state-sponsored or spontaneous anti-Semitism. You must be aware in what a difficult
economic situation Ukraine finds itself - and yet despite this, the government gives
high priority to the support of cultural diversity, included in which is the support
of Jewish culture. For example, the observance of the Days of Jewish Culture in
Ukraine was funded entirely by the Ukrainian government - close to two billion
karbovantsi, and this in our difficult economic times!
It is these many things, then, that are of importance to us, and not the activities
of individual ultra-nationalists who don't receive support from most Ukrainians;
where in fact most Ukrainians condemn their activities.
Oh, democracy! Is there any country, even the United States, which has succeeded in
ridding itself of anti-Semitism? And are the American anti-Semites representative
of official government attitudes toward Jews? Or are isolated events in Los Angeles
reflective of United States government attitudes toward Blacks?
Esteemed gentlemen! You didn't do a good thing insulting the Ukrainian people.
Imagine if someone collected similarly true but unrepresentative facts to paint a
negative picture of the Jewish people. Remember the Biblical injunction: Don't do
anything to another that you would not want done to yourself.
Please revisit us with an open mind, and not with any fixed bias. The United States
is presently awaiting the visit of our President, and we don't want his visit to be
marred by any anti-Ukrainian actions from anybody, especially not from Jews; nor
would we want American assistance to our country to depend on isolated individuals
who are opposed to granting such assistance.
We await you in Ukraine.
Respectfully,
I.M. Levitas
Head of the Jewish Council of Ukraine
Head of the Nationalities Associations of Ukraine
HOME DISINFORMATION PEOPLE JORDAN 726 hits since 23May98
Jordan Letter 5 Jul 18/96 Genetic anti-Semitism
July 18, 1996
Michael H. Jordan
Chairman, Westinghouse Electric Corporation
11 Stanwix Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
USA 15222
Dear Mr. Jordan:
I have some questions for Morley Safer, and I route them to him through you, as I have discovered over the years
that he is not very communicative when addressed directly - perhaps if the request to respond to these questions came
from you, he might be more forthcoming. Specifically, I wonder if you would be so good as to ask Mr. Safer the
questions organized under the following eight points, all of them in connection with his October 23, 1994 statement
that "The Church and Government of Ukraine have tried to ease people's fears, suggesting that ... Ukrainians, despite
the allegations, are not genetically anti-Semitic.":
(1) Through what source did Mr. Safer become aware of the allegation that Ukrainians were genetically
anti-Semitic? And what were the qualifications of this source in the field of human genetics, particularly in the
field of the genetic inheritance of cognitive predispositions?
(2) Before broadcasting this allegation, did Mr. Safer verify its plausibility with any responsible geneticist?
(3) What does Mr. Safer mean by "the church of Ukraine"? This reference is as puzzling as would be a reference
to "the church of the United States."
(4) Could Mr. Safer divulge the name of the church representative who issued this denial of a genetic