Armenian Jews are deeply indignant at the interview of Meir Bruk, Rabbi
of the European Jews of Azerbaijan, published in the Azeri press

ArmInfo
2007-06-16 15:17:00

Representatives of the Jewish community of Armenia are deeply indignant
at the interview of Meir Bruk, Rabbi of the European Jews of
Azerbaijan, published in the "Zerkalo" newspaper on June 12, 2007. The
Armenian Jews express their indignation in the June 16 statement signed
by Rimma Varzhapetian, Chairwoman of the Jewish community of Armenia,
Gershom Meir Berstein, Chief Rabbi of Armenia, and Willy Weiner,
President of the "Menora" Cultural Center.

The statement is as follows: "If the mentioned "opus" were presented
only on behalf of Mr.Inanj, we would pay no attention to it. It is
another thing when this indecency is being made by the spiritual leader
of Jews of Azerbaijan". "It doesn’t become him to spread on political
topics, including the state of Jews in Armenia and the State’s attitude
to them". Moreover, it is not for the first time he is doing this, the
statement adds. He is completely ignorant of these topics, but he may
be carrying out a certain well paid order, the authors of the statement
note, analyzing specific quoatations.

Commenting upon the quotation that "Heydar Aliyev is the author of
modern ideology of tolerance in the state construction", the authors of
the statement point out: "Mr.Bruk doesn’t remember or doesn’t know
that continuing the policy of former Azeri leaders, "the father of
tolerance" did his best to help all national minorities (Jews, in a
considerably small number, fortunately) either get completely
assimilated, or leave their original places of residence <:> Where is
most part of Lezghins, Airums, Karapakhs, Tats, Talishs and other
national minorities of Azerbaijan, needless to say about the Armenians
of Nakhijevan? The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh had the same destiny,
and Mr.Brukappeals to return Karabakh to Azerbaijan".

"In addition to everything, the brutal murder of an Armenian officer in
Hungary by the villain Safarov, who has become a national hero of
Azerbaijan for this, also speaks about the policy of tolerance
conducted by the one on whom the "mantel" of I.Aliyev’s father "fell"
<:> Even in the hardest times of the Communist regime, Armenia was one
of the few republics completely lacking anti-Semitism and always having
respect for the national minorities living there: Russians, Jews,
Kurds, Yezids, Greeks, Assyrians, Azerbaijanians, etc".

Another quotation of the interview says: "Armenians see the economic
and political prosperity of Azerbaijan and they have nothing else to do
but follow this model". "Doesn’t Mr.Bruk know the European Parliament’s
opinion about countless violations of democratic bases and human rights
by Azerbaijan, ceaseless political and legal oppression of any
dissidence?. And save God Armenia from the benefits that, according to
Mr.Bruk, Azerbaijan will present Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh if it
gets back Nagorno- Karabakh. Nothing is forgotten here: Sumgait,
Kirovabad, Baku, Karabakh. These "benefits" are also well remembered in
other countries, including Israel," the authors of the statement point
out.

"The Jews of Armenia are deeply indignant at the published interview
and they consider that these statements of such an official religious
person as Mr.Bruk have a sincerely provocative character, sow discord
between nations and contradict the policy of tolerance declared by
these organizations. We hope that Mr.Bruk’s actions will be properly
assessed and condemned," the statement says.