- June 29, 2026
- 3:51 pm
- Ukraine
Moshe Asman: “We are on the same side — the side of Light, Ukraine, and truth. Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Israel!”
“It was a misunderstanding that the Israeli embassy made such a statement“.
The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Asman, on June 29, 2026, published a statement and video with Dmytro Korchynsky after the incident surrounding the June 21 action in Kyiv and the reaction of the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine.
The matter concerns a video that was circulated on social networks and was allegedly filmed during the June 21 protest in Kyiv. In the version that prompted the reaction of the Israeli embassy, participants of the ‘Brotherhood’ were allegedly shouting “Nazi slogans” and “demonstrating Nazi gestures”.
Asman stated that he did not rush to conclusions and decided to meet with Dmytro Korchynsky directly.
“After the statement by the Israeli Embassy regarding the video allegedly filmed during the June 21 protest, where participants of the ‘Brotherhood’ were allegedly shouting Nazi slogans and demonstrating Nazi gestures, we did not rush to conclusions and decided to meet with Dmytro Korchynsky directly,” wrote the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine.
This statement is important not only as a reaction to one video. The story quickly went beyond an internal Ukrainian dispute because it touched on the topic of Holocaust memory, Ukraine’s relations with Israel, and Russia’s attempts to use any accusations of ‘Nazism’ against Ukraine.
For the Israeli audience, such topics are particularly sensitive. Any Nazi gestures, slogans, or symbols cannot be perceived as a minor episode. But precisely for this reason, when international reactions arise around such footage, verifying the origin of the video, the people in it, and the real context becomes crucial.
What Moshe Asman stated
In his statement, the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine wrote that the video circulated on social networks, according to his information, is not related to the June 21 action.
“Now to the essence. Firstly, the video circulated on social networks has no relation to the aforementioned action. It was filmed significantly earlier,” stated Asman.
He further added that the people in this video, according to the information he has, are not participants of the ‘Brotherhood’ or other Ukrainian patriotic organizations.
“The people in it, according to our information, are not participants of the ‘Brotherhood’ or other Ukrainian patriotic organizations,” wrote the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine.
Asman also suggested that it might involve underage provocateurs who could have been used by Russian special services.
“It involves underage provocateurs who were likely used by Russian special services interested in such provocations, paying them money,” the statement reads.
This is the key part of the whole story. If the video is indeed not related to the June 21 action, then the meaning of the conflict changes. The focus shifts from the behavior of a specific organization at a specific event to a possible informational provocation capable of affecting the relations between Ukraine, Israel, and the Jewish community.
Asman separately commented on Dmytro Korchynsky and the participants of the ‘Brotherhood’. He stated that he does not consider them anti-Semites.
“Secondly, Dmytro Korchynsky and the participants of the ‘Brotherhood’ are Ukrainian patriots who respect all nations, religions, and confessions. They are not anti-Semites,” wrote the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine.
According to Asman, Korchynsky separately emphasized respect for the Jewish people and the State of Israel.
“Dmytro Alexandrovich separately emphasized that he has great respect for the Jewish people and the State of Israel and appreciates the help that the Jewish community and Israel have been providing to Ukraine since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion,” stated Asman.
For NAnovosti — News of Israel, the Ukrainian-Israeli context is important here. Russia has long been trying to promote the narrative of a supposedly ‘Nazi Ukraine’. Therefore, any video, any mistake, any fragment without context can be used as a tool of pressure — especially when it comes to Israel, where the topic of Nazism is connected not with rhetoric but with historical memory and the pain of the Jewish people.
Asman spoke with the Israeli ambassador Mikhail Brodsky
Moshe Asman also reported that he had already spoken with the Israeli ambassador in Ukraine, Mikhail Brodsky.
According to him, he “explained to the ambassador that the Israeli embassy team“, as Asman believes, “was misled“.
“I have already had a conversation with the Israeli ambassador in Ukraine, Mikhail Brodsky, during which I explained that the embassy team was misled,” wrote the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine.
This is an important detail. The story moved from social networks and public statements to a direct conversation between the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine and the Israeli diplomatic representation.
Asman also expressed hope that law enforcement agencies will identify all the people involved in the provocation.
“I hope that law enforcement agencies will find all these provocateurs,” he stated.
After this, the Chief Rabbi formulated the main political and moral conclusion.
“It is now very important not to allow provocations to cause a rift between Ukraine and Israel and the Jewish community worldwide,” wrote Asman.
And he concluded the statement with the words:
“We stand on the same side — on the side of Light, on the side of Ukraine and truth!
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Israel!”
