Posted on 05/25/2005 8:18:43 PM PDT by Alouette
KIEV, Ukraine – During a recent meeting between the President of Ukraine, Victor Yuschenko, and representatives of North American Jewish organizations, the Ukrainian leader expressed that state authorities in Ukraine want to do everything possible so that "any Jew residing in Ukraine will say that he lives better here than he would live in Israel.”
Their meeting took place on Monday and focused on issues related to the national minorities residing in Ukraine. President Yuschenko emphasized that there is no place for xenophobia, anti-Semitism and inter-ethnic conflict in Ukraine, an idea that he has expressed on several occasions prior.
"We guarantee equal rights to all national communities in Ukraine, including the Jewish community," he added. The Ukrainian President also assured the guests that the country would place special emphasis on creating worthy conditions for all ethnic communities that reside on the territory of Ukraine.
The Jewish leaders, who were visiting from North America, expressed their respect for President Yuschenko as a person "who is re-building civil society in Ukraine".
Yuschenko is basically throwing out a challenge to Europe, and to Israel too, by creating an environment in which Jewish citizens can be happy and productive and increase capital. He's doing this for completely selfish reasons--he thinks that creative Jewish citizens will improve life for all of the Ukraine.
He is trying to do in Ukraine what Putin is doing in Russia.
WARNING: This is a high volume ping list
It's still a positive step.
Guy's got a point - at the very least, there aren't Palestinian homicide bombers in mass quantity next door.
Is it possible for any Jew to live "better" anywhere else but Israel?
The Upper West Side looks pretty nice to some. :)
You have a point but I believe you're being too cynical. Isn't it a great step away from anti-Semitism to view Jews as creative and intelligent? The US's immigration policy has also reflected the needs of the society; i'm not at all surprised at this.
Look my friend, right now we have Jews contolling the banks (Greenspan and Wolfowitz) and the intelligence agencies (Chertoff and Negroponte). Jews are in demand, and that's always a good thing to combat anti-Semitism.
It's like when someone says, "No, get me a Jewish doctor!"
New York. Who needs Israel? They are all meshuga.
My Jewish grandparents fled the Ukraine 100 years ago. Luckily they came here
Well, hopefully without the Stalinistic tendencies and the anti-Israel foreign policy.
Considering the history of Jewry in Ukraine, which includes so many holy Tzaddiqim, it is indeed good news that Jews may live there in peace and safety and be appreciated by their Ukrainian neighbors. However, I cannot but shudder on the inside at the thought that Jews are better off somewhere other than 'Eretz Yisra'el, where a "Jewish" state is evicting Jews from their homes solely because they are Jewish. What is going on here??? This is insanity!!!
"Avg IQ in Ukraine 97
Avg IQ in Israel 94"
Hej Grzegorz 246!
1) What has IQ got to do with anything? Israel is, despite all its troubles, an economic success story. The Ukraine is an economic basket-case. And yes, Israel has had some help, but that help pales into insignificance when compared to the help given to small states in the EU, and also the former communist countries like Poland in recent years.
IBM, Microsoft and Intel (many new chips, for example, have originated in Israel) have their major research centers in Israel. I hardly think that's going to happen to the Ukraine any time soon.
By the way, some Israelis have indeed taken Polish passports recently. Not one will live in Poland. It is simply a means to an end; taking advantate of EU regulations, once they have their passports they hightail it to London or Paris. Aside from *the obvious*, to live in Poland after Israel would mean a drastic reduction in living standards.
2) The IQ figure you quote has been thoroughly repudiated by most academics. Even the Scandavian researcher himself has said that the figures for Israel were highly suspicious. Ashkenazi Jews were, for example, only given a score of 100. In the US, Ashkenazi Jews have a score of 117, as opposed to 100 for the general population. The researcher later suggested that the score should be 108 for Ashkenazi Jews in Israel - still far higher than the world average.
3) Something has to account for the fact that, for example:
i) Israel produces more published academic papers than anywhere else in the world apart from the US.
ii) Israel leads per head, after the US, in terms of reputable patents won every year.
iii) Well over 20% of the world's Nobel Prize winners have been Jewish despite the fact that Jews account for less than 0.5% of the world's population.
iv) Many of the world's great businesses - Intel, Dell, Oracle, Cisco, eBay, Google, - have either been founded by Jews or were founded in large part because of Jewish participation.
To deny Jewish achievement is to deny reality.
This Swedish convert to Judaism is prouder of being Jewish than anything else she could possibly imagine. The Jews are a beautiful people, and I just hope that I can do my little bit to add to that immense luster.
Tove
Besides...
Avg IQ in Ukraine 97
Avg IQ in Israel 94
*****************
And this is reflective of what? Assuming it's true. What is your source?
Are there any Jews in the Ukraine? Was your Ukraine sample exclusive of Jews?
Not if one believes in the Torah.
"until Moshiach says to return to the Holy Land"
Perhaps I misunderstand you. Is it your position that only after the Moshiach comes should a Jew live in Israel?
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