Natan Sharansky: Defending Identity

Financial Times:

The thorny question of who you are
Review by Michael Skapinker

Published: June 15 2008 17:34 | Last updated: June 15 2008 17:34
Defending Identity: Its Indispensable Role in Protecting Democracy
By Natan Sharansky with Shira Wolosky Weiss
PublicAffairs $26.95 (£15.99)

When Natan Sharansky was in a Soviet prison his wife, Avital, who had left for Israel, sent him a message saying she had decided to cover her hair. It was a difficult moment. Sharansky had previously told Avital he was uncomfortable about her assuming the garb of a Jewish Orthodox married woman. This time, he decided that if this was her new religious identity he would have to respect it.
Freed after nine years, and permitted to follow Avital to Israel, he stood up for other women covering their hair, opposing France’s ban on headscarves in schools. Muslim girls were expressing their identity and he had learnt during his gulag years how much identity mattered. The prisoners who stood up to the KGB were those with the surest sense of who they were, whether Latvian nationalists, Orthodox Christians or Pentecostals.
Many democracies are deeply confused about identity, making dangerous mistakes over how much citizens owe to the state and how much to their ethnic or religious groups, Sharansky argues in this thought-provoking book.
Like those on the American right, Sharansky directs his greatest ire at the Europeans, whom he accuses of lacking a sense of purpose to match that of their Islamist enemies, both internal and external.
But, unlike the other critics, Sharansky’s allegation is not that Europe simply caves in to Islamist demands. As shown by his support for headscarves, his argument is more complex. Sharansky says that postwar democratic Europe dedicated itself to universal notions of human rights, assuming that colour, religion and culture would cease to matter. Faced with an influx of immigrants, this post-identity Europe struggled to integrate the newcomers. Britain and the Netherlands opted for multiculturalism: all ways of life should be respected. What really happened, he argues, was that both countries, infused with post-colonial guilt, res­pected all but their own. When Dutch film-maker Theo Van Gogh was murdered and London suffered a murderous attack on its Underground, the establishments struggled to respond.
France adopted a different strategy, insisting all citizens become resolutely French. In state schools, any sign of dif- ference – headscarf, crucifix or skullcap –was to be abandoned at the gate. Shar- ansky is as little taken with the French approach as with the British or Dutch.
The French road leads to hypocrisy, he says. “French Muslims are coerced to act one way while thinking and feeling another.” In any case, identity is vital, giving people ties to their past. Casting it aside is seldom healthy. Arriving in Israel, he criticised the prevailing idea of citizenship there too. Theodor Herzl, modern Zionism’s founder, imagined a country where pioneers would hang on to their old cultures while creating something new. David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, had other ideas, insisting Jews ditch their diaspora baggage: Poles, Moroccans, Germans and Iraqis would simply become Israelis.
The arrival of the Soviet Jews challenged this. The newcomers were determined to hang on to their Russian heritage, forming their own political party with Sharansky as chairman. The right way to tackle identity, Sharansky says, is American. In the US, you can become American without forgetting what you were. You can be Irish-American, Italian-American or Jewish-American. A central culture of democracy demands your loyalty, but outside that you can be who you like. [link]

posted by: jrtelegraph

Comments

[Tatiana]

O, my dear Natasha! Like my husband's mother said in Russian: "Plun curam v ochi scazut zto dozd idet".
I hope you understand which kind of success is Natan Shasransky. If not, I would ask you to reed again very carefully all my material that I send to JRT.
I am sure that in America you celebrate not every success. Not now, and not in the past. Ahmadinejad, Bin Laden, Arafat, Ceausescu, Miloshevich, Castro, Stalin, Sadam Husein were successful for themselves. And America celebrates their success? Bush, Olmert, Putin for themselves are very successful people. So what? In America you celebrate their success? You will to take like this people for envy America and the world?
Not every success we can celebrate. We couldn't celebrate success the man, who reached success with lie, achieve success by deception, by treachery friends, falsification her biography, success at any price.
We must fught, and let go together against this kind "success" for our better future.
Best regards, friendly,
Tatiana

[Natasha Broudy]

Tatiana,
I agree with you that Natan Sharansky is a great success.
In America we celebrate success and
look down at people who envy others.
Best regards.

[Tatiana]

Natasha, you ask me why it is Sharansky, but not Olmert, Sharon, Barak, Peres, Kazav, Lieberman (you mention his name once) it and etc… etc…. That is why:
1/We think, Sharansky is very dangerous for Israel and even for USA and through USA for situation in the world.
2/ Yes, We are fighting against corruption in our country including Olmert, Sharon, Barak, Peres, Lieberman etc….etc….
3/But we knew who is Sharansky much more better that somebody else un Israel, therefore we take upon oneself the mission expos unmask.
4/ Sharansky do not fight against corruption. He is corruption.
5/ The theme in JRT was about new Sharansky's bock and I decided to give the material about Sharansky. If you would interested about our fight against corruption in Israel I can put you the material in thousands pages.
Now I put you only three chapters from Nudelman's bock "Sharansky without a mask"
and I hope it give you help (additionally) to understand " why Sharansky".
Tatiana

