The neo-Nazis in Russia have been emboldened by last week’s conference of neo-Nazi leaders from all over the world held in St. Petersburg:
Vandals have painted a swastika on a memorial to Holocaust victims killed during World War II in Volgograd, in an attack that one Jewish organization said was inspired by a congress of far-right parties held in the country this week.
This is, of course, one of many attempts to deface the memorial since it was put up in 2007. As Putin tries to make his regime more attractive to the country’s growing neo-Nazi movement, anti-Semitic outbursts are becoming more frequent:
“The history of our country shows that all outbreaks of anti-Semitism in Russia happened only during the times when the ruling powers permitted Judeophobes to openly show their hatred of Jews,” the Russian Jewish Congress said in an online statement. “Impunity has been interpreted as a call to action.”
This analysis by the Russian Jewish Congress is spot-on. In July of 2014, while meeting with a group of Russian rabbis Putin openly expressed his admiration for Goebbels, the chief ideologue of the Nazi regime. As a result of Putin’s flirtation with Russia’s neo-Nazis (whom he needs to fight in Ukraine, as they form his most trusted source of volunteers in the war), anti-Semitic attacks have been on the rise in Russia:
Neighborhoods in and around Volgograd — the site of major battles during World War II — in the past few years have also seen swastikas painted on houses, posters praising Hitler pasted on bus stops, and young men wearing swastikas marching during an Easter-time procession, state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported.
It is worth noting that, originally, Russia’s 2014 invasion of Ukraine was justified by repeated claims that there was a neo-Nazi government in place in Ukraine. Since then, there has been no evidence whatsoever of Nazism being on the rise in Ukraine. Russia, however, is experiencing a major strengthening of its formerly quite weak neo-Nazism.
Clarissa's Blog 
\ “The history of our country shows that all outbreaks of anti-Semitism in Russia happened only during the times when the ruling powers permitted Judeophobes to openly show their hatred of Jews” […] “Impunity has been interpreted as a call to action.”
I don’t have time right now to think deeper, but wanted to comment that I am not fully sure how it goes together with being a a free speech fundamentalist in/for Europe. Wouldn’t “young men wearing swastikas marching during an Easter-time procession” be protected because some say that one should (almost) always protect free speech?
Because of agreeing with the statement of the Russian Jewish Congress, I can not be a free speech fundamentalist. Imo, some statements shouldn’t be acceptable in normal society. Kenan Malik says one should be for free speech but it entails responsibility to stand against hateful speech of others, that hateful ideas should be challenged in public discussion, not forced to hide and fester till appearing in other ways.
However, I believe that while f.e. antisemitism has some logic (benefits) to it, it is not something that can be defeated intellectually. It works on the level of feelings / emotion, and dispassionate discussion “why hating Jews is bad” will always fail. Saying antisemitism or using n-word for African-Americans should be discussed may contribute to giving legitimacy to hatred and serve to strengthen it even.
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“I don’t have time right now to think deeper, but wanted to comment that I am not fully sure how it goes together with being a a free speech fundamentalist in/for Europe. Wouldn’t “young men wearing swastikas marching during an Easter-time procession” be protected because some say that one should (almost) always protect free speech?”
” Imo, some statements shouldn’t be acceptable in normal society. ”
“However, I believe that while f.e. antisemitism has some logic (benefits) to it, it is not something that can be defeated intellectually. It works on the level of feelings / emotion, and dispassionate discussion “why hating Jews is bad” will always fail.”
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