What Asman and Korchynsky said on the video
Moshe Asman not only published a written statement. He also posted a video in which he is with Dmytro Korchynsky in the Brodsky Synagogue in Kyiv and discusses the situation with him following the reaction of the Israeli Embassy.
In the video, Asman thanks Korchynsky for coming to the meeting.
“Greetings, friends. I want to thank Dmytro Korchynsky for coming here to us. We had a good conversation,” said the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine.
He then explained that, in his opinion, it is not a real conflict but a misunderstanding.
“In fact, this is not a conflict, it was a misunderstanding that the Israeli embassy made a statement,” said Asman.
Korchynsky, in response, thanked Asman for the meeting and for the attempt to resolve the situation.
“It was a very pleasant meeting. And I know you as a great patriot not only of Israel but also of Ukraine, who does a lot for Ukraine,” said Dmytro Korchynsky.
Then Korchynsky directly stated that the Israeli Embassy, in his opinion, was misled.
“Thank you for taking on the task of resolving this misunderstanding, that the Israeli Embassy was misled,” he said.
The main part of the video concerns accusations of Nazi aesthetics. Korchynsky stated that this is not related to the ‘Brotherhood’.
“Nazi ‘aesthetics’ is not the aesthetics of the ‘Brotherhood’,” said Korchynsky.
After this, he added a phrase that became central to his explanation.
“The ‘Brotherhood’ is a religious community, our people read psalms, not Mein Kampf,” he stated.
Korchynsky also said that for Ukraine in the 20th century, the two biggest calamities were communism and Nazism.
“For Ukraine, the two biggest calamities in the 20th century were communism and Nazism,” he said.
And he clarified:
“And all of this is repugnant to us — both the first and the second.”
These words are a direct response to the main meaning of the accusations. Korchynsky tries to show that Nazi symbolism and Nazi aesthetics are not acceptable to him and his supporters, and Ukraine has historically suffered from both Nazism and communism.
At the end of the video, Korchynsky thanked Asman for his work for Ukraine and for strengthening ties with Israel.
“And, first of all, thank you once again for everything you do for Ukraine and for strengthening our ties with Israel, with the Israel Defense Forces. It’s wonderful,” he said.
The conversation ended with the words:
“Glory to Ukraine!”
“Glory to the heroes!”
Why this story is important for Israel and Ukraine
This story is dangerous not only because of the accusation itself. It is dangerous because of how quickly such plots can be used against Ukraine.
For Israel, any mention of Nazi gestures and slogans is a red line. The State of Israel, Jewish communities, and families of Holocaust survivors cannot be indifferent to such footage. Therefore, the reaction of the Israeli Embassy was expected in the sense that the diplomatic representation is obliged to respond to such signals.
But after Asman’s statement, another side of the issue emerges. If the video was filmed earlier, if it is not related to the June 21 action, if the people in it are not participants of the ‘Brotherhood’, then it is a matter of possible context substitution and informational provocation.
This is what makes the situation important for Ukrainian-Israeli relations.
NAnovosti — News of Israel has repeatedly noted: Russia is trying to use the theme of World War II, the Holocaust, Nazism, and memory as a weapon against Ukraine. For such a campaign, one video, one fragment, one unchecked accusation is enough to create political noise and try to turn the Israeli audience against Ukraine.
Moshe Asman’s statement was an attempt to stop this process. He not only defended Dmytro Korchynsky. He effectively said that provocations should not be allowed to cause a rift between Ukraine, Israel, and the Jewish community.
What happened
On June 21, 2026, an action took place in Kyiv, on Maidan Nezalezhnosti.
We wrote about this in detail – “Was there a boy?”: accusations of a ‘Nazi salute’ are rejected by the organizers of the action in Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities remain silent: what happened on June 21 on Maidan and why it is important for Ukraine and Israel
Later, the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine expressed “concern over reports of Nazi salutes and gestures at this action”. Ukrainian media reported that the embassy expressed hope for a response from law enforcement agencies.
After this, a video began circulating on social networks, which was linked to the June 21 action.
On June 29, 2026, the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Asman, published a statement and video with Dmytro Korchynsky. In the statement, he wrote that he did not rush to conclusions and met with Korchynsky directly.
According to Asman, the video is not related to the June 21 action, was filmed significantly earlier, and the people in it, according to his information, are not participants of the ‘Brotherhood’ or other Ukrainian patriotic organizations.
Asman suggested that it might involve underage provocateurs who could have been used by Russian special services.
The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine also reported that he spoke with the Israeli ambassador in Ukraine, Mikhail Brodsky, and explained to him that the embassy team, in his opinion, was misled.
The main conclusion of Asman’s statement is not to allow the provocation to cause a rift between Ukraine, Israel, and the Jewish community worldwide.
