mall Steps

LEV GORODETSKY

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Moscow

It

ussian Jewish leaders are applauding
what they are calling a victory for
democracy in last month's parliamentary
elections.
"It is good that many leaders from
the democratic wing have won seats in
the new Duma," said Mikhail Chlenov,
president of the Va'ad, a Russian Jewish
umbrella group.
Still more important, he said, "is
that all antisemitic blocs have been
either banned from the race or have
lost in the elections."
But observers say it is too soon to
say how the results from the elections
— which boosts the representation of
moderate parties and diminishes that
of the communists — would play out
on issues important to Jews, including
the recent trend toward increased anti-
semitism.
Pinchas Goldschmidt, the chief
rabbi of Moscow, agreed that "less
communist influence and more
democratic parties in the Duma is a
sign that democracy is developing in
our society."

Uncertainty On Putin

LEV GORODETSKY
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Moscow
hile Russians are viewing Vladimir Putin's
ascent to power as a surprise New Year's pre-
sent, Jewish observers both in Russia and the
United States are decidedly more mixed.
Some share the general Russian population's
enthusiasm for Putin, who became president Dec.

W

But he said he does not believe the elections will
bring any significant changes.
American Jewish groups that monitor the situa-
tion in the former Soviet Union expressed cautious
optimism.
"The cards have been shuffled," said Mark Levin,
executive director of the National Conference on

Russtan Orthodox Patriarch Alexi II, left, acting Russian
President Vladimir Putin, center, and former President
Boris Yeltsin at the Kremlin on Dec. 31.

31 when Boris Yeltsin suddenly resigned; others are
cautiously optimistic. Still others fear the possibili-
ty of increased antisemitism and a move away from
democracy.
With his personal popularity ratings now at 80
percent, largely because of his prosecution of the
war in Chechnya, Putin is a virtual shoo-in to win
Russia's presidential elections, which have now
been moved to March from June.
Putin has recently cultivated an image of being
friendly toward Jews.
In November, he met with leaders of the newly

Soviet Jewry.
We may "be looking at a different situation in
the months ahead," he said, noting that the
Communist Party's reduced influence as a result
of the election could mean more opportunity for
political and economic reform. But, he cautioned,
we don't yet know."
For its part, the Union of Councils for
Soviet Jews challenged the Russian gov-
ernment to use its new power in the
Duma to "push through laws that will
protect Russia's Jews and other vulnerable
ethnic and religious minorities."
The Union of Councils also expressed
concern that some of the parties that
did well depend on support from
regional authorities, "who are almost
exclusively focused on parochial con-
cerns and are often complicit" in
human-rights violations.
The elections are being branded by
some as a "pro-government revolution."
They came against the backdrop of a wave
of antisemitic rhetoric and actions in
recent months.
Although there were no official exit
polls, Jewish voters, who had been
expected to split their vote among vari-
ous parties, appeared to heavily support
the Union of Right Forces, or SPS, a
SMALL STEPS on page 16

created Chabad Lubavitch-dominated Federation of
Jewish Communities of Rus,sia, telling them he was
sympathetic to Jewish causes.
Rabbi Zinovy Kogan, one of the leaders of
Reform Judaism in Russia, called Putin's rise to
power "a positive development for Russian
Jewry." Rabbi Kogan met with Putin last month
after the prime minister returned from Norway,
where he had met with Israeli Prime Minister
Ehud Barak.
Putin "spoke very warmly about Barak, saying
PUTIN on page 16

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