DATE=12/27/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42242
TITLE=RUSSIA EXTREMISM  
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN HAS PLEDGED TO MOUNT A 
CAMPAIGN AGAINST WHAT MANY SEE AS AN ALARMING RISE IN EXTREMISM 
ACCOMPANYING THE CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS.  THE COUNTRY HAS 
RECENTLY BEEN WRACKED BY CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING ANTI-SEMITIC AND
XENOPHOBIC STATEMENTS BY LEADING COMMUNIST POLITICIANS.  MOSCOW 
CORRESPONDENT PETER HEINLEIN REPORTS RUSSIA'S JEWISH MINORITY IS 
WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS WITH A NERVOUS EYE.

TEXT:             /// SFX OF CONSTRUCTION, THEN FADE TO.../// 

IN THE CENTER OF MOSCOW, THE FINAL TOUCHES ARE BEING DONE ON A  
NEW THEATER DEVOTED TO JEWISH CULTURE.  THE L'HAIM THEATER IS THE
FIRST OF ITS KIND TO OPEN IN THE RUSSIAN CAPITAL SINCE THE 
COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM. 

THE POST-SOVIET ERA HAS SEEN LARGE-SCALE MIGRATION OF RUSSIAN 
JEWS.  BUT THERE ARE ALSO SIGNS OF A REVIVAL OF JEWISH CULTURE.

             /// SFX OF MUSIC, THEN UNDER TO.../// 

THE L'HAIM THEATER'S OPENING COMES AT A TIME OF ANXIETY ABOUT THE
ANTI-SEMITIC TENDENCIES BEGINNING TO SHOW ON THE FRINGES OF 
RUSSIAN SOCIETY. 

IN RECENT WEEKS, TWO COMMUNIST MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT HAVE MADE 
SPEECHES EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE EXCESSIVE INFLUENCE WIELDED
BY JEWS IN RUSSIA'S GOVERNMENT.  VICTOR ILYUKIN, INFLUENTIAL 
COMMUNIST CHAIRMAN OF PARLIAMENT'S DEFENSE COMMITTEE, SAID AT A 
VIDEOTAPED HEARING THIS MONTH THAT JEWS SURROUNDING PRESIDENT 
YELTSIN WERE TO BLAME FOR WHAT HE CALLED "THE GENOCIDE" OF THE 
RUSSIAN PEOPLE.

THE REMARKS SPARKED OUTRAGE IN THE MEDIA, AND CALLS FOR THE 
COMMUNIST PARTY TO BE OUTLAWED.  THE COMMUNIST LEADERSHIP, IN 
TURN, DEMANDED REPORTERS FOR RUSSIA'S THREE MAIN TELEVISION 
NETWORKS BE BANNED FROM COVERING PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS. 

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE RABBINICAL ALLIANCE IN FORMER SOVIET STATES, 
RABBI BEREL LAZAR, SAYS THE STATEMENTS HAVE ADDED TO THE WORRY 
ABOUT RISING LEVELS OF RUSSIAN NATIONALISM.

                         ///LAZAR ACT///

         WE ARE SHOCKED.

                          ///END ACT///

RABBI LAZAR SAYS FLAREUPS OF ANTI-SEMITISM ARE COMMON AT TIMES OF
FINANCIAL CRISIS.

                      /// 2ND LAZAR ACT ///

         THE SHOCKING PART OF IT IS THAT TODAY SUCH THINGS ARE 
         BEING SAID WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM IN SAYING IT, AND THEY 
         FIND A REASON TO SAY IT.  NUMBER-ONE THEY FIND A REASON 
         BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC CRISIS.  THEY HAVE WHO TO BLAME 
         FOR WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG.  AND THE WORST PART IS, 
         THESE PEOPLE KNOW NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM.

                         /// END ACT ///

BUT LAWMAKER VICTOR ILYUKHIN SAYS HIS REMARKS IN PARLIAMENT ARE 
NOT A CONDEMNATION OF JEWS, BUT SIMPLY A CRITICISM OF THE LACK OF
ETHNIC AND REGIONAL BALANCE IN THE YELTSIN ADMINISTRATION.