"Sharansky without a mask"
Published in Russian and Hebrew in 1999 in Israel)
1) The first chapter: “Instead of introduction”. "Scharansky’s mystery".
This book was planned as a document, which should reinstate the historical fairness concerning many people unjustly forgotten. Forgotten in one man’s favor.
The aim of this book is to try to set up real historical proportions of events and personalities.
This book is about the “hero of our days”. He pushed aside the others whose destiny might be much harder and more complicated than the one of our hero. Their lives in prisons and in prison camps were not lighted by the rays of the searchlights of the world’s fame and were not surrounded by the constant attention of the world’s publicity and were not under the guardianship of the leaders of many states.
Our hero fills one of the most important posts in Israel, takes an active part in solving the state problems and influences the fates of the people. His party “Israel ba Aliya” owning only 6% of deputy’s places in Israel’s parliament has a disproportionately great influence on the events in the country. He is the proxy for the head of the state government Benjamin Netanyahu. He lives in the country not more than ten years but he has already become the minister of industry and trade, the member of the “narrow” government cabinet.
He is often called one of the architects of “the agreement Y”.
He establishes business relations with Jordan. He takes responsibility for any relations of Israel with the former USSR. He takes part in appointment of ambassadors and consuls.
Our hero Nathan (Anatoly- before) Scharansky is only fifty years old. His height is not more than 160 centimeters. He is bald and tongue – tied in all the languages he speaks - Russian and English. He speaks Hebrew as if a repatriate having just arrived to the country and not having studied the language before.
He is still forgiven everything: all defects of his appearance, tongue – tied, provincial manner of behavior in front of TV cameras.
This man is invited to radio – and TV – programs in the capacity of a specialist in history of Russia and the USSR.
He is, as he calls himself “an absolutely assimilated man, cut from Jewish life, the former loyal Soviet citizen that has been living for 29 years in the USSR in the family of devoted communists”. And he, for some reason, is considered to be a specialist of history the Soviet Jewry, of history the Zionism!
Who is he? Is he a Genius, who managed to survive in the hardest period of his life not broken off but tempered?
Is he an adventurer, who attributed the merits in Zionist movement developing in the USSR and appropriated someone else’s fame?
Is he a skilful actor, who appraised precisely historical events and managed to put himself forward in real or fabricated historical process? Is he a pawn in somebody else’s game?
To have an idea of his appearing on the historical stage of Israel it‘s necessary to analyze the life story, the surroundings and the main events that took place in the life of the man that became the legend of Israel.
For my personally opinion, the legend about Scharansky is based on three whales:
1*. He has done a lot for immigration of Jews from the USSR to Israel. He has done a lot for Zionist movement and fought actively against the Soviet power and the KGB.
2*. He spent a lot of time in prisons and prison camps and suffered torments. His being in prisons is incredibly heroic and courageous. He personally conquered the Soviet power and the KGB.
3*. Long before his liberation from the prison he became a famous person all over the world. In Israel he was called “the leader of the repatriates from the countries of SNG (former USSR)”. He has done a lot for successful absorption of repatriates in Israel, for successful integration into Israelite society.
I tried to understand what are these concepts and characteristics based on and I seemed to understand their sources.
I understood that these concepts are not based on real events - they are based on legends, but not on real facts.
For three years I’ve been studying tens of books published in Russian, English and Hebrew. I have studied thousands of articles from Israeli, American and Russian newspapers and magazines. I’ve gathered a lot of evidences of prosecutors and lawyers, talked to witnesses and participants of those events because of which Having analyzed the gathered material I managed to imagine the stage on which our hero lived and moved forward. I am sure that in fact it was a constant acting on the stage -sometimes tragic, sometimes comic, sometimes serious acting in which except the main hero – actor a lot of producers, script – writers, backstage theatrical workers and many extras and spectators whom our hero sometimes chose himself, but they were mainly chosen for him by the producers and script – writers took part.
In definite period's different camps and prisons employees, prosecutors, lawyers, diplomats and journalists played definite roles.
In this great performing together with this small man great people of this world –Presidents, prime – ministers of many countries, Jewish and students organizations, Anarchists, Neo-Nazi, communists and former fascists…took part.
Many religious people took part in this game – Catholics, Orthodox, well-known rabies, representatives of Orthodox, Conservative and Reformist Judaism.
Political parties of different directions such as MAPAM and GUSH EMUNIM took part in this game.
All rich and poor relatives of our hero took part in this game too.
The richest people of the world took part in this game.
This was the game in which the main hero had only to lead his role as if according to the scenario composed before which was corrected and changed in the process of action.
Probably the biographies of other personalities of historical importance were created in the same way.
But still the story of our hero is different from the stories of other personalities of historical importance that have climbed up the top. What is his secret based on? Some people say that possible he is an agent of American special services (CIA), others say that possible he is the agent of KGB, some people say that he is the agent of Israeli “Mosad” (Israeli Secret Service).
Some people say that if he isn’t an agent, he possible cooperates with intelligence services of these three countries.
Some people say that he represents the interests of extra – right religious groups; on the contrary some people say that he possible secretly represents the interests of Arabs – Palestinians. The others said that the Americans control Netanyahu with the help of Scharansky, and Netanyahu, from his side, influences on the Americans through Scharansky. There are some people (Robert Friedman-“Red Mafia”, Dina Siegel) who even stating that Scharansky is cooperating with Russian Mafia and is financed by it. They even said that he “was built” by Gregory Lerner being in prison for committing economical crimes and that Scharansky’s strength possible is in his relations with criminal world he had been having since the time of his being in prison.
They say that he possesses a fabulous wealth. Only some years later after jail delivery he was able to buy the house at a price of a million and a half dollars in Jerusalem. Scharansky has found money for creating the party and has managed to lead seven deputies into Knesset. He appropriated the right to speak “in the name and on an errand” of Russian speaking repatriates.
Nobody knows the secret of his influence and power. His impetuous career doesn’t have analogs in political life of Israel – there wasn’t a single case when a new repatriate could conquer such serious positions in a short period.
His political opinions are not understandable.
Who is he? Is he a “Right” or a “Left”? Is he a “Central” or a “Radical – liberal”?
Is he a socialist or a nationalist? Is he an anarchist or a democrat? Is he an idealist, a realist or a pragmatist?
Nobody knows if he is religious or not. And if he is religious what direction of Judaism does he belong to? Is he a Conservative, a Reformist or an Orthodox?
Some people call him a dreamer, an intriguer, a liar, a heartless egoist and cynic. The others call him an honest man and a true fighter not only for Jews of Israel but for interests of Jews all over the world too. Some people remembering his past call him “Anatoly – a currency speculator”.
Some people say that the relations in his family are tangled. The others say that he is an ideal father and a devoted husband.
Some people are sure that he would crush anybody and with no hesitation for the sake of gaining his aim – his own rise. The others believe that he is an idealist ready to help any person.
They say that he is not interested in problems, troubles and fates of other people and doesn’t take into consideration other people’s needs. A lot of people don’t understand how it was possible to recognize the “leader “of repatriate masses in such an egocentric person.
When I tried to speak to people of his past and present surroundings who knew and know him well I met strange suspiciousness, alertness – a plot of silence, a vacuum.
It was the same not only with Israelis who came from Russia, but with his acquaintances living now in Russia and in America either. I had the feeling that I stepped on the shaky soil. Nobody of this people wanted to tell anything that could compromise him. But they couldn’t say anything good about him either as if they were afraid of something – neither in Russia and Israel nor in America.
When I began to gather material about his life and activities my friends warned me:
“Take care! You’ve stepped on the minefield.” But these warnings only strengthened my desire and made me go on with my investigation.
He is not charismatic, not fascinating, not handsome – direct opposite to Clinton, Reigen, Kohl, Maydger, Blair, Begin, de Gaulle, Netanyahu, Sharon and even Elzin.
What is his force? What is he in reality? Who has created him? Has he done it himself of nothing and with or without somebody’s support? Is he a Genius of political intrigues? Is he a liar or an adventurer?
They say that he always takes his favorite book “The Sovereign” by Niccolo Machiavelli with him wherever he goes and that it is always placed on his Minister’s table. They say that it’s this book he takes the ideas from and that with its help he makes his plans and realizes them.
Some people say that it’s his appearance - his very little height, tongue – tied, his blaze and inferiority complex - played the main role in forming of his personality and his life strategy. The combination of physical deficiency and upbringing in the family of devoted communists, life in provincial surroundings and in prison camps formed the personality we are facing now.
Thousands of people who have spent a lot of time in prisons for their anti- Soviet and Zionist activity live in Israel nowadays. Many thousands of “new” Israelis though hadn’t been jailed but fought bravely for the right to immigrate to Israel.
They haven’t become great political figures and hadn’t become recognized leaders of repatriates of the former USSR.
Precisely this man who had never stood out against a background of thousands of “refusnik” has become an official representative of repatriates. How could it happen?
For the first time in the history of our country the man who hadn’t jet lived full ten years in Israel after being liberated from Soviet prisons was admitted to a sacred place of top state secrets of Israel.
Edward Kuznetzov who had been “studying” Soviet penitential system since he was 19, a great intellectual, a historic, an experienced journalist and a writer states that more than 95 percent of people being in prisons and prison camps began to cooperate either with the KGB or with the external intelligence of the USSR – Russia. The same state Victor Suvorov, the former colonel of the KGB-GRU who ran away to the West 20 years ago and the former colonel of the GRU Stanislaw Luniev who stayed in America five years ago. These specialists of external intelligence state that using usual methods of investigation it’s impossible to find out who was recruited and who is not.
One can suppose that Scharansky, may be, in the left 5 percent of non - recruited being a nice and wonderful exclusion from the whole mass.
How could it happen that he became exclusion? I am going to investigate this fact too in my book. A lot depends on our hero’s personality, activity and ideas in our country and I consider publishing my book to be my duty because our society has the right to know the truth about its leaders whom willingly or not we confide our destinies to.
I tried to operate only under facts. I gathered them grain- by- grain, analyzed contradictory facts and stories of different books and memories’ authors.
In the main I analyzed the stories of the hero himself as the information about our hero we got from the hero himself, from the stories of his own which are sometimes contradictory, muddled and not clear: what he said in the Court, how he behaved himself in the camp prison, what he thought, how he was treated by other people.
That’s why for creating a true picture I made the hero himself the main narrator. Nobody else but Scharansky himself knows himself best of all and nobody else but he himself is able to demonstrate all the features of his character, his life’s philosophy and the depth of his mentality.
I had to create an objective picture of separate phrases, hints and allegories.
The reader is to make conclusions together with me and he is also to answer the questions asked in this chapter together with me.
I know that it’s difficult to change the opinion of myths and legends and those who debunk myths and expose the secrets of creating myths and legends are not loved and appraised. They are mostly hated. But I understand that when myths and legends influence our on our lives and fates and when they are based on premeditated or non – premeditated deceit they should be debunked.
Somebody should fulfill this unthankful job even donating his own well - being, even if he will be attacked, provoked and discriminated and scared.
I have experienced all this once already after I had published my book “Bloodshed in Medicine” in which I debunked some myths and legends of our public health. Years passed by and it became clear that I was right in many positions.
Today I take responsibility for fulfilling the mission to investigate and debunk the other myth – the myth about Scharansky.
I tried to show real, original Scharansky, Scharansky as he is.
I am not waiting anything good for myself personally after publishing this journalist investigation.
I am ready for the worst.
But I was to do what I have done. It was the call of my conscience and my civic duty.
2) The last chapter- Conclusion
“The Stakes have been made. The Chance hasn’t been lost.”
“This nation is like dust and stars.
When it falls - it falls down to the ground,
When it rises – it rises up to the stars.”
Talmud. Treatise. “Megila” p.16

