The chief rabbi said the Jewish community was shocked after anti-Semitic leaflets were posted in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, though he dismissed claims that Jews were being targeted. (April 18)
SHOTLIST:
Recommended Stories
AP TELEVISION – AP CLIENTS ONLY
Donetsk, Ukraine – April 18, 2014
1. Mid of children studying
2. Mid of man praying
3. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Pinkhas Vyshedsky, Donetsk Rabbi (Transcript Below)
4. Wide of interior of synagogue
5. Mid of Rabbi Pinkhas Vyshedsky
6. Wide exterior of synagogue
7. Tight of Torah
8. Mid man praying with man folding prayer shawl in background
9. Wide of pro-Russian protesters at the barricades
10. Tight of Russian flag
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Valeri Siforov, Donetsk resident (Transcript Below)
Kiev, Ukraine – April 18, 2014
12. Mid of Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian Prime Minister, speaking in parliament chamber
13. Various of lawmakers in parliament chamber
14. Wide of Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia at news conference
15. SOUNDBITE (English) Andriy Deshchytsia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister (Transcript Below)
Donetsk, Ukraine – April 18, 2014
16. Wide of barricades at regional administration building
Kramatorsk, Ukraine – April 18, 2014
17. Wide of burned Ukrainian tank in Kramatorsk
18. Wide of local resident taking photographs on tank
VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:
THE CHIEF RABBI IN DONETSK, UKRAINE SAYS HE IS STUNNED THAT ANTI-SEMITIC LEAFLETS CALLING FOR THE REGISTRATION OF JEWS WITH AUTHORITIES WERE POSTED IN THE CITY.
SOUNDBITE (Russian) Pinkhas Vyshedsky, Donetsk Rabbi:
“I can say that we are very shocked, shocked by the fact that someone allowed themselves to print and distribute such leaflets.”
HE DISMISSED CLAIMS THAT THE JEWISH COMMUNITY WAS BEING TARGETED AS PART OF ANY ANTI-GOVERNMENT UNREST IN THE COUNTRY. THE LEAFLETS RAISE THE SPECTRE OF NAZI-ERA PERSECUTION. BUT A SELF-APPOINTED OFFICIAL OF THE ORGANIZATION NAMED ON THE LEAFLETS SAID THEY WERE FAKE.
MEANWHILE, PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN EASTERN UKRAINE ARE HOPEFUL THAT THIS WEEK’S AGREEMENT IN GENEVA BETWEEN UKRAINE AND RUSSIA WILL HELP BRING ABOUT A PEACEFUL COMPROMISE.
SOUNDBITE (Russian) Valeri Siforov, Donetsk resident:
“We really hope that such meetings will help prevent bloodshed here because we don’t want blood. We want this issue to be resolved peacefully and for us to be given an opportunity to decide on our future.”
IN AN EFFORT TO DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS, UKRAINE’ S PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DRAFTING A LAW THAT WOULD OFFER AMNESTY TO PRO-RUSSIA MILITIA MEMBERS IF THEY LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS AND LEAVE OCCUPIED GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS.
HOWEVER, UKRAINE’S FOREIGN MINISTER WARNED PROTESTERS THAT WILL NOT COMPLY.
SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Andriy Deshchytsia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister:
“”If those people are ready to leave the buildings to surrender weapons, today, tomorrow, so we can encourage the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) mission to negotiate, to mediate and we can implement it, but if this will not start in a few days I think that after Easter there will be more concrete actions.”
PRO-RUSSIAN OCCUPIERS SHOWED NO SIGN OF RELENTING, SAYING THEY WILL ONLY LEAVE WITH THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT IN KIEV RESIGNS.
MATTHEW BURGOYNE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
