“Esteemed Rabbis, I hereby commit myself to act firmly in response to any appearance of anti-Semitism here in Russia. Moreover, I am committed to strengthening the security of the Jewish communities here and to enable them to have complete freedom of activity. Russia will continue to say no to the neo-Nazi ideology, and no to any fascist ideologies.” So pledged Russian President Vladimir Putin last week at the conclusion of a meeting with a group of Rabbanim of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe.

“I left the State of Israel, the state of the Jewish people, this very morning,” said the Rishon Lezion, Harav Yitzchak Yosef, to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He met with the president today while attending the RCE’s annual executive meeting, held this year in Moscow. “A few hours before my flight took off, a missile landed near my home, in the Jewish nation’s capital – Yerushalayim. Needless to say, my children and grandchildren experienced tremendous anxiety when they were forced to run to shelters, through no fault of their own. There are no words to describe the emotional damage this caused them. All this is only due to their “sin” of their having been born into the Jewish nation.

“Despite this very difficult situation, I left everything and came here to ask you, Mr. President, to take action and fight the phenomenon of terrorist acts being perpetrated in the name of religion.”

Both Harav Yitzchak Yosef and Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv-Yaffo Harav Yisrael Meir Lau came to participate in the meeting, along with members of the RCE’s presidium and its Rabbinical Council: Harav Gershon Mendel Garelik of Milan, Italy; Harav Moshe David Lieberman of Antwerp, Belgium; Harav Yirmeyahu Menachem Cohen of Paris, France; Harav Yisrael Yaakov Lichtenstein of London, England; Harav Binyamin Jacobs of the Netherlands; Harav Michael Shmerla of Strasbourg, France; Harav Yitzchak Niazov of Vienna, Austria; Harav Moshe Tuvia Weisberger of Budapest, Hungary; Harav Berel Lazar of Moscow, Russia; Harav Baruch Oberlander of Budapest, Hungary; Harav Yaakov David Schmahl of Antwerp, Belgium; Harav Avraham Baruch Pevzner of Paris, France; and the RCE’s director Harav Menachem Margolin and deputy director Harav Aryeh Goldberg.

The delegation of Rabbanim toured the various Torah and chessed organizations and institutions in Moscow, all of which are headed by Rabbi Berel Lazar, member of the RCE’s Rabbinical Council.

In the meeting with the Russian president, President Putin thanked the Rishon Lezion for his warm words and asked that he convey the message to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is a true friend of Israel and a true friend of the prime minister. “I am following closely all that is happening in Israel, and I support Israel’s struggle to ensure the safety of her citizens,” Putin said. “I heard about the shocking murder of the three boys – something that should never have happened; I ask you to convey my condolences to the families.”

During the meeting Putin spoke of the Holocaust and noted that Russia is well acquainted with the tragedy of the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews in the former Soviet Union and in Europe. He mentioned those representatives of the Jewish people who fought shoulder to shoulder with the Red Army. “Among them were regular soldiers, as well as doctors, who made a significant contribution to the struggle against the Nazis.”

Putin stressed that Russia, as a nation, is quite familiar with pain and loss; it lost more than 20 million people during World War II. He spoke about his visit to Yad Vashem. “I was deeply impressed,” Putin said. “The Nazis were quite skilled in their killing, and no one can remain indifferent to that.” Afterward, Putin mentioned “the Jewish community’s initiative in Moscow – the opening of the Museum of Tolerance, which presents clearly the events of the Second World War.”

Putin promised to use all means to fight against anti-Semitism, and he expressed his thanks to the Jewish community, promising that Russia “will continue to wage an uncompromising battle against any attempts to revive the Nazi ideology.”

Afterward, the Rishon Lezion conveyed the message to Prime Minister Netanyahu, who immediately blessed Harav Yitzchak Yosef on his important mission on behalf of of Am Yisrael.