Netanyahu lobbies Russians for ancient Hebrew texts

haaretz.com ^ | February 17, 2010

[Tailgunner Joe]

Israel's desire to retrieve the historic Guenzberg collection of ancient Jewish manuscripts from Russia was discussed during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting on Monday with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. ....

Netanyahu personally raised the subject of the collection, which is thought to be the world's second-largest anthology of ancient Hebrew literature, after the Bodleian Library in Oxford. ....

The Guenzbergs, a Russian-Jewish noble family, acquired their collection over three generations beginning in the 1840s. ....

Following the death of Baron David Guenzberg in 1910, Zionist activists, among them Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, sought to retrieve the collection and arrange for its relocation to prestate Israel. In May 1917, the Russians agreed to sell the collection to the Jewish National and University Library for a sum of half a million rubles.

The purchase was made possible by contributions from Russian Zionists.

But after the money had already been paid and the collection was packaged and ready for shipment, World War I erupted, delaying the shipment.

Bolshevik expropriation

Shortly afterward, the Bolshevik Revolution engulfed Russia. The newly installed Soviet authorities then expropriated the collection and placed it on display at the V.I. Lenin State Library in Moscow.

Two years ago, the issue was revisited mainly because negotiations over the Sergei building in Jerusalem, which was built circa 1890 adjacent to the Russian Compound, were in an advanced stage. The building was named for Prince Sergei, heir to Czar Nicholas II, who was executed by the Bolshevik revolutionaries.

The Russian government has long demanded ownership of the building, and talks over the transfer of ownership were completed last year, to the Russians' satisfaction.

But in return for transferring the building to Russian ownership, officials at the Jewish National and University Library urged the government to demand that Moscow relinquish the Guenzberg collection.

[Tailgunner Joe]

Unfortunately, when Israel transferred ownership of the Czar's Jerusalem coumpound to Russia, they basically accepted the Russian state's legal ownership of property stolen by the Bolsheviks, including the Guenzberg manuscripts.

[brivette]

tough luck,israel

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[onyx]

Israeli officials said afterward that due to the improved relations between Jerusalem and Moscow, Russian officials will "positively consider" Israel's request.

We can pray.

[Tailgunner Joe]

If only Israel supplicates itself to Russia, then they might achieve “peace in our time.”

[Tailgunner Joe]

Russian muftis to cooperate with HAMAS - Moscow, February 10, Interfax - Head of Russia’s Mufti Council Ravil Gainutdin agreed on “mutual help and cooperation” with the HAMAS Palestinian movement, the Council’s website reports.

“Muslims of Russia take the situation in Palestine with sore heart. We speak out to condemn the policy of Israel aimed at expanding occupation of Palestinian land,” Gainutdin said on Tuesday in Moscow at the meeting with Chairman of the HAMAS political bureau Khaled Mashal.

The Movement’s delegation visited Russia on the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Speaking at the meeting, Mashal called the Russian Mufti Council the “second home” for him and his associates. “Every time we come to Russia, a visit to the Mufti Council is an essential part of our program,” he said.

After a meeting, the parties conducted a prayer in the Moscow Cathedral Mosque.

[dennisw]

inneresting

[onedoug]

Though Israel might make this appeal based on the recent re-flowering of religion throughout Russian society. I never thought, for example, that I'd see Russian Orthodox icons floating about in space during my lifetime. But there they are:

I'd bet an American astronaut would be in some trouble these days for carrying such objects into orbit, no less putting them on display.

[windcliff]

As far as the Russians are concerned it doesn’t surprise me at all. Just wait until the first floating Koran.

[Alistair Stratford IV]

Doing business with Gog is always a risky proposition...

[onedoug]

A sign should be hung at every port: NO MUSLIMS

[windcliff]

Spelled in A-Rab.

[SunkenCiv]

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