In a meeting with a delegation of rabbis, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Israel's operation in Gaza.
By COLlive reporter

Support for Operation Protective Edge, Israel's military effort to stop Hamas' incessant rocket attacks against Israel's civilians, is coming directly from the Kremlin.

"I am closely tracking what is happening in Israel," Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked in a meeting on Wednesday with a delegation of Chief Rabbis and representatives of the Rabbinical Center of Europe.

The purpose of the meeting, according to the Kremlin, was to discuss joint efforts to prevent the rewriting of history, the fight against neo-Nazism and neo-fascism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

"It is important to discuss the subject of the Holocaust of the World War II era. There are Holocaust survivors among the rabbis, they have their personal, dramatic stories," Rabbi Alexander Boroda, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, told Interfax-Religion.

Boroda was seated across from Putin during the meeting, alongside Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, Israel's Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau and others.

At one point during the meeting, Rabbi Yosef commented that "hours before I flew here, a rocket landed near my house in Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish nation."

"It goes without saying there is great anxiety among my children and grandchildren who were forced to enter bomb shelters, for no fault of their own," he said, adding that it is "hard to describe the emotional damage that is being done to them. All this is just for the crime that they were born to the Jewish nation."

The Chief Rabbi concluded by asking the president to use his power "to bring a stop to the violence. There cannot be a situation where people use religion to slaughter the innocent."

Most of the Israeli population is currently living under the threat of rocket fire. Life between sirens, in and out of bomb shelters, has become the daily reality for millions of Israelis.

Hamas terrorists in Gaza have fired more than 200 rockets at Israel since Operation Protective Edge began on Monday, July 7 – and over 650 rockets since the beginning of 2014.

According a news report, Putin replied by asking Rabbi Yosef to pass along a message to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Russia is a true friend of Israel and of the Prime Minister.

"I support Israel's battle that is intended to keep its citizens protected," he said about the Israel Defense Forces' operation to restore quiet to the region and stop Hamas terrorism.

"I also heard about the shocking murder of the three teenagers," Putin added about the kidnapping and murder of Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gilad Shaar, three Yeshiva students in Israel. "This is an unconscionable act and I ask that you bring my condolences to the families."

Also in attendance were Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands Binyomin Jacobs; Rabbi Yirmiyahu Cohen, head of the rabbinical court in Paris, France; Rabbi Yisroel Lichtenstein, head of the Federation of Synagogues Beth Din in England; Rabbi Moshe Lazar of Milan, Italy; Rabbi Michael Shmerla, head of the rabbinical court in Strasbourg, France; Rabbi Yitzchak Niazov, Rabbi of the Bukharan Jewish Community in Vienna, Austria; Rabbi Yehuda Teichtel, Director of Chabad Lubavitch Educational Center in Berlin, Germany; Rabbi Yaakov David Shmal, dayan of Machazikei Hadas in Antwerp, Belgium; Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Director of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe.

As part of their trip to Moscow, the Rabbis will attend a special ceremony marking the anniversary of the release of the Frierdiker Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, from Soviet prison.

Dalam pertemuan dengan delegasi rabbi, Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin mengomentari operasi Israel di Gaza.
Dengan COLlive reporter

Dukungan untuk Operasi Perlindungan Edge, upaya militer Israel untuk menghentikan serangan roket Hamas gencarnya 'terhadap warga sipil Israel, datang langsung dari Kremlin.

"Saya erat melacak apa yang terjadi di Israel," Presiden Rusia Vladimir Putin mengatakan dalam sebuah pertemuan pada Rabu dengan delegasi dari Kepala Rabbi dan perwakilan dari Rabbi Pusat Eropa.

Tujuan dari pertemuan tersebut, menurut Kremlin, adalah untuk membahas upaya bersama untuk mencegah penulisan ulang sejarah, perjuangan melawan neo-Nazisme dan neo-fasisme, xenophobia dan anti-Semitisme.

"Hal ini penting untuk membahas topik Holocaust dari era Perang Dunia II. Ada korban Holocaust di antara para rabi, mereka memiliki pribadi, cerita dramatis mereka," Rabbi Alexander Boroda, Presiden Federasi Komunitas Yahudi Rusia, mengatakan Interfax-Religion.

Boroda duduk di seberang Putin selama pertemuan, bersama Rusia Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, Kepala Sephardic Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Israel, Tel Aviv Kepala Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau dan lain-lain.

Pada satu titik selama pertemuan, Rabbi Yosef berkomentar bahwa "jam sebelum aku terbang di sini, roket mendarat di dekat rumah saya di Yerusalem, ibu kota dari bangsa Yahudi."

"Tak perlu dikatakan ada kecemasan besar di antara anak-anak saya dan cucu yang dipaksa masuk ke tempat penampungan bom, karena tidak ada kesalahan mereka sendiri," katanya, menambahkan bahwa "sulit untuk menggambarkan kerusakan emosional yang sedang dilakukan untuk mereka . Semua ini hanya untuk kejahatan yang mereka dilahirkan untuk bangsa Yahudi. "

Kepala Rabbi menyimpulkan dengan meminta presiden untuk menggunakan kekuasaannya "untuk membawa menghentikan kekerasan. Tidak bisa menjadi situasi di mana orang menggunakan agama untuk membantai orang yang tidak bersalah."

Sebagian besar penduduk Israel saat ini tinggal di bawah ancaman serangan roket. Hidup antara sirene, masuk dan keluar dari tempat penampungan bom, telah menjadi kenyataan sehari-hari bagi jutaan orang Israel.

Teroris Hamas di Gaza telah menembakkan lebih dari 200 roket ke Israel sejak Operasi Pelindung Ujung dimulai pada Senin, Juli 7 - dan lebih dari 650 roket sejak awal 2014.

Menurut laporan berita, Putin menjawab dengan bertanya Rabbi Yosef untuk menyampaikan pesan kepada Perdana Menteri Israel Benjamin Netanyahu bahwa Rusia adalah teman sejati Israel dan Perdana Menteri.

"Saya mendukung pertempuran Israel yang dimaksudkan untuk menjaga warganya dilindungi," katanya tentang operasi Pasukan Bela 'Israel untuk mengembalikan tenang untuk wilayah tersebut dan menghentikan Hamas terorisme.

"Saya juga mendengar tentang pembunuhan mengejutkan dari tiga remaja," tambah Putin tentang penculikan dan pembunuhan Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach dan Gilad Shaar, tiga mahasiswa Yeshiva di Israel. "Ini adalah tindakan tidak bermoral dan saya meminta Anda membawa belasungkawa saya kepada keluarga."

Juga hadir adalah Kepala Rabbi Belanda Binyomin Jacobs; Rabbi Yirmiyahu Cohen, kepala pengadilan rabbi di Paris, Perancis; Rabbi Yisroel Lichtenstein, kepala Federasi sinagog Beth Din di Inggris; Rabbi Moshe Lazar dari Milan, Italia; Rabbi Michael Shmerla, kepala pengadilan rabbi di Strasbourg, Prancis; Rabbi Yitzchak Niazov, Rabbi Komunitas Yahudi Bukharan di Wina, Austria; Rabbi Yehuda Teichtel, Chabad Lubavitch Direktur Pusat Pendidikan di Berlin, Jerman; Rabbi Yaakov David Shmal, dayan dari Machazikei Hadas di Antwerp, Belgia; Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Direktur Pusat Rabbi Eropa.

Sebagai bagian dari perjalanan mereka ke Moskow, para rabi akan menghadiri upacara khusus menandai ulang tahun dari rilis Frierdiker Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, dari penjara Soviet.