When I began to gather the material and put it into my computer I supposed that I shouldn’t make any conclusions and should give the readers the opportunity to make their own ones. Up to now I am of the same opinion and leave it to my readers. These conclusions may be different from mine. The right of the readers – to appreciate if the author has managed to express his ideas and made the reader understand them – is holy.
The gathered material is more volumetric than can be fit in on the pages of this book. It’s natural that the material that the author possesses has been placed in part in the book.
Immediate contacts with people, the accents of their stories helped the author to understand and analyze the fact and the events deeper.
My conclusions are based on the whole volume of the analyzed information and on those peoples’ “accents”.
I tried to understand what is Scharansky’s personal success is based on and have found out that in reality it is based in the main on the legend about Scharansky.
I’ve found out that the same reminiscences of Scharansky himself are not the same in three languages: neither in style nor in facts.
I’ve found out that in the books: “Next Year in Jerusalem” by Scharansky’s wife Natasha Shtiglitz, “The Hero of our Days” by Martin Gilbert, “Take us into Consideration too” by Wendy Izen, “Anatoly Scharansky” by Felix Rosiner, “The Hellish Merry – go – Round is Whirling” by Joseph Mendelevich – the authors repeat the stories identical with those ones written by Anatoly Scharansky himself in his memories after publishing the majority of them. This fact only makes one ponder upon definite things. It’s difficult to understand how these authors could write in detail about Scharansky’s stay in prison and in prison camps if they hadn’t been communicating with him and hadn’t had real information about this period of his life.
All this makes one think that a lot was fabricated by Scharansky himself in his memories book “Fear no evil” as they don’t correspond to descriptions of the similar prisons and prison camps made by other prisoners. Besides he borrowed a lot of facts from the memories of other former prisoners and described those facts as if happened to himself.
I’ve arrived at the conclusion that all the information about Scharansky’s life in prisons and prison camps come only from his personal stories and his mother’s, brother’s and wife’s (she had been knowing him a little bit more than half a year in Moscow by that time) stories.
There are no memories of any former prisoners about Scharansky’s stay in prisons only Joseph Mendelevich’s who had seen him for some minutes only and recognized him only because of his “kind eyes”.
I’ve arrived at the conclusion that a “literary image “of this hero which doesn’t correspond to the real personality of Scharansky has been creating by some definite powers purposefully. This “literary hero “was created in particular by the efforts of great masters of pen who having removed real facts with their experienced hands aside made Scharansky the centre of democratic, Zionist and dissident movement of the former USSR.
The names of these writers as well as getting the prize of American Congress by Scharansky played the main role in his becoming a national hero of Israel and minister of the government and made him so famous all over the world. The post of minister opened additional exit into the world’s policy. Scharansky was permitted of the top-secret information of the West world in an unimaginably short period of time because the world still believes that Israel’s security organs are perspicacious enough to let the man who cannot be relayed on into the “big” policy.
Scharansky was kept in prison because many were interested in it. His imprisonment and ahead of time jail delivery have nothing to with his own efforts. In fact he was a pawn in a big game and he is still a pawn in the game of many others nowadays. However, to say in his favorite chess terminology–the pawn that owing to the efforts of others became the queen. But those who have done this know that the pawn, which even has become the queen will always remember whose hand had been helping him to reach the eighth horizontal.
This man has no ideology of his own and we don’t know what his moral foundations are as he always shuffles facts in his own favor. The story of his “wedding” corroborating papers of which were submitted to the world by Scharansky, the story of his wife’s Natasha converting into Jewry – they don’t correspond to reality. Scharansky and his wife have to live with this “load” all their lives. Such facts and events cannot but influence all the system of Scharansky’s behavior.
His essence of fighter for the rights of Jews is invented, his care for new repatriates is false and his Israelite patriotism is unnatural. His constant striving to live at a high rate comes, probably, from his past, his constant looking for some place to live in, his often trips in cold electric trains to a far away town Istra to his parents’ place.
He is pragmatic, egoistic and suspicious. These features come probably from his life in prisons and prison camps however “sweet” it was in comparison with the lives of the other prisoners. The life of his wife and his surroundings, upbringing in the family of communists, Komsomol activity and communication with the KGB influenced greatly the formation of this man too.
He shamelessly uses people in his own aims, he doesn’t always remember the kindness of the other people, he isn’t always thankful to his friends.
Besides, he is very ambitious.
Basic sources of his well - being are not clear and doubtful. He doesn’t like any financial accounts and doesn’t allow inspecting his finances.
Having been created by others he believes in his own exclusiveness himself. He believes in his exclusive role in Jewish movement and in his own great and important contribution into democratic movement of the former USSR. He had believed in his own great historical mission and was not tired to repeat: “We haven’t missed our chance.
We had been creating the history.” It was said not without purpose. The roles of other participants of Zionist and democratic movement are always understated by him. All the other participants of Zionist and democratic movement, former prisoners of Zion, well-known dissidents and famous fighters for Jews’ rights are pushed by him to the backgrounds of history.
The history of mankind and the history of Jewry know a lot of cases when worthless and miserable persons gained the state of the leaders, chiefs and national heroes. Shabtay Zvi thought an absolutely fantastic biography of his own up and announced himself to be a Messiah. Israel Beer ennobled himself by falsification his biography and telling as if he took an active part in the Civil war in Spain and organized the uprising of “Spartak” in Vein. Various factors and favorable circumstances assisted getting such people onto historical stage.
Not comparing the life of Scharansky to the life of the mentioned above historical personalities I have analyzed the factors that assisted to create Scharansky. Accidentally or not but in 70-80 years of our century specific situation when a simple, imperceptible man found himself in the centre of intersection of circumstances, interests and influences that pushed him out on the surface up to the world’s fame arose.
It’s absolutely obvious that in the main Scharansky was created by the Soviet power, by security organs of the former USSR-the KGB. Almost at the time he was arrested it was understood that he could serve a “good material, a “good subject” for changing and showing “good will” to the West and he was cherished, brought up, kept in prisons with care and was not let suffer from the surroundings (criminals and overseers), from hard labor and conditions of the life in prison.
The KGB and external intelligence of the Soviet Union hoped that changed and liberated former prisoners would be useful for them in future when they would live in the USA, Canada, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Israel.
Scharansky was useful for American establishment, Congressmen, senators who wanted to show their voters that they were active and hardworking. Jews-refuters, prisoners of Soviet prisons, dissidents were considered to be good for this.
Intelligence organs of the USA (CBI) used information including Scharansky’s one sent to the West. Firstly they had to show how thankful they were to the suppliers of important agents’ information, secondly, to show the tax payers that the CBI worked hard and worked off the money had been invested for its keeping.
Besides, the leaders of the CBI supposed people who would have been freed from prisons to go on cooperating with them while being in Israel.
Creating of Scharansky was very useful for Jewish establishment of America and Canada, which wanted to show that the leaders of the communities were active and that the money donated by Jews of these countries “work”, “work” for the sake of liberating Soviet Jewry. The name of the book “Take us into consideration too” is not accidental. This part of Jewish establishment was leading its own policy very often opposite to the policy of Israelite government. The struggle for Scharansky made it possible for those Jewish leaders to organize the funds of their own and to prove that they were independent and able to gain positive results.
Creating of Scharansky was useful for definite anti establishment circles of Israel. At those times many Right groups, religious, organizations in settlements of Judea and Samaria belonged to those circles. They developed their own activity in Israel and abroad, for example, activity aimed at gathering money “for struggle for Scharansky”.
These circles used the struggle for Scharansky because under this slogan they could unite active youth that was looking for the way out for its energy and couldn’t find it in official government and public organizations of Israel and Jewish world. The members of these organizations hoped that after having been liberated thankful Scharansky would be able to give his debt back- he would take part in their activity and would join the “big” policy with their help.
Creating of Scharansky was useful for many anti-Soviet abroad organizations- trozkists, fascists, and communists and even anti-Zionist because they “joined” this struggle forming the symbol of anti-Soviet dissident of Scharansky.
Jewish agency “Sochnut” and some government organizations began to create Scharansky only after having understood that this man didn’t have any definite ideology: neither “Left”, nor “Right”.
They planned to create an organization or organizations which leaders - the “elite” of repatriates would get its portion and would create buffer between natural dissatisfaction of repatriate masses and bureaucratic system in Israel.
Creating of Scharansky was useful for those young leaders who were striving into the policy in the main Benjamin Netanyahu who managed to gain pips for himself in America and in Israel owing to Natasha Shtigliz with her struggle for Scharansky.
Later on having made acquaintance to Scharansky personally Netanyahu understood that he was ambitious, pragmatic and without formed ideology the man who could be helpful and could become his good support in the future government. It was necessary to strengthen the image of Scharansky as a national hero so that he would lead the whole repatriate mass. It was necessary to strengthen his authority by all means. The higher his authority in American circles was the easier it would be used in his own aims.
Creating of Scharansky was useful in, fact, for all political parties of Israel, for “Right” and “Left” governments.
At least, when Scharansky founded the repatriate party IBA the official establishment of Israel was very glad because all the responsibility for failures in absorption could be transferred onto the new repatriate establishment. The chase for repatriate voices was practically stopped because the leaders of the parties and different movements understood that with the help of Scharansky and his party any group –either “Right” or “Left” that would take power is going to get all the voices of Soviet repatriates-deputies.
Creating of Scharansky was useful for some economic circles of Israel, which hoped that he would help them in getting some privileges when he would be led into “big” policy and would not forget about the donations made by them. They hoped to create a political puppet. Everybody knows that the structure of economical relations in Israel and getting large profits are connected with policy.
When the representatives of economical circles saw how great Scharansky’s and his companies’ success in knocking out and pumping money into so called volunteer organizations-different offices and funds is, when they saw his strong desire to live at a high rate (the house bought for about a million and a half dollars, endless trips abroad, renting expensive hotels, no willingness to work hard and systematically) they decided that he was the person who “should be at stake”.
Creating of Scharansky was useful for “new economic structures” that appeared on the ruins of the former Soviet Union. New Russian economic oligarchies who came from nomenclature of the Communist party, Soviet power and KGB in combination with criminal structures supposed that “Russian party” organized by Scharansky in Israel would serve them in pumping the capital and creating new room of their influence in the world. That’s why Russian press and television captured by “new Russians” who are Jews in their majority began to work actively at “creating Scharansky”-a great political leader, a minister of Israel, elected by repatriates.
Creating of Scharansky was useful for his newly found large family of enormous close and not so close relatives in Canada, America who came out from the public obscure ness thanks to their famous relative.
Creating of Scharansky was useful for Michael and Natasha Shtigliz (Avital Sharanskiy in future) for it made it possible to found financial funds all over the world, to make useful relations in the highest political spheres of the West and to travel a lot all over the world and to see a lot of places of interest – possible for them, people who came from Siberian suburb.
And, of course, creating of Scharansky was useful for Scharansky himself. He doesn’t have attractive appearance; he had been avoiding active life for many years, having bright brains and high capacity of analyzing he understood once that on the wave of fight for Scharansky raised in the world under the slogan “Liberty to Scharansky” a wide road to the great fame, brilliant political career and wealth would be opened to him.
This man adopted ideally the rotten political system of Israel because he suited it more than any other repatriate from the former USSR
May be, taking into consideration his important buffer function and status of “national hero” inspecting organs of Israel do not check his multi profile economic activity. So, state inspectors, prosecutors and police close their eyes to enormous overt breaches in the activity of the offices and funds that are in charge of Scharansky. Let’s remember what financial and administrative breaches the deputy of Knesset, the leader of the party “Tami” Aaron Abuhazira was imprisoned for; what Doctor Gabi Knaan from Zfat, who committed suicide was condemned for; what the deputy of Knesset, the leader of the party SHAS Arie Derry was judged for; what the former chief of “Sohnut” Simha Diniz and the former paymaster of “Sochnut”, the deputy of Knesset Meier Shitrit were judged for; what the case of the former General Chief of the chancellery of the Head of the Government Avigdor Liberman is recommended to be sent to the Judge by the police for; the activity of the office of the Minister of Justice Zahi Hanegbi is under police investigation.
Only national hero Scharansky is not inspected.
The myth about Scharansky is going on to hypnotize everybody. Many people still don’t understand that phenomenon under the name of “Scharansky” is, in fact, one more symptom of destructive processes taking place in Israel.
Disappointment is always painful. Only studying real truth- however agonizing it could be – makes it possible to appreciate events and personalities correctly.
I’m sure that time to overthrow the idols has already come.

