As Russia cracks down on political dissidents, former Moscow chief rabbi branded 'foreign agent'

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt was declared a “foreign agent” by Russia over the weekend amid Moscow’s growing crackdown on political dissidents. Goldschmidt previously served as Moscow’s chief rabbi in the Jewish community for three decades and as the acting president of the Conference of European Rabbis.

The Russian Justice Ministry accused Goldschmidt of disseminating false information about the political decisions made by the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin, shortly after he became a vocal opponent of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

This is reportedly the first time Russia brands a rabbi an enemy of the state since the oppressive era of former Soviet despot, Joseph Stalin.

The former chief rabbi, however, remains undeterred by the recent accusations and doubled down on his opposition toward the Putin regime.

"I’m proud to be on the right side of history and to join the list of people opposing this terrible war that has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. For 30 years, I nurtured and protected Moscow’s Jewish community, and no decision will prevent me from continuing to do so,” Goldschmidt said.

“Russia has turned for the worse,” he added, repeating a warning to the Jewish community in Russia to leave the country before the situation gets worse.

“It’s very likely that this will mean the start of a new antisemitic campaign against the Jewish community in Russia. I’ve previously called on the local Jewish community to leave the country before it's too late."

Meanwhile, some 13,000 families in Russia are reportedly waiting for permission to immigrate immediately to the Jewish state. 

The process has reportedly been slowed down following a decision by the current Israeli government to reduce the number of aliyah (immigration) centers.

"The decision to reduce the aliyah centers after a year and a half of operation has been discussed with the ministry professionals and, according to the data, most immigrants from Russia, about 3,000 in June, prefer to immigrate through the normal immigration procedure, against only a small number (200 immigrants) who prefer the express procedure," explained Israel’s Minister of Aliyah and Absorption Ofir Sofer.

In 2022, some 70,000 immigrants arrived in Israel, the largest number in two decades, according to the Jewish Agency. The majority were from Russia and Ukraine amid the ongoing war.