MOSCOW (EJP)—30 years after his release from a Soviet labor camp for Zionists activities, Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein delivered a historic speech before the Russian Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian parliament in Moscow.
Edelstein was invited for an official visit by Federation Council Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko.
In his opening remarks in Hebrew, the same language for which he was imprisoned for teaching,he said: ”Thirty-three years ago I was imprisoned here in Moscow by the authorities of the Soviet Union for teaching the Hebrew language. I was imprisoned because I was teaching the language which spread to the world the ideas of rejecting tyranny, upholding the rule of justice, love of mankind and the hopes of freedom; the language in which the prophets of Israel foretold the day on which `Nation shall not lift up sword against nation; nor will they learn war anymore.` I was imprisoned because I worked to disseminate the language in which Abraham, the founder of the Jewish religion, was told `Go from your country, your people and your father`s household to the land I will show you.`”
Addressing global terror, Edelstein said ”in the 21st century, terror has replaced Nazism as absolute evil. We see almost every week vehicles running over innocent bystanders, and suicide bombers blowing up school children at concerts.’’
He added: ‘’We must create an atmosphere of mutual respect between the different countries. An atmosphere that will facilitate closer cooperation in the fight against terror, so that no one will have to look into the eyes of a mother who lost her only son in a terror attack. I believe this is possible. We can defeat terror, but only by boldly fighting against it, side by side.”
He asked to convey a blessing in Hebrew from Jerusalem, ”the eternal capital of the Jewish People, from which the message of justice and the war against evil has been coming out for nearly 3,000 years.”
Edelstein`s address was the first delivered by any Israeli at the Federation Council, the honor being usually reserved for heads of state.
After his speech, he toured the places where he was active as a Refusenik, the site of his arrest, the courthouse where his trial took place and the prison in which he was incarcerated, and more.
Dring his visit, the Knesset Speaker was also due to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and meet the Russian Jewish community.