3) A few words about doctor Juli Nudelmann
(They are published on the back of book cover)
Before his repatriation to Israel doctor Juli Nudelmann served as a ship’s doctor and after that he worked as the Head of Surgeon department in Moscow. Still being in the USSR he joined the Unit of Israeli Surgeons and got Israeli citizenship. In 1971 after very active struggle for “Aliya” he came to Israel with his wife and his daughter – schoolgirl. He won recognition as a specialist – surgeon and became the Head of Surgeon department. He took part in the Yom Kippur war in 1973 and in the war in Lebanon in 1982. The major Nudelmann got the gratitude from the Zahal Chief of Staff general Rafael Eitan for operating on the wounded soldiers in the field conditions. He was the first to create the Institute rending help to people suffered from negligent medical treatment in Israel. Juli Nudelmann published in Russian and in English several books, which have great public importance, among: “Travel writings of ship’s doctor, “Bloodshed in Medicine”, “Medical Mafia in the State of Corruption”, “Without anesthesia”. For some years he had been running a popular section in the oldest Israeli weekly magazine “Ha Olam ha- Ze”. He has published hundreds of articles on actual and topical themes of political and public life in Hebrew and in Russian. His activity aimed at providing the rights of new repatriates in Israel and free immigration of Jews from the USSR was highly appreciated by Golda Meyer, Menachem Begin, Raphael Eitan, Josef Sarid, Ariel Sharon, Moshe Dajan, Uri Avnery, Victor Shemtov, Igael Horovitz, Yitzhak Modai, Itzhak Rabin, Avigdor Kahalani, Itzhak Shamir, Moshe Shamir, Mordehai Gur, IgaelHiroviz, Judge Haim Cohen, Judge Amnon Karmi, rabbi Shmuel Avigdor –Hacohen, rabbi Amnon Itzhak, and many other statesmen and public figures of Israel. The Doctor Juli Nudelmann- a surgeon, a journalist, a writer, a public figure, a Zionist, a patriot is well – known as an irreconcilable fighter against corruption, power abuse, and infringement of law. Lately he took part in creating economic relations with post – Soviet Russia, warning of danger of influence of political, state and criminal circles of Russia on state, political, economic and public life in Israel. The new book “ Scharansky without mask” is the result of many years’ observation and serious research work, careful analysis of original historical documents and other materials.
Noah Alperin, Chairman of "the Israeli Communication and Press Association"

[Natasha Broudy]

I understand now why Olmert is still in power.
Because you, guys spend all your time by discrediting Sharansky.
First of all KGB can change and fix anything in their own archives, just to discredit somebody in the eyes of the Russian Community (and we know examples like this)
I wonder, how come former prisoners of Zion don’t know about it?
Second. Why is it Sharansky, but not Olmert, Sharon, Barak, Peres, Lieberman (you mention his name once) you name it and etc… etc….
All these people corrupt; take bribes, financed by local or Russian mafia and Palestinians.
Israel stopped defending her citizen, Israeli children get killed in Sderot,
And where all these heroes, refuseniks and prisoners of Zion?
Third. What is it, Sharansky is he a KGB agent or corrupted MK or both? Please, be clear in what you trying to prove or disapprove.
And fourth. For how long are you going to eat all these Israeli shit your government is trying to feed you with?