COMMUNISTS COMMONLY USE THE TERM "GENOCIDE" TO DESCRIBE PRESIDENT
YELTSIN'S HARSH ECONOMIC POLICIES, WHICH THEY SAY HAVE CAUSED THE
SOCIAL BREAKDOWN THAT HAS LED TO A SHARP DECLINE IN POPULATION 
SINCE 1991.

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH V-O-A, MR. ILYUKHIN ARGUES THE COMBINED FALL
IN LIFE EXPECTANCY AND BIRTH RATES IN RUSSIA DURING THIS DECADE 
COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH A BETTER BALANCE OF INTERESTS.

/// ILYUKHIN ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE INTO ENGLISH TRANSLATION 
                               ///

         THESE CONSEQUENCES THAT WERE, AND ARE, AT THE MOMENT IN 
         THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.  THEY 
         WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT, LESS PAINFUL CONSEQUENCES IF 
         THE GOVERNMENT WERE FORMED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF 
         PARTICIPATION BY THE MAJORITY OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM 
         NATIVE NATIONS, AND  NOT  ACCORDING TO THE PRINCIPLE OF 
         THE MAIN NATION BEING THE JEWISH PEOPLE.

                           //END ACT//

MR. ILYUKHIN DESCRIBES AS "UNFOUNDED" THE ACCUSATIONS OF 
ANTI-SEMITISM AGAINST HIM.  HE SAYS HIS COMMENTS IN PARLIAMENT 
WERE SIMPLY AN ATTEMPT TO STAND UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE RUSSIAN 
PEOPLE.

    /// ILYUKHIN ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE UNDER ENGLISH ///

         IF RUSSIANS, THE BIGGEST NATION, ANNOUNCED THEY MUST 
         TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM 
         DESTRUCTION, FROM GENOCIDE, FROM THE YELTSIN GENOCIDE, 
         THEN SUDDENLY EVERYONE TAKES THIS AS DAMAGE TO OTHER 
         NATIONS, ESPECIALLY TO THE JEWISH NATION. 

                         /// END AC /T//

SUCH REMARKS WORRY MEMBERS OF RUSSIA'S TINY JEWISH MINORITY.  
RABBI BEREL LAZAR SAY COMMENTS BY SENIOR COMMUNIST LEADERS, 
WHETHER THEY REALIZE IT OR NOT, SERVE TO LEGITIMIZE MORE OPEN 
ANTI-SEMITISM AND XENOPHOBIA IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

                      /// 2ND LAZAR ACT ///

         IF ANYBODY WOULD FEEL HARASSMENT AND PROBLEMS IT IS US, 
         BECAUSE OUR SYNAGOGUE WAS BOMBED TWICE IN THE LAST TWO 
         YEARS, AND WE FELT WHAT IT MEANS WHEN THERE IS AN 
         ANTI-SEMITE WHO WANTS TO HURT THE JEWS.

                         /// END ACT ///

BUT RABBI LAZAR BELIEVES EVEN IN THESE TIMES OF ECONOMIC 
HARDSHIP, THERE ARE FEW SIGNS OF DEEPENING ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE  
GENERAL POPULATION.  AND L'HAIM THEATER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR IGOR 
KOSYUROV SEES A TREND TOWARD GREATER RELIGIOUS OPENNESS.

           /// KOSYUROV ACT IN RUSSIAN, THEN FADE /// 

HE SAYS -- WHILE WE ARE ALIVE, WE HAVE HOPE.  WE HAVE FAITH THAT 
THE MAJORITY OF RUSSIANS ARE DECENT PEOPLE,  NOT  ANTI-SEMITES.  
MR. KOSYUROV, SITTING IN HIS OFFICE ABOVE THE THEATER, SAYS 
DESPITE EVERYTHING THAT IS HAPPENING, COMMON SENSE MUST PREVAIL. 
(SIGNED)

NEB/PFH/DW/RAE

27-Dec-98 11:29 AM EST (1629 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.