Georgia: Information on the treatment of Jews in Georgia
| Publisher | United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services |
| Author | Resource Information Center |
| Publication Date | 6 February 2000 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | GEO01001.IMJ |
| Cite as | United States Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, Georgia: Information on the treatment of Jews in Georgia, 6 February 2000, GEO01001.IMJ, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3dee07934.html [accessed 17 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Query:
What is the current situation of Jews and anti-Semitism in Georgia?
Response:
According to the Research and Advocacy Director of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ), the situation for Jews in Georgia has improved significantly since the Soviet period. Although isolated serious incidents of anti-Semitism have occurred and local police have at times been unresponsive, the Georgian government has made official statements of tolerance and the level of anti-Semitism in Georgia is considered to be lower than in other countries of the former Soviet Union. The unstable political and social situation in Georgia makes police protection a difficult issue for all Georgians, regardless of nationality or religion. Those who have the means to pay bribes to police officers generally receive the best protection. The UCSJ knows of no cases in which police protection was withheld solely because the victim was Jewish (UCSJ, 30 January 2001).
Reporting of any incidents involving Jews in Georgia has been scarce, other than those regarding the ownership of a synagogue in Tbilisi. On July 3, 2000 a Tbilisi City Court ruled in favor of a theater group which had appealed an earlier decision granting ownership rights to a Jewish Community whose synagogue had been confiscated by the Soviet government (KNS, 11 July 2000). No other information on this topic could be found in searches of publicly available sources.
References
Keston News Service (KNS)[Oxford, UK]. 11 July 2000. Iss. 7, Art. 5. Felix Corley. "Georgia: Tbilisi Jews to Try to Recover Synagogue through Supreme Court."
Research and Advocacy Director. Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ). Washington, DC. 30 January 2001. Telephone Interview.
Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ). August 1999. "Anti-Semitism in Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia."
Keston News Service (KNS)[Oxford, UK]. 11 July 2000. Iss. 7, Art. 5. Felix Corley. "Georgia: Tbilisi Jews to Try to Recover Synagogue through Supreme Court."
