{UAH} AN ISRAELI EX-OFFICER LEADS MILITANT GROUP IN UKRAINE

Ukraine Protests: Israeli Ex-Officer Leads Militant Group

By Ludovica Iaccino | IB Times

A former Israeli army officer is playing a leading role in the anti-government protests in Ukraine, PressTV has reported.

According to reports, the unnamed Israeli is commanding a group of 20 Ukrainian militants while four other Israelis, who had also previously served in the army, are reported to have taken part in opposition rallies in Ukraine's capital, Kiev.

The Israelis were born in Ukraine but migrated to Israel and joined its armed forces before returning to the European country for the demonstrations.

Ukrainian media has also said that an Israeli tycoon provides financial support to the opposition in Ukraine, adding that Israel's Mossad intelligence agency is one of the instigators of the unrest in the country.

Despite calls by Jewish leaders to remain neutral, young Jews have been on the front lines of protests against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich, the Jerusalem Post wrote last December.

Alexandra Oleynikova, a young Jewish activist involved in organizing Limmud conferences, told the Post that while some Jews stayed away out of fear, other young Ukrainian Jews who work for international organizations such as JDC, Hillel and Limmud are "really active" in offering support as well as "organizing the barricades".

According to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA): "A number of young Jews are involved in the protests, which have drawn together a diverse coalition of liberal youth and opposition party leaders, including members of the ultranationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party, whose leader, Oleh Tyahnybok, has freely trafficked anti-Semitic stereotypes".

The Ukranian protests were sparked after Yanukovych spurned a trade and investment deal with EU and sought financial help through Russia.

Russia's Vladimir Putin agreed to buy billions of dollars worth of Ukrainian government bonds, and to reduce the price of gas exports.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov offered his resignation in an attempt to end the protests gripping cities across the country, while the parliament repealed the controversial anti-protests laws that had caused unrest in the country.

The Ukrainian parliament also passed a law providing amnesty to protesters detained during recent unrest.

However, Azarov's resignation and the elimination of the anti-protest laws met only two of the protesters' demands.

Demonstrators are also calling for Yanukovich to step down and for Ukraine to sign an EU deal. The release of political prisoners, including former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, has also been requested.

A ceasefire has been agreed, after prolonged unrest across the country, but it seems fragile in the face of increased fear of civil war.

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