HISTORIC ANTISEMITISM

Has historic antisemitism reawakened? 

Erica Zeman 

Moldavia, a small country placed between Rumania and the Ukraine has been under Soviet Regime rule for 51 years (1945-1991), erasing most of Jewish cultural and historical evidence. Moldavia’s Orthodox Church, the frequently religious arbiter of antisemitism, turned seemingly powerless under the supervision of Russian Orthodox patriarchs, who in turn were held to account by the Communist Regime.

Jewish history, a community of ca. 200, 000 -270,000 before World War II was shattered by pogroms, which extended into the 1930’s and 1940’s with mass deportations under the Rumanian Nazi Regime collaborators of Octavian Goga (1881-1938) and Ion Antonescu (1882-1946). Only an estimated 15,000 Moldavian Jewish people survived the Holocaust.

Today’s Jewish Community is said to be again uncertain of its future. The Times of Israel wrote in 2024 that nearly one-half of the respondent say that they don’t like Jews, were as 40% replied that they ‘really liked them’. On the 7th of August 2025, Moldavia’s former Prime Minister Dorin Recean announced that ‘we will not allow antisemitism to take root in Moldavia’. The question is, has antisemitism ever been uprooted in the country in which the Church Hierarchy and the State exchanged hands in maintaining antisemitic attitudes?

The Jewish News quotes Chief Rabbi Pinchas Salzman after the meeting with PM Recean saying that ‘especially at a time when Jews across Europe are experiencing worrying increase in antisemitism, it is important that the PM publicly declares support for the Jewish Community, as Moldavia is not immune to antisemitism.’ Moldavia and the Jewish Community depend on a consistent flow of tourist from all over the World including Israel, which appreciates Moldavia’s beauty.

 The European Council President Roberta Metsola spoke in Brussel on the 25th of March 2025; ‘Antisemitism is condemned. The Jewish Communities are an essential part of the fabric of our societies, and it is important that they know that they can count on us.’ In contrast to her statement Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, determines clarification in October 2025 of Moldova’s alarming’ glorification of Nazi Collaborators, while downplaying the deliverance of Moldovia by the Red Army in 1944.  

 In 2011 the Muslim community had gained recognition as religious congregation presenting 3.000-17,000 people in the Country, which did not please Petru Pruteanu, the Moldavian Theological University professor. He foresaw the Islamic influence in the building up as quoted; ‘The Arab States have a well -prepared agenda that is either secret or simply ignored by us, because we are naïve’. Muslim students are sent in high numbers to Moldavian Universities, for example to the Free International University of Moldovia.

 May 14-17, 2026, were chosen by ca.100 young people as the ‘Days of Solidarity with Palestine.’ These students crowd claimed their slanders of ‘Palestine’s suffering for 78 years of Catastrophe, being displaced in masses during Israel’s War of Independence, accusing Israel of not abiding by Inter-national laws, demanding the cancellation of trade between the Moldavian Government and Israel and claiming that Israel’s new law of death sentence for any participating terrorist during the 7th October 2023, as discriminatory executions.

To overcome the fear and hate of antisemitism, Moldavian Jewish Youth meet every Friday evening to celebrate Shabbat. Moldavia has not acknowledged publicly a ‘Palestinian State’ and is keen to foster close links with Israel in diplomatic, trade and cultural connections.

Ukraine has been in the past, as Moldavia, a deeply entrenched antisemitic country. 

The Socialist National Party was registered as political body in 1995, which established a paramilitary organisation of Patriots of Ukraine. The attachment of Neo-Nazi ideology and sporadic terror acts never left the Party’s image as tensions amongst Party members and associated Parties were a consistent undercurrent. The reshaping of SNP from the neo-Nazi C14 governmental branch into today’s 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov has been long. Azov is responsible for the protection and security of the Ukraine and the upholding of law and order. This process has been a difficult, complicated and painful part of Ukraine’s internal and external strives and war. At this very moment it is said that the Ukraine has the lowest occurrence of antisemitic attacks. The tragically amusing aspect in these regions conflict and tension is that all three, Ukraine, Russia and Moldavia pray for God’s protection and Him to be on their side. A complicated choice?

Wales Provincial News posted on the 19th of May 2026 the condemnation of antisemitism stated by the Bishops of Wales. The clergy emphasised ‘Antisemitism has no place within our society and goes against the two great biblical commandments to love God and to love our neighbour.’ The clergy also referred back to the time in which Wales ‘was a proud part of a nation which welcomed Jews as they fled persecution in Nazi Germany and which continues to offer sanctuary to others fleeing war and violence’. 

In spite of this declaration, the ‘Palestine Solidarity Cymru ardently follows the Palestine narrative of   victimhood, starvation and genocide in its ‘resistance’ against Israel.

Puppeteers show their antisemitic attitude on the street by mocking Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump.

Scotland ‘s Beaver Scouts with a children group aged six-eight years old visited a mosque on the 25th of May 2026 in Stirling. There the children were taught how to pray in the traditional Islamic position. One boy refused with quiet conviction that he would neither kneel nor bow. The photo quickly went viral in admiration of his confident stand.

‘Palestine Cause ‘supporters walked into a Scottish coffee shop on the 23rd of May 2026 admonishing the guest not to use the venue as the co-owner is Jewish, hence as a ‘Zionist project’ the coffee was ‘Palestinian blood’. The two ladies demanded that any further drink had to be considered of being boycotted. The line between free speech and harassment is stepped over with audacity and arrogance. As a matter of observation, it seems that either very young women or women in their late 40’s, early 50’s appear to be the flagrant shouters of antisemitic lies. Scotland’s racial law, in addition with the Hate Crime and Public Order established in 2021 is inactive and useless if the police is either not called or this Law enforcement agency ignores these incidences. 

Italy ‘s newly elected Pope Leo XIV emphasises the humanity of each person in the hope that a listening ear to each other eradicates the human tendencies towards strife and hate. It appears that the Papal State aims to be the amalgamation of many religions, excluding Judaism. The terror organisation Hamas appealed to the Pope to be a ‘voice for them in their resistance against Israel’, which presents historic implications. The papacy during Hitler’s regime fell silent, so allowing antisemitism and the Holocaust to take vastly shape. The papal system of today acknowledges the horrors done to the Jewish people during the long night from 1933-1945, yet the Pope as representative of 1.422 billion Catholics does not stand firmly, consistently, and in the momentum required against the global hate towards Israel.