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The presence of some of the most notorious neo-Nazis and racists in Europe - including the former leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin - at last Sunday's "Russian International Conservative Forum" in St Petersburg, has raised eyebrows in the West. After all, isn't Russia still proud of the Great Patriotic War it fought against fascism? And isn't its leader a friend of the Jews?
Ask any rabbi or Jewish leader in Moscow about President Vladimir Putin's attitude towards Jews and you will get glowing testimonials about his respect for Judaism, his donation of a month's salary to the new Jewish museum, his intolerance of antisemitism. In the long line of tyrants who have ruled Russia over the centuries, it seems he is the lone Judeophile.
The reasons why the hatred still so prevalent in Russia is not shared by Mr Putin are legend. Some link it to his childhood in what was then Leningrad, where his closest friends and judo sparring partners were Jewish (the Rotenberg brothers are to this day oligarchs in his closest circle). Apparently, he enjoyed munching matzahs with them on Pesach. There were even Jewish teachers who saw the boy's potential back then and, during a state visit to Israel, he met one who lives today in Tel Aviv.
Others explain that Mr Putin, who sees the disintegration of the USSR as the worst geopolitical disaster in history, believes that if only the Communist leaders had embraced their Jewish comrades, their genius would have contributed to Soviet dominance.
