Israeli Couple Saved From Mob in Kiev

INN ^ | 3/16/2014 | Ari Yashar

[Slings and Arrows]

An Israeli couple in Ukraine's capital city of Kiev were rescued from a near-lynching last Friday, right before Shabbat.

Zalman Hetzklovich and his wife were walking in Kiev's Independence Square in the center of the city, when eight Ukrainians wearing uniforms and holding sticks suddenly leaped out of a van at them.

The Ukrainians pointed at the couple, shouting in Russian for them to stop.

"I understood that if I didn't run at that moment it would be the end of us," reported Hetzklovich. "I stopped a taxi and got in with my wife, asking the driver to get us out of there. The attackers surrounded the car and demanded the driver stop."

"The driver stepped on the gas and knocked over the rioters, who succeeded in damaging one side of the cab. The driver was able to drive one block away until he reached a traffic jam; we saw the pursuers were back, and had gotten into their car, starting to chase after us," recounted Hetzklovich.

The Israeli couple proceeded to get out of the taxi and run on foot several streets away, until they reached a synagogue, where they realized they had miraculously managed to escape.

'We bought them tickets back to Israel the same evening'

[dfwgator]

Can’t both the Putinists and Svobodists just eliminate eachother?

That would be a "Win-Win".

[Count of Monte Fisto]

More likely, it was Russian Spetsnaz or hired thugs sent in to provoke incidents in Ukraine.

As likely as Soros hired thugs sent in to violently overthrow the legitimate government and install an EU junta?

[Mike Darancette]

I wonder if Putin will be satisfied with just the Aleutian Islands?

[Slings and Arrows]

Doubtful. Putin is not known to lack ambition.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

I think he would also like Анкоридж на Аляске. Sarah could then REALLY see Russia from her house! Yukoners would have to learn Russian, as well as English. The lefties in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland of BC would relish such a move, I'm sure!

[dfwgator]

Or Брайтон-Бич

[DesertRhino]

“pointed at the couple, _shouting in Russian_ for them to stop”

Yeah, cause in Kiev NOBODY speaks Russian./ It was almost certainly Spetsnaz./

[Rockingham]

That is not what happened. Yanukovych was thuggish and corrupt and was overthrown because, under Russian pressure, he repudiated his solemn election promises to affiliate with the EU. The terms of such an affiliation would have helped to end the corruption and heavy state regulation that have crippled Ukraine and impaired the development of its economy and democratic institutions.

The specific event that prompted the overthrow of the Yanukovych government was the shooting of dozens of Ukrainian protesters, apparently by Russian special forces snipers in government buildings. That led the protesters, supported by many police and subordinate officials, to then occupy most of the government quarter. This prompted Yanukovych to flee to Russia.

[DesertRhino]

“there are pro-Russian rioters wanting to cause anarchy and chaos for the Ukrainian government.” “

Wait, I’m so confused. I thought it was -OK- to cause anarchy and chaos if you disagreed with the Ukrainian government. Like if you disagreed with a trade treaty.
But I guess that was last month. Now the government must be held in the highest esteem again.

[Rockingham]

So your alternative explanation is that Russians native to Kiev are violent anti-Semites? That is plausible enough given the nastiness of Putin’s regime toward Israel.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Wasn't that part of NYC taken over 20 years ago by them? Seems to me I saw a Law and Order episode years ago, featuring the workings of the Russian gangs.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[ZULU]

The key is "shouting in Russian

[wildandcrazyrussian]

I was just in Kiev last summer and was understand by absolutely erveryone when using Russian. The use of a language is a meaningless factoid here, pending further verified information. It is obvious that the pro-revolutionary forces such as Svoboda and “Right” Sector are anti0-Seminitis and proudly so.

[Girlene]

It is obvious that the pro-revolutionary forces such as Svoboda and “Right” Sector are anti0-Seminitis and proudly so.

How so?

[Girlene]

Wait, I’m so confused. I thought it was -OK- to cause anarchy and chaos if you disagreed with the Ukrainian government.

Is it not okay to expect your government to live up to its promises? Is it okay to shoot protestors using snipers? Is it okay for a foreign country to use this opportunity to invade and steal a section of your country? If these are foreign or paid Russian provacateurs, is it okay that they beat up the Jewish citizens?

Bottome line, if you were a Ukranian, with their history, would you hold a pro-Russian government in "the highest esteem"?

[Jewbacca]

“In before “It’s Putin Propaganda.””

Indeed.

[Jewbacca]

Seems to be working in Syria, albeit at a very high cost to bystanders.

[Jewbacca]

“How so?”

The Nazi salutes, Nazi flags, Nazi tactics, white power flags, Brown Shirt uniforms, grandpa’s dusted off Waffen SS helmets, and the fact they quote old Nazi slogans while promising ethnic cleansing of Jews is a clue.

[Girlene]

Here's what Jews in Ukraine think. Ukrainian Jewish Committee: Russian claims of anti-Semitism in Crimea are lies, propaganda

They don't deny that anti-Semitism exists, but they believe Rusia's current claims of imminent danger are pure propaganda.