Middle East, dissident Ponomarev accuses Putin: he incites anti-Semitism

“Unfounded and illogical” accusations, it is Moscow that “feeds anti-Semitism, not me or Kiev”. Ponomarev Island, former Russian deputy who was the only one to vote against the annexation of Crimea to the Federation, exiled for years in Ukraine where he obtained citizenship, reacts in this way to the accusations made by the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, according to he and the Kiev “regime” would play “a fundamental role” in the “Jewish hunt” in Dagestan. «The pogroms have begun and the responsibility lies exclusively with the Russian authorities – denounces in an interview with Adnkronos the political leader of the “Freedom for Russia” legion that brings together the “partisans” involved in a series of actions with the aim of “liberating” Moscow – But we have nothing to do with it, they are the ones who fuel anti-Semitism.” Ponomarev then guarantees that he has “suspended all contacts” with the Telegram channel “Utro Dagestan”, which incited Sunday’s riot at Makhachkala airport. “I worked with them last year, after the start of the war in Ukraine – he admits – but then I suspended all cooperation”.

The rise in attacks against Jews, Ponomarev insists, “is the logical development of the way Russian authorities play with the most extreme nationalism, not to mention that anti-Semitism is deeply rooted in the KGB, where Vladimir Putin comes from. ” The Russian president, he states, “conveniently wore the mask of someone who fights against anti-Semitism, but his closest circles continue to feed him.” Finally, the opponent also accuses Moscow of being behind the attacks by Hamas of October 7th against Israel: “Putin – he denounces – uses his contacts with the Iranians”, sponsors of the Palestinian group and also Hezbollah in Lebanon, “to influence them”. war in Ukraine”, comments Ponomarev, who cites the visit to Moscow by a Hamas delegation in recent days among the “evidence” of Russian involvement.