The leader of Ukraine's far-right Svoboda party, Oleh Tyahnybok, has been chosen as "Personality of the Year" by the respected Korrespondent magazine. Korrespondent is one of the most influential weekly news magazines in Ukraine. While the magazine does not endorse Tyahnybok or his views, 40 percent of readers nominated Tyahnybok because he is the leader of Ukraine's opposition and regarded as one of the most charismatic figures in Ukranian politics. Many Ukrainians are disenchanted with the current government. Nevertheless, the magazine compares Tyahnybok's politics to that of the Nazi party, with his xenophobia, anti-Semitism and strongly nationalist views. Formerly a doctor, in 2005 Tyahnybok called on the Russian president to investigate "criminal activities of organized Jewry in Ukraine." In elections at the end of November, Svoboda won 37 seats in the Ukrainian parliament. His party's members soon drew attention through several anti-Semitic statements. Among other things, the party claims that the word, "zhid," a derogatory word for Jew, is an acceptable word. Previously, Jewish groups had appealed to the Ukrainian Justice Ministry asking them to ban use of the word, after a member of Svoboda used the slur against American actress Mila Kunis, who is Jewish and of Ukranian descent. The number-four man in the Svoboda party, Ihor Myroshnychenko, wrote about Kunis on his Facebook page: She is not Ukrainian, she is a Jewess by birth. She is proud of this and the Star of David. But she says nothing and expresses nothing positive about the country in which she was born. I cant bring myself to say she is Ukrainian. Let her love America or Israel, people must not attach her to the Ukraine!
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שיתוף כתבה
Ukraine's personality of the year: a right-wing, anti-Semitic politician
Popular opposition leader Oleh Tyahnybok's party holds anti-Semitic views and has been likened to the Nazi party • His party's number four notoriously lashed out against Ukranian born Jewish-American actress Mila Kunis with an ethnic slur.