[Tatiana]

Dear Natasha!
Are you absolutely blind? You even didn't reed all our material below and our Signatories and what they say?
Signatories: Michael Babel, Ilia Voitovetsky, Ariel Vudka, Dr.Yakov Gohberg, Silva Zalmanson, Yigael Yehudi, Dr. Felix Kochubievsky, Eduard Kuznetsov,Efim Maidanik, Yeudit Nepomniashchaya, Ida Nudel, Dr. Pavel Vinnikov, Dr .Victor Polsky (Ben-Tzvi), Proff. Vadim Rotenberg,Meir Nepomniaschi,Yakov Segal, Yakov Suslensky, Efraim Melamed, Yakov Maniovich,Yehuda Arad (Zukovsky), Yuri Mandelzveig.
All this people, Prisoner of Zion (former),"refuzniks", the flower and the pride of Russian Jews- they think that Sharansky was and is now "shtinker", "farzovszik" –they are the hand of KGB? And Prof' Ben Amy? And Uri Avnery? And Nehemia Levanon?
For your Information Yuri Stern said to Lily Galili, “Echo” (Russian-language weekly), 23.12.97 “Split in YBA”: “Yuri Shtern MK states: “Sharansky in not a minister representing immigrants. YBA has failed both in absorption and industry due to the Sharansky’s leadership. Sharansky’s circle comprises of sycophants only.”
You must know that Sharansky was and he is still now very important part of our corruption and one of committer of a crime in our country.
And for to give a complete picture who is really Sharansky I send you one more document
* Appeal to Natan Scharansky:
“A request to agree to undertake a Lie- detector test”. We group of citizens of the State of Israel, (former) Prisoners of Zion, aliya activists and “refuseniks” from the Former Soviet Union, are appealing to you and suggesting that you voluntarily undergo a lie detector test to be carried out by a private independent expert. It has been revealed in the last years that there are certain facts in your former life that compromise you, and we are therefore worried because those facts show that you are not in the least the person that you are trying to picture.
In particular, it has become clear from the KGB archive materials that you had betrayed your comrades and cooperated with Soviet punitive organs by disclosing during the interrogations names of many aliya activists thereby hurting them and the Jewish movement in the USSR as a whole. It has also become clear that while residing in Israel you were receiving unlawfully large sums of money from suspicious sources.
In according with the accepted norms of this country, Members of Knesset cannot be subjected to a security checkup. After your coming to Israel you have never worked or served in the army, and upon being elected to the Knesset and becoming a Minister of the Government you have avoided such a checkup.
As the result of the above said a situation had been created which is dangerous to the society and nation, where a person is a member of the Government of Israel who has not undergone a security checkup and whose activities and past life “behind the Iron Curtain” are causing very grave concern and suspicions.
In view of all that we strongly recommend you to voluntarily undergo a lie detector test. We are sure that without such a test you cannot hold any important position in the national structures.
We, the undersigned, guarantee paying the full cost of your lie detector test.
You know our telephone numbers. We are awaiting your reply.
Citizens of the State of Israel:
Michael Babel, Ilya Voitovetsky, Arye Vudka, Yigael Yehudi, Dr. Felix Kochubievsky, Eduard Kuznetsov, Silva Zalmanson, Ephraim Melamed, Yehudit Yehudi-Nepomniashchy, Meir Nepomniaschi, advocate Jacov Maniovich, Ida Nudel, Dr. Pavel Vinnikov' Dr. Victor Ben-Zvi (Polsky), Prof. Vadim Rotenberg, Jakov Segal.
Jerusalem, 05.01.03
Thank for attention
Tatiana

[Natasha Broudy]

Tatiana,common!
Ben- Elyezer is your hero? Why should we listen to the people who themselves have betrayed Israel?
Can you name me at list one Israeli Government member whom we can trust?
We don’t see any leaders who would be capable of leading.
And your religious or secular Zionism has been dead many years ago.
Talking about Russian Community, many are just jealous of his success.
We knew Yuri Shtern and Yra had spoken very friendly about Sharansky.
I feel that this is in somebody’s interests to collect all this dirt about Sharansky.
Lets check KGB archive and find out all the information about half of these” Heroes “ and what they were doing during Brezhnev's and Andropov's time and than we can talk again.

[Tatiana]

Some more information (not from KGB) to Natasha about her darling.
(look the all material below- the signatures, and, please, reed all artickles -incl. Ida Nudel- for understand your mistake)
What the people in Israel, who know very well a long time Natan Sharansky, really think and write about him. Who is really the Israeli Minister Sharansky?
Some materials below, translated from the Israeli Russian language Press, may give idea how the people in Israel treat Sharansky and can answer too, who is “hero” Sharansky.

