Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stressed the lowest level of antisemitism in Ukraine among European countries.
"We have very interesting statistical information that will be very interesting for Israel. There is a published Pew Research Center poll from 2018 that assessed the level of antisemitism in Europe. And the lowest level of antisemitism was in Ukraine," he said in an interview with The Times of Israel.
Zelensky drew attention to the fact that security at Kyiv synagogues is not as tough as in other places since Jews are not in danger in Ukraine.
"And you know that I have Jewish blood. And I'm president," he said.
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"Nobody cares. Nobody asks me about it. Of course, in Ukraine, like everywhere in the world, now and in the past, there is some percent of people who don't see anyone else except their nation. The same happened during the Second World War, and during the occupation by fascist Germany of Ukraine. The same kind of complicated attitude was demonstrated to Jewish people during Soviet times. We all know this. But right now we also know perfectly well that the lowest level of antisemitism is in Ukraine," the president said.
"We are very proud of the fact that we have such a low level of antisemitism – such a low level of antisemitism in independent Ukraine, which started its life in 1991," Zelensky said, adding that there is a certain share of "radical people" but it is "very small".
"And that is why I'm not afraid [of any resistance to our Holocaust memorial plans]," Zelensky added.
