ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACK ON CHABAD SYNAGOGUE IN MOSCOW

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 000152

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL RS SOCI
SUBJECT: ANTI-SEMITIC ATTACK ON CHABAD SYNAGOGUE IN MOSCOW

Classified By: Ambassador William J. Burns. For reasons 1.4 (b and
d).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On the evening of January 11, a
20-year-old man broke into a Lubavitch synagogue in Moscow
during prayer services and injured eight men, including an
AmCit. None of the victims has life-threatening injuries,
but some are reportedly in serious but stable condition. The
Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing sympathy to
the victims and condemning the attack. In conversations with
Berl Lazar, one of the Chief Rabbis of Russia, and the
Israeli Charge, the Ambassador underlined that we will
continue to encourage the GOR to make strong statements at a
high level condemning anti-Semitic activities and violence,
as well as to take practical steps to prevent further
incidents. END SUMMARY

ATTACK AT THE SYNAGOGUE
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2. (SBU) At approximately 5pm Moscow time on January 11, a
20-year-old identified as Aleksandr Koptsev wounded eight men
gathered for evening prayers at the Chabad synagogue on
Bolshaya Bronnaya street in central Moscow. At least one
witness reported that the knife-wielding attacker screamed
"I'm here to kill Jews" during the attack. Several
individuals, including Rabbi Itzaak Kogan, captured the
attacker and detained him until police arrived. One account
indicated that the attacker may have tried to kill himself
while being subdued. The attacker is reportedly being
charged with attempted murder and incitement of hatred.
Press reports indicated that police found a stash of weapons
and a list of addresses of several Moscow synagogues in a
search of the attacker's apartment. While the attacker was
initially identified as a skinhead, police subsequently
reported that they had no record of his association with any
extremist group. Responding to comments that the attacker
was insane, Rabbi Kogan said that the attacker seemed
cognizant that he was committing an anti-Semitic attack.


3. (U) Three of the victims were foreign citizens, an
American, Israeli, and Tajik. Details of the American
citizen's condition is reported septel.

RESPONSE
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4. (U) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted an official
statement on the attack on their website dated January 11.
It expressed sympathy to the victims, condemned the attack,
and said that "provocations by those who would like to bring
discord into Russian society and stir up national and
religious strife have not succeeded and will not succeed."
Russian Procurator General Vladimir Ustinov announced on
January 11 that he would himself oversee the case against the
attacker. According to one press report, Duma Speaker Boris
Gryzlov said following the incident that it might precipitate
stronger Russian legislation against fascism and
anti-Semitism.


5. (C) Berl Lazar, one of the Chief Rabbis of Russia, was in
Israel when the attack took place but returned immediately to
Moscow. Condemning the attack in a January 11 statement,
Lazar said that "where the idea of fascism is spread, it
eventually turns into reality, as happened today in Moscow."
Aleksandr Akselrod, director of the Moscow office of the
Anti-Defamation League, told us that Lazar's statement was
particularly significant, given that until now he has
downplayed the extent of anti-Semitism in Russia. In a
January 12 press conference, Lazar again condemned the
attack, calling on Russian government and law enforcement
officials to ensure it does not repeat itself. He said that
in a multiethnic country like Russia, only severe measures
can counter such incidents.


6. (U) Among those commenting on the incident was Dmitriy
Rogozin, head of the nationalist Rodina party. In a January
12 statement, Rogozin, some of whose members signed an
anti-Semitic letter to the Procurator General last year,
condemned the attack as "horrible and senseless." He also
said that the attacker was likely "psychologically
disturbed," since any sane person could not commit such a
crime.

EMBASSY ACTIONS
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7. (SBU) In response to the attack, the Ambassador called
Rabbi Lazar on January 12 to express our deep concern over
the attack. The Ambassador emphasized that the USG would
continue to strongly encourage the GOR to make high-level
public statements condemning anti-Semitic activities and

MOSCOW 00000152 002 OF 002


violence and to take practical steps to effectively address
and prevent such incidents in the future. The Ambassador
made similar statements in a discussion with the Israeli
Charge in Moscow. The Ambassador plans to meet with Rabbi
Kogan on January 13.

COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) This anti-Semitic attack clearly demonstrates the need
for the GOR to engage more actively in combating extremist
activity. Chabad rabbis and parishioners have been victims
of violence before. Early in 2005, two rabbis leaving a
synagogue in the Marina Roscha neighborhood of Moscow were
attacked and beaten. This latest attack shows that
anti-Semitic sentiment continues to motivate violence in
Russia. Although President Putin has made public statements
condemning anti-Semitism, officials at the local level have
not always reinforced that view. That many of Putin's
previous statements, such as that in Poland during Auschwitz
commemoration ceremonies, were made abroad has lessened their
impact with the Russian public. There is some danger that
the authorities will play down this incident as being
committed by a "mentally unstable person" rather than an
anti-Semite. A strong statement of condemnation of
anti-Semitism from Putin would be important in the aftermath
of this attack.
BURNS