* Mikhail Balazovsky , Internet, 98, “Middle East Week” (“Blizhnevostochnaya Nedelya”), Mikhail Balazovsky - member of the Yisrael ba-Aliya /YBA/ Party Revision Commission.
M. Balazovsky wrote in his appeal to all members of the YBA Center, YBA members, all olim (immigrants), political figures, and all Israeli lawyers:
“Sharansky is consistently betraying the interests of the aliya. There has never been any ideology in the YBA Party. Sharansky said that he had moved the world from his cell in the Butyrka prison, adding that even now he could move it and that it was he who had brought the aliya to the Knesset and not vice versa… I accuse Sharansky of:
-abusing, together with Yu. Edelstein, Party finances,
-violating Israeli laws and the Party Statute,-falsifying decisions of the two Party Congresses, general elections and his personal elections,
-dirty methods of managing the Party,-direct misappropriation and plundering of Party money,
-devil-may-care attitude to Party members, -allowing cheats to rule the Party.”
Yakov Shaus, “Vesti” (Russian-language daily), 27.03.03, “Fables make one tired”: “The YBA Party has been sold, the leaders have defected to the Likud. Sharansky has found political asylum in the Likud. The Party is embezzler and bankrupt because of its leaders.”
* M. Rozenbaum, 1999, “Israel. How does she look now?” (book):
“Sharansky knew how to buy olim. He inspired false hopes in his
electorate. His activities can be defined thus: total failure in all his undertakings.”
* Simyon Tolchinov, Internet, 1997, “Israeli world” – “Half-life period”: “YBA appears to be based on the Stalin’s principle. There was no party democracy at all. Sharansky suffers from a maniacal suspiciousness with
respect to all people surrounding him.”
* Tomi Lapid (Minister of justice “Word and deed,”08.01.03, :
“Sharansky, like Lieberman, has betrayed the Russian-speaking
community, if only because they both had joined the ultra-orthodox confronting the former. The two say one thing (use one language) to the Russian speakers and another, to Israelis.”
* Leonid Tsyvian, “Nasha Strana” , 20.08.98 and
“Vestnik, Israel,(Leonid Tsyvian, Chairman of the YBA Party Revision Commission”, “A catcher in the lie”:“The Party has no ideology, no program. The Party leadership is deliberately corrupting it. It comprises people who are immoral, politically and personally.”
* Alex Prilutsky “Vesti,” 15.07.99, “Crisis in YBA – split”: "Former colleagues of Sharansky say that he does not give a damn about either the Party or our community as a whole.”
* Nikolai Mikhailov “Zavtra” (“Tomorrow”), 01.03.99, “Divorcing, Zionist way”: “The Party of Sharansky was financed by influential criminal figures,Grigory Lerner in particular. Contributions to the Sharansky’s Party coffers had been made also by some other representatives of organized
crime (structures). The press of Russia has helped Sharansky to spread rumors about his rival Lieberman alleging that the latter had cooperated with the KGB. Meanwhile, the media in Russia is actively promoting Sharansky. In a short period of time the Russia’s TV made more
than 20 programs about him.”
* Vladislav Gurevich ,“24 hours,” 08.05.96, “Money, where do they come from?”: “Nathan Sharansky said that anonymous rich Americans donated money to organize the Party. This money, you see, are used for noble
purposes as are the 14 million dollars of the Zionist Forum spent under the Sharansky’s leadership for the aliya…”
* Efraim Melamed ,“N.N”, 22.12.99, “Sharansky’s democracy”:“A real personality cult is flourishing in the Party. Sharansky is the Party,and the Party is Sharansky. Such a spirit is ruling in the Party and is
cultivated by Sharansky’s spongers.”
D. Moskovich, “Luch” (Russian-language weekly), 29.01.97, “Letters to
the Congress”: “Sharansky had virtually retracted his promises; just a few days after the election the party began talking in a voice not comprehensible and foreign to the aliya.”
* Lily Galili, “Echo” (Russian-language weekly), 23.12.97 “Split in YBA”:“Yuri Shtern MK states: “Sharansky in not a minister representing
immigrants. YBA has failed both in absorption and industry due to theSharansky’s lidership.Sharansky’s circle comprises of sycophants only.”
* Abraham Tirosh ,“Piatnitsa” (weekly supplement), 10.12.98 :
“ Yosef Horol, Prisoner of Zion states: YBA has no basis, either ideological of Zionist, therefore it has no future. Sharansky is neither tribune nor thinker. The basis of his party is Russsian, of to be more correct, Soviet
culture. The Party is looking in the past, which is absolutely foreign to us. The Party has no connection whatsoever with Israel. That party is neither
Zionist nor patriotic, it is not Israeli, either.”
* Pyotr Liukimson, “Russkiy Izrail’tianin” (Russian-language weekly),
25.05.99, “Will Yuli Edelshtein go to prison?”:
“YBA member are suing the former Minister of Absorption. Their
complaints are being sent to the Legal Adviser, to the police, and the prosecutor. The matter is the “michbatsei diur” (long-term rent) project.The plaintiffs are accusing Sharansky’ assistant Edelshtein, of taking bribes.”
* Juli Nudelman’ “Novosti Nedeli” (daily), 12.12.97, “Who has thrown the immigrant’s documents to the waste pit?”:
“Thousands documents of new immigrants have been thrown out from the Zionist Forum office in the night, relating to the Gruss Fund where Sharansky managed a sum of 50 million dollars. It has been stated that copies of documents found in a waste pit (identity cards and new immigrant certificates) could be used by criminal elements. It has been also alleged that the Fund manager Sharansky was trying to hide the report on using the money from the Fund because 20 million dollars had not been accounted for.”
* Efraim Ganor, “Novosti Nedeli,” 30.12.96,: “YBA has betrayed its electorate”: “Ofer Pines MK has stated: I have warned you that Sharansky is no better than Charish and delshtein not better that Tsaban ministers who preceded the former YBA ministers. Said Oren, MK:
Yuli Edelshtein lacks minimal concept of honesty and courage.”
* Abraham Naumovich ,“Novosti Nedeli,” 6.11.98 : “Give your place to those capable to work.” The author has witnessed a scene in a polyclinic where a woman shouted: “Damn you, Sharansky, you are helping Netanyahu to rob us!” The author includes: “Sharansky took upon
himself the job of managing industry and commerce having no
experience whatsoever. It makes one sick to hear his promises. Had he had even traces of conscience he should have resigned immediately.”
•Efraim Melamed,“Novosti Nedeli”, 10.10.97., “Let party leaders resign!”: Sharansky and Edelstein as well as other MKs srom the YBA party have not fulfilled their obligation to the alia , they should resign immediately.
•Efraim Melamed, “Novosti Nedeli”, 27.06.97., “Sharansky’s waste basket”:“ Sharansky has not fulfilled a single obligation concerning job-finding 0r housing problems. Sharansky is ordinary amateur both in politics and national matters. Sharansky like Netanyahu is laughing at the very concept of democracy. He is infected with a mad craving for power. Following the honour concept, Sharansky should return his mandate.”
•Abraham Kessler, “Novosti Nedeli”, 22.06.97., “I fear no truth” (of Sharansk’s book title “Fear no evil”):
“ Sharansky is doing everything to prevent the audit of the party activities first and foremost its finances. Sharansky’s personality cult is being maintained and strengthened”
•Efraim Melamed, “Novosti Nedeli”, 04.06.97., “A bacillus of Dishonourablenes”:
“Sharansky’s thoughts and words math those of Brezhnev and Andropov. He behaves as a dictator showing all the way absolute indecency dishonesty.
•Oleg Levin, “Novosti Nedeli”, 02.02.97., “ We need new leaders”:
“I have realized that Sharansky cannot be trusted. During all the time when he headed the Zionist Forum he did nothing useful fort the Jewish people. There have been only empty words, not deeds. The Russian TV carried on propaganda in his favour. Someone should investigate the matter to find who financed this well-paid propaganda.”
•Semyon Feldman, “Novosti Nedeli”, 17.10.96., “Sharansky used public money to promote his personal career.”: The Jewish Agency Treasurer Hanan Ben- Yehuda said at the Knesset Aliya and absorption Committee meeting that “Natan Sharansky and Sofa Landver had forced their way to the Knesset by very cynical use of immigrant public organization. Only the Zionist Forum controlled by Sharansky received from Agency in 1988-1996 more than 6 million dollars. How was this money spent? Who is and will responsible for such misappropriation the immigrant’s money,”- asked indignantly the Treasurer.
•Sergey Olenik, “Novosti Nedeli”, 07.04.96., “The moment of truth in dirt”:“I contacted with Sharansky visiting him his home, and I came to a conclusion that his party IBA was not a proper party with which the Russian- speaking community should go. The Sharansky’s team looks like a group of people working behind the scenes, secretly. Everyone is striving to get something only for himself, pull the blanket to his side. Behind their back they slander one another. All this is disgusting. They are absolute amateurs and know-nothings. Sharansky and his team- people dangerous to the our society”
•YBA party advertisement, “Vesty”:
"Sharansky says: ‘We are 850,000-this is power. Likud has duped us, left our absorption neglected, and Labour duped us having come to power with our
help and not fulfilling a single promise… If laws have been pasted to send all politicians who deceived their electorates to prison to append there the rest of heir Knesset term, many of them would have been sent there long time ago” (It is an interesting question: what to do the ex YBA ex leader Sharansky?)
* Vera Kling “Vesty” 03.06.99, “In orderly lines marsh forward to theSharansky’s ghetto….”:“Sharansky carried out a historical Soviet-style election campaign under a grin
Stalin-time motto: ’Be alert!’ It is clear that Sharansky and his friends not believed they could attract in that way the cultured section of the aliya”
