he wants to resettle Ethiopian Falashas in Birobidzhan! No kidding:
Israel is not the Jews' only country, Putin tells Sharon
Herb Keinon
Oct. 1, 2002
MOSCOW Russian President Vladimir Putin corrected Prime Minister Ariel Sharon yesterday when the later said Israel is the Jews' only country.
Wrong, Putin said, reminding Sharon of the Jewish autonomous region of Birobidzhan set up under the Soviets.
Moreover, Putin invited Sharon to visit the area with him on his next visit, an offer Sharon told leaders of the Jewish community last night to their amusement he readily agreed to.
When the Soviets came to power they were in favor of autonomous regions for ethnic groups in territorial concentration with their own language, culture, and identity.
Birobidzhan was designated for the Jews, and a Soviet system of Jewish education, press, literature, and theater developed in the 1920s and 1930s, while many Jews remained determined to preserve Hebrew and genuine Jewish culture. But the experiment petered out, due in part to assimilation and anti-Semitism.
The issue of Birobidzhan came up when Sharon was using an argument on Putin he has used a hundred times before on world leaders and various audiences that Israel is willing to make concessions for peace, but not over the security of its citizens because Israel is the only country the Jews have.
It is then that Putin raised his eyebrow.
Sharon related this story with humor to the leaders of the Jewish community, and used it to show that Putin is both interested in the Jews, and concerned with their fate.
He thanked Putin during their meeting for his unequivocal stance against anti-Semitism, and publicly praised him for this in front of the Jewish audience as well.
According to Sharon, Putin said there are now more Jews in Birobidzhan than there were at the onset of the massive Soviet immigration wave in 1990.
[...]
jpost.com |
