Israeli Media: It Is Anti-Semitic Absurdity in Belarus

In Slutsk, people were arrested for trying to honor the memory of murdered Jews.

Zinaida Tsimoshak, chairman of the Slutsk association of lovers of the Belarusian language, served three days in a pre-trial detention center and received a fine exceeding $ 500. She committed a daring crime against Lukashenka's regime: she came with her comrades to lay flowers at the place where, in 1943, the Nazis destroyed the Jewish ghetto.

The Israeli publication Details contacted Zinaida immediately after she left the courthouse. Together with her, six more people were sentenced to different terms of arrest and fines. They were charged with organizing and holding a mass event without the district executive committee and the police's permission. In fact, 11 people took part in the "mass" event!

- They claimed that people were publicly expressing something there. Nobody really said anything but me! I am a historian; I wanted to say a few words about how the ghettos were destroyed in October 1941 and in 1943. We were right next to one of these ghettos, - said Zinaida. She does not hide that she is still shocked by what happened.

One of the protesters, Yauhen Azerny, dared to argue with the head of the local police department Aliaksandr Holikau. He defended his right to lay flowers. He received the most - 9 days of arrest and is still in prison. On the evening of 26, Zinaida was released from the pre-trial detention center, and on the 27th was summoned to court.

In 1941, two ghettos were created in Slutsk - "working" and "non-working" (disabled people were simply shot). There, the Lithuanian allies of the Germans (12th Battalion) and local policemen organized a pogrom, the brutality of which even struck German officers. They beat not only Jews - quite a few Belarusians were shot or beaten at the same time. They killed and robbed on October 27 and 28 - this tragic date, when, according to various estimates, from 5 to 8 thousand people were killed. People wanted to honor the date for which they were severely punished.

- We spent only 8 minutes there! - says Zinaida. During these minutes, it was still necessary to have time to cross the road to buy flowers and find a place to put them. There were 11 of us, and by the time the police arrived, there were even fewer, somewhere around seven. It can be seen even in the photo. I wish I could show more people in a photo for the newspaper, but I could not. If there was a mass event, [the police] would have pictures.

I guess they just didn't want anyone to come here. I did city tours, but in October, there were three. We were both at the Orthodox cemetery and at the Catholic one - they didn't make any claims there! Only when flowers were laid here, near the ghetto. I am still shocked.

- Other people were also arrested?

- Yauhen Azerny - the one who argued with the head of the police - they said why he was not allowed to lay flowers - he was sentenced to 9 days. Four days have passed; he has to sit for another five days.

Six people passed through the court; a girl was standing next to me; I was her witness. She just works with this Zhenya Azerny; she heard that he was going to lay flowers - and for the first time, she went too. After work, she bought flowers, came running - literally stayed for five minutes, put flowers, and hurried to my child, home. She wasn't even there when the paddy wagon drove up! And she was accused. I was now a witness on her accusation and said that the police chief is a liar; he is blatantly lying; she never opened her mouth! And she was fined 25 "base units" (a little less than $ 300 - ed.)

This is blasphemy. For all these years, no one has brought a flower to this place. A forgotten place, even though it is the city center. I wanted to change this situation so that people know.

- Did the local Jewish community react in any way?

- No. They are afraid of the police. They huddle in some poor room. By the way, I called before this [their leader] Halina Mikhailauna Tychina. I asked her to tell us about the ghetto. She said - "OK, I have a little grandson; we will get dressed and go out" - but they came later when we were no longer there. Seeing many flowers on the spot, she called me and thanked me.

People did not spare money for flowers, although they earn little in Slutsk. But there were no red and white banners, nothing like that. I'm just shocked by what is happening. Why were we allowed to gather in Catholic cemeteries, but here they interfered?

Six people were punished. Rumors begin to spread that we were going to throw stones. Well, really - members of the Belarusian language association and a newspaper correspondent who bought flowers from his pension? They are trying to discredit us, but the society does not strongly believe them, - said Zinaida Tsimoshak.

Why is the Israeli Foreign Ministry silent?

Details have addressed the Israeli Foreign Ministry with a request to comment on the situation. A short answer came from there: "The Israeli Embassy in Belarus has been informed about the incident, the situation is being checked."

It is difficult to understand the secret meaning of this standard bureaucratic note. What is there to check? Was there a rally? Was there a seditious combination of red carnations with white ones? Several days passed from the moment of detention of the participants - how long, according to the Foreign Ministry, should such a check take?

In many situations related to Israeli citizens' problems abroad, the Foreign Ministry demonstrates extremely low interest. Details have repeatedly written about this earlier. Sometimes, only the editorial office's intervention prompted the employees of the consular departments and embassies to take at least some action within the framework of their position.

The situation did not improve with the appointment of Gabi Ashkenazi as the head of the Foreign Ministry. The Israeli Foreign Ministry has been deprived of real leadership for a long time. Since the time of Tzipi Hotoveli, who served de jure as deputy minister and de facto as "overseer" of Netanyahu, there are no long-term strategies here, appointments are opaque, and some of the employees work carelessly. Minister Yisrael Katz did not stay here for a long time, and about a week ago, Minister Ashkenazi announced the possible imminent exit of his party from the government (which could lead to new elections). Perhaps this is why he does not seek to improve the department's work entrusted to him, limiting himself to visits (to Greece) and negotiations (with Lavrov). One of the most important departments of Israel, in fact, is abandoned.

Against the background of the recent events in Belarus, when a number of countries recognized the election of Lukashenka as illegal, Israel chose to remain neutral. However, some time ago, Israel interrupted him and clearly defined which side it takes in the confrontation between Lukashenka and the opposition: the new Israeli Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Belarus Alex Goldman Shayman presented his credentials to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

The reason for this could be either inexperience or inattention of Minister Ashkenazi. For a long time, Israeli ambassadors' candidacies to the Russian Federation and Belarus were not approved by the Israeli government. This technical delay could have been used to at least outwardly demonstrate our country's non-intervention in the Belarusian crisis on the regime's side, which is viewed negatively by almost the entire West. Gabi Ashkenazi - a general, but not a diplomat - did not think to take advantage of this.

When asked to comment on the situation in Slutsk, Gabi Ashkenazi's entourage did not respond. Neither the Israeli Foreign Ministry nor the Israeli embassy in Belarus has yet issued a statement on this matter.

Details have also made a request to the Belarusian Embassy in Israel. We were told that they honor the memory of the tragic events of the Holocaust in their country, and they will try to understand the reasons for the unpleasant incident.