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Jewish organizations decry EU ‘antisemitism’ following Abramovich report

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European Jewish Association accuses European Union of releasing ‘highly antisemitic’ report singling out Russian-Jewish billionaire, saying report is reminiscent of ‘xenophobic rag.’

By World Israel News Staff

Jewish organizations expressed their outrage to the EU over a report focusing on Roman Abramovich, former owner of the Chelsea soccer club and one-time confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The European Union Working Paper underlines the role of Russian-Jewish oligarchs in Putin’s war machine.

“Like most oligarchs, Abramovich is part of the Jewish Russian minority, which, as a result of the latent antisemitism in the Soviet Union and its exclusion from many public and security-related leadership functions, formed informal networks,” it reads.

According to a Jerusalem Post report, the European Jewish Association has contacted the EU, asking it to apologize for the report’s “antisemitic overtones.”

“All of this, we remind you, in an Official European Union Working Paper, not some populist or xenophobic rag, but an official EU document,” states the letter, authored by the Association’s Vice Chairman Alexander Benjamin.

The European Jewish Association also demands a “retraction” of the “highly antisemitic” document.

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The EU has not formally reacted to the query.

After the US and EU imposed sanctions on the billionaire, Abramovich moved to Israel on May 28, 2018, making him the wealthiest Israeli citizen.

Abramovich is the founding donor of Tel Aviv University’s new Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. He made a $30 million commitment to the project in 2015. Abramovich has also invested in more than a dozen Israeli startups.