•Mikhail Nudelman MK, former leader YBA, “Vesty” 13.05.99, “Open Letter to Sharansky and Edelshtein”: ‘YBA is deceiving its electorate. In two ministries Sharansky and Edelshtein have done nothing good. Officials of the ministry governed by Sharansky and Edelshtein treat new immigrants heartlessly. The “Mikbatsei diur” program has profited greatly some people, however to the new immigrants it has done only damage. Sharansky and Edelshtein are using special methods of brainwashing new immigrants.”
•Max Lurie, Evgenia Kravchik “Burning cassette”:
11 February 1999 Jerusalem District Court heard the appeal of YBA members activists (Mezhericher, Balovsky, Tzivian and others) against Natan Sharansky anYuli Edelsthein. YBA party was represented by the famous lawyer Dan Avi Itzhak. The claimants stated that the party leadership was completely ignoring and violating the party Statute, that there was no democracy in the party and the Statute was falsified and read differently in the Russian and Hebrew languages. The YBA Director General Avigdor Maoz stated that the claimants were unscrupulous people having base motivations and thatsomeone was paing for their suit, that they were slandering the party. Avigdor Maoz stated by Sharansky’s name that the claimants had been threatening some party court judges and slandered them, and alleged that the claimants were probably mentally ill.”
•Mark Zimin, “Vesty- Sever”, Party YBA is a party of rabble”:
“YBA leaders (Sharansky and Edelsthein) have invented nothing new, in our opinion, they are manipulating people using old communist banners: ’Workers of the world, unite!’, ’Whoever is not with us is against us!’. Russian Bolsheviks began in the same manner as YBA leaders. If they are victorious all over Israel the history of bolshevism will be repeated. I hope very much that this time it might be a farce.”
•Mark L’vovsky, “Vesty”, 15.08.95, “One more open letter to Mr. Shararensky. If YBA is created it will unite the unsettled, hurt, embittered, and hating and the party will crawling before any blackmailer; it will not solve a single problem of the immigrants.”
* Prof. Pavel Vinnikov , “Nasha strana”, “Open letter to Sharansky”: “Anatoly, I have been following your public activities from the day of you festive arrival in Israel. You have illegally monopolized the right to be considered the Prisoner of Zion Number One. I have written many times about your inordinate very sickly ambitions. At present you are publishing huge election ads for that with someone’s
money. You want to get to the Knesset at any price. The Zionist Forum was initially designed by you and later used as a ladder to allow you to get to the Knesset. The creation
of the YBA was a non-patriotic act. You electorate is anti-Zionist.I agree with Rivka
Rabinovich who has stated that the YBA creations was a monstrous act of ethnic splitting
in our country. It was a vicious act on your part.”
•Leopold Avzeger (The author the book “Black cabinet” describing the secret KGB operations), “Vesty“, 14.05.98, “But the king is naked!”:“By his visit to Moskow the Israeli minister Sharansky has in fact acquitted both in actions and words the USSR prison system. Sharansky is creating myths about his past and uses them to brainwash naïve or stupid electorate. I am sure that it is not worthwhile to put on the naked king new mythical clothes. But the king is naked. The truth for the sighted”
* Efraim Melamrd, N.N. 25.05.00,” Two meters of barbed wire”:
“At the next election the YBA will get not more than 2 to 3 mandates, and Sharansky and
Edelshtein will be looking for prestigious places in strong parties caring not all about the
Russian-speaking community”
* Avigdor Lieberman, “Vremya”, 06.05.09,”The advertisement of the “Israel is our Home”
party”: ”Sharanskyis dwin us an etnic conflict. The election will pass but the hatred it has
born will remain”
•Leopold Avseger, “Vremya”, 19.08.98, “ If G-d wants to punish someone”:
“Here in Israel we know precisely and finest detail who is Itzhak Shamir, who is Ehud Barak. They may find it difficult to “add” to their record non-existing merits. Sharansky, however, is outside such rigid limits. Try and find people who shared his prison cell (who would say) he indeed was imprisoned and behaved decently. Try and analyze what he
confessed to” during interrogation and what not. He was not a Zionist, imprisoned for espionage and, as Elena Bonner has stated, he was not prominent in any way in our those who refuse to tow his line, in all ways and persecuting them.”
* Juli Nudelmann, “Vremya”, 29.06.95, “What Sharansky and others want?”: Sharansky and his associates are dragging the Russian aliya onto the road of separatism.
Sharansky has been turned into a professional dissident. Due to the cooperation of the KGB, CIA, and perhaps also the Mossad Sharansky was released. Sharansky is dragging
the aliya into an adventure. Where will Sharansky get tens of millions shekels? Who will
finance him? It is known that “he who pays the piper, calls the tune” (cf. this quote with
what I wrote four years before the book publication; the former was even more sharp).
* Dmitry Kaledin, “Moskovskij Komsomolets”, 08.08.97, “Sharansky is not Stankevich, he
gives no receipts!”:
“After the Lerner arrest rumors are circulating in Israel about his connections with political
parties. Betzalel Shief, financial director of the YBA, has told that back in 1994 Lerner
met with Sharansky; he drew a check-book from his pocket and wrote a check for 100,000
dollars to Sharansky. At Sharansky personal request his name was not written on the check
and “Olami” (company) was entered instead. In this connection Israeli press reported
about links of Russian mafia with political parties in the Holy Land.”
* Victor Polsky, “Vesty”, 29.06.97, “A free fight”: “To arouse again and again separatist
mood in the immigrant environment, to set immigrants against the Israeli society and
instill hostility towards it – this course Sharansky and other YBA leaders carried out at all
times. In this way the leaders strived to enlist supporters among new Israeli citizens. The
harm caused by the YBA to the cause of consolidation of our society is tremendous while
the help they have provided to the immigrants is nil.”
* Mickail Mihailov, Internet – http://www.orc.ru/specnaz/segnomer/sharansky.htm? 98:“Sharansky comprised a rather casual figure in the intelligence… Sharansky’s case”:Many of those who are involved in criminal activities are covering them with a political,public shield such as struggle against the totalitarian regime for personal rights etc.
Anatoly Sharansky was such a person.The top official, a KGB veteran said: “While we have monitored Sharansky for a
prolonged period of time he comprised a casual figure in the game of intelligence services.
Sharansky was passing secret information to the West.
They disclosed that in The Los-Angeles Times. What for? Robert Todd was detained and told about his connections with Sharansky. It was a game between the CIA and KGB to start the USSR - USA bargaining. The KGB through Sharansky sent a warning to the group of activists that files had been opened against them; in that way the aim was reached to make
them sit quiet and stop their activities.” (The Question: Had the judge Zvi Segal thought about the above statements would he
have dared to find Juli Nudelmann guilty of libel against Sharansky?)
* Leopold Avzeger, “Vremya”, 20.07.98, “referring to anonymous readership”:“Sharansky is using more and more the authentic soviet ideology. After every foreign visit his toadies report in the press subservient to him about his “historic victories”.
* Leopold Avzeger, “Vremya, 21.01.99., “A sow is no match for a goose…”: “Sharansky had never been a Prisoner of Zion. They had made his wife Natasha his main image maker turning Anatoly, an ordinary temporary translator into the Sacharov’s “right hand” which he never was.”
* Efraim Melamed, “Nasha Strana”, 23.12.99.,”Bloody thieves”,:“The word “bloody thieves” is apart of Sharansky’s and Edelshtein’d vocabulary. They use them with respect to other people while money has disappeared in the YBA, huge debts had been accumulated , and the financial machinations of the party are totally hidden from the
outside world.. So who are the bloody thieves?”
* Anna Irovich, ”Panorama”, 31.03.98, “Like in the ‘Protocols of Elders of Zion!’”: “Natan Sharansky is trying to prove that the Grygory Lerner affair has been created along the lines of the ‘Protocols of Elders of Zion!’ He states that it has arrested the aliya”. In his
verdict the judge Zvi Segal also compares the Joli Nudelmann’s book ‘Sharansky without a
mask’ to the ‘Protocols of Elders of Zion!’ because Nudelmann have written that Sharansky
likes the famous book of Machiavelli ‘The Prince’ while in the writings it is mentioned that
Jews are followers of Machiavelli’s methods. The question is: who has borrowed this accusation and from whom? It appears it was the judge Segal who borrowed it from Sharansky..
* Leonid Tsyvian,”Epocha”, 18.10.95., “Sharankism today means our defeat tomorrow”:
“ Sharansky has no capabilities as an organize. He demonstrates irrepressible personality
cult, lack or respect and direct contempt and devil-may-care attitude to the law. He has
turned the Zionist Forun into his personal feeding-trough. He has created there an atmosphere of psychological terror, squabbling, enmity, expulsion of dissidents and disagreeable people.”
* Georgy Stopler, “Vremya”, 30.04.96., “A publicity fake”:
“I used to think that Sharansky is more clever. But in the Russian TV broadcast we saw a
plump Jewish boy with restless eyes that had by chance found himself is a company of
genuine human rights activists like Slepak, Orlov, Ginzburg and unexpectedly was turned
into a banner of human rights fighters. Elena Bonner who was shown in the film put it
right: ’Tolya was in no way prominent in the group of people surrounding Sacharov.”
Sharansky wants to manipulate us as meek hard using the Russian TV”
(Translated from Russian by Efim Maidanik)

