Moshe Asman was threatened with murder: the police and the SBU of Ukraine reacted harshly to anti-Semitic calls

Ukrainian law enforcement identified the author of publications calling for violence against Jews and the arson of synagogues. The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman, thanked the SBU and the National Police for ensuring that anti-Semitic threats did not remain just ‘words on the internet’.

Author: R.Verter

On September 29, 2026, Kyiv police reported suspicion against a 44-year-old resident of the capital, whom law enforcement, together with SBU officers, identified after a series of social media publications. According to the investigation, the man spread anti-Semitic statements, called for violence against Jews, the arson of synagogues, and attacks on property.

A separate episode concerns the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman: the investigation established a publication threatening his murder.

But the main point of this story is the reaction of the Ukrainian state. The police and SBU did not limit themselves to public condemnation or warnings. They collected materials, studied the publications, gave a criminal-legal assessment of the actions, and officially informed the suspect of the suspicion.

On September 30, Asman publicly thanked the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police, and all law enforcement officers involved in this case.

“Such things cannot be treated simply as ‘words on the internet’. It is very dangerous to ignore hatred and calls to kill Jews and burn synagogues because the line between words and actions can be very thin,” wrote the rabbi.

For the Israeli reader, this detail is important. Ukraine is in a state of great war, yet open anti-Semitic calls and threats against a Jewish religious leader were not dismissed as internet chatter. NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency: the police, SBU, and prosecutor’s office got involved, and the story moved from social networks to criminal proceedings.

The investigation qualified the man’s actions under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — for threatening murder based on religious intolerance and for violating the equality of citizens based on national and religious grounds. The maximum penalty provided is up to five years of imprisonment.

Asman himself emphasized that he does not wish harm to the suspect and does not feel joy at the prospect of his imprisonment.

“But the law exists precisely so that people cannot commit evil because often words turn into blood on hands,” wrote the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine.

In this case, Ukrainian law enforcement decided not to wait for words to turn into actions.