The world needs to find a way to stop the war that Russia is waging against the Ukrainian population, killing women and children, and destroying holy sites and food supplies.
This statement was made by the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine and Kyiv, the Union of Jewish Religious Organizations of Ukraine, Yaakov Dov Bleich, in a corresponding video address, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
"Russia is at war with Ukraine and its peaceful population. We must find a way to stop this war, these senseless killings, to halt the missile attacks, bombings of grain storage facilities, and bombardments of churches. We need peace on Ukrainian soil. And we will achieve it if we begin to respect each other and respect the right of the country to determine its own policy," he emphasized.
Dov Bleich also refuted information spread by Russian media about alleged support for Russia's actions by the Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, Rabbi Lau.
"The words of Rabbi Lau about Russia supposedly fighting against fascism and Nazism, just as Jews fought against them, were distorted. I spoke with the rabbi, and he assured me that he stays away from politics as a religious leader, and his statements were taken out of context. Rabbi Lau does not support Russia's war against Ukraine. He does not support racism – the new form of Russian fascism, and he does not support bombings of Ukrainian cities, which result in the deaths of women and children," said Yaakov Dov Bleich.