From some publication in Hebrew:

* Roman Bronfman, MK, leader of the Democratic Choice Party, Haaretz, 11.04.02: “Sharansky is an absolute zero. He is a nothing. He is a nobody. He is Dictator. He is Megaloman. Unfortunate person and absolutely miserable
individual.”
* Benjamin (Fuad) Ben- Elyezer, Israeli Minister, general army (res.), Haarez, Globs,N.N.
2002, January:
“Sharansky is the liar, deceiver, swindler, shady dealer. He brags own non- existent achievements and he is idler who impostor for himself the achievements of other people.”
* Nechemia Levanon, head of Israeli secret “Nativ” organization, from the his book “Nativ” Was the Code Name”, 1995: “Sharansky get entangled in irresponsible, careless, impudent steps in unlawful bond with
American intelligence service. His actions did heavy damage to all Jewish Movement in USSR.”
•Shloma Ben-Ami, Minister, professor of history, from his book “The place for
everyone”, 2002:“Sharansky is very small man without any moral obligations to society and our country and without understanding any common to all main kind standard. He is the very unimportant and trifling Minister in all Israeli history.”
* Uri Avneri, former MK (Member of Knesset), editor of the “Haolam Haze” magazine, Internet, www.gush-shalom.org, 09.09.01: “ However all traitors, betrayers, liars, and dishonest people pale before Sharansky… in what has brought into politics by that man who had been glorified as the world-scale hero who had fought the KGB terror for the
human rights (… ) Instead of the hero, a human rights fighter we saw an indifferent, cold man, not caring for the human rights, a racist, as if he had turned into a real Soviet man. I have my own explanation of that riddle.
There in the USSR they killed a real Sharansky who was described for us, and found another man looking like him and sent him to Israel. That Nathan Sharansky, our Sharansky is a caricature of that fighter. It has been
suggested that his shameful behavior is connected with the fear to lose the vote to Lieberman. One finds it difficult to grasp and explain the shameful
behavior of Sharansky.”

[Tatiana]

For Natasha Broudy ( former refusnik) and not only!
Dear Natasha!
You can see part of names of "the big group of the former Jews activist in USSR and Prisoners of Zion" among the signatures in accompanying document.

"To: Prof. Elyakim Rubinstein, Attorney General (State of Israel)
A P P E A L
For immediate opening of an investigation of Natan Sharansky with aim
of his suspending from the office until the end of the investigation

We, the undersigned, former Prisoners of Zion, aliya activists, and refuseniks from the FSU are appealing to you in regards of the situation comprising danger to both the society and state, that became evident after some facts have been established during the court hearings of the suit of Natan Sharansky against Dr. Yuli Nudelmann who had published a book “Sharansky without mask”.
The hearings that took place in the Jerusalem District Court (Justice Tzvi Segal) in 1999 - 2002 after Natan Sharansky had filed his suit have now approached their final stage. We do not know when the decision will be pronounced and what the verdict will be. However, irrespective of the court decision we believe that we have no right, as citizens and patriots of our country, to refrain from expressing our worry about the situation that has been created. Our special concern is connected with the KGB archive documents disclosed during the trial that had also been published on Internet after public pressure exerted on Sharansky.
During the hearings many witnesses gave their testimonies, including some of us, which resulted in certain facts being revealed characterizing the personality of Sharansky, his behavior and activities both in the USSR and Israel.
Having read the KGB archive documents that appeared on Internet and having heard the testimonies of Natan Sharansky himself and his wife Avital, and following intensely the press reports, as well as using our own experience, both personal and public, experience acquired in our everyday life and during the imprisonment in the USSR, as well as in our life, work, army service, children raising here in Israel, we have come to conclusions that worried us and raised serious fears.
It’s not up to us to pass the verdict. However, we consider it our duty and responsibility to inform you and Israeli public opinion of the deductions and conclusions we have arrived at. Following are some of them:
1.Sharansky had created his famous image based on a false myth, concerning both his activities in the USSR and his “prominent” role in the Zionist movement and his “heroic” period (deeds) in prisons and labor camps.
2.It turned out that virtually sole “witnesses” of Sharansky’s “heroism” were his brother who presently runs a large business in Moscow, his late mother, and his wife who had left Moscow four years before Sharansky was convicted and imprisoned on charges of spying for the USA.
3.The “famous” final speech of Sharansky at his trial in Moscow that had brought him worldwide fame had turned out just a literary fiction not in line with his real speech, which becomes evident from the “speech” text appearing on Internet.
4.Some details of the camp life given in his book of memoirs and in the media do not look like the real ones, which many of us have encountered in the labor camps.
5.Meanwhile, one should not forget that the political carrier of Sharansky is based first and foremost on the myth of his “heroic” past.
6.It had been established, on the basis of testimonies and information from Israeli police investigations as well as that from the special investigator from the non-profit companies (“amutot”) Registrar’s office, that various organizations connected with Sharansky had received large sums of money. The money had been received from some persons residing both in Israel and abroad (from Grigory Lerner /Tzvi Ben-Ari/ presently serving a prison term in Israel, Grigory Luchansky, etc.) and also from some “anonymous” donors (sources) via Swiss and American banks.
7.In the courtroom Sharansky denied categorically his receiving US $ 100 000 from the businessman Grigory Luchansky while the latter confirmed under oath the fact of his giving the money to Sharansky and gave the number of bank account to which he had transferred the money on the Sharansky’s instructions.
8.At the initial stage of the hearings in the Jerusalem District Court Sharansky testified that he had never mentioned any named of people involved in the Zionist activities when interrogated by the KGB. However, after being shown in the courtroom KGB archive documents, he changed his testimony claiming that while he had indeed given the names of aliya activists he did it so as “the names should remain in the KGB archives for future use by historians.”
9.After the archive documents from the Sharansky’s file from the KGB had been presented in the courtroom in Jerusalem as well as on Internet it became clear to us that during his interrogation Sharansky gave scores of names of aliya activists and some of them he straightly asked to be summoned to the KGB for interrogation, which had resulted in the Soviet Jewry becoming more vulnerable in their stand against the KGB and caused a new wave of repressions against the aliya activists, on top of what those summoned for interrogation hag suffered.
10.It had also become clear at the hearings that in spite of the fact that Sharansky has access to most important national secrets, since his arrival in Israel he has never undergone any usual check-up by the security service.
In view of the above facts we appeal to you and request that due procedures be started immediately to investigate most thoroughly the Sharansky’s activities, first and foremost on the basis of the facts and materials that had been presented during the trial as mentioned above.
Special attention should be given to the behavior of Sharansky the essence of which became clear after the archive documents had been shown on Internet.
We are sure that he cannot retain his positions as a Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, member of the security cabinet.
A person whose activities raise so serious suspicions should be suspended; he cannot remain in his present position until after the investigation. Unless this is done the national security interests will suffer and democratic, moral and legal foundations of our society will be undermined.
Signatories: Michael Babel, Ilia Voitovetsky, Ariel Vudka, Dr.Yakov Gohberg, Silva Zalmanson, Yigael Yehudi, Dr. Felix Kochubievsky, Eduard Kuznetsov,Efim Maidanik, Yeudit Nepomniashchaya, Ida Nudel, Dr.Victor Polsky (Ben-Tzvi), Proff. Vadim Rotenberg, Yakov Segal, Yakov Suslensky, Efraim Melamed, Yakov Maniovich,Yehuda Arad (Zukovsky), Yuri Mandelzveig
02.05.02

We present our opinion as an open letter for we believe that the society is entitled to know everything about its national, political and public figures in whose hands the fate of the nation, our own fate and future are entrusted".
Natasha, if you need more names, ask me.

[Natasha Broudy ( former refusnik)]

Guys,
Who are you? Why are you hiding yourself behind organization " The big group of the former Jews activist in USSR and Prisoners of Zion". What are your names?
It looks like you want to slander Sharansky and i can see very familiar hand of former KGB behind
you.

[The big group of the former Jews activist in USSR and Prisoners of Zion]

Declaration for Press

According to my personal experience, Mr. Scharansky has surrounded himself in Israel with cynical and dirty persons without moral values, with mafia-like mentality and behavior.

Although Mr. Scharansky was never blind according to the moral level of these persons, he supports them and is oriented on them consciously and voluntary. It means that he shares with them their values and attitudes.

As a specialist in human psychology, particularly in psychology of extreme situations, I cannot imagine that a person with such values was able to resist as a hero a dangerous pressure of KGB as was described in his book “Fear no evil”.

For such an outstanding heroism it is necessary to have strong opposite values. Some official documents presented to the court confirmed that Mr. Scharansky really collaborated with KGB inquest and has mentioned some names of “refuseniks” being afterward punished.

I was shocked that the Court does not take these data into consideration.

Professor Vadim Rotenberg 18/08/02