Putin on the Schneerson Library

THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA has weighed in on the Schneerson Library dispute:

Russia stands firm in Schneerson Library dispute

Tags: Schneersohn library, Russia, Opinion & Analysis, Politics, World

Lyubov Kuryanova

Feb 26, 2013 20:47 Moscow Time

Russia has solid legal reasons to keep the Schneerson Library on its territory, the country’s Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky said. The U.S.-based Hasidic movement has rejected President Putin’s initiative to place the collection of books and religious documents in the European Tolerance Center in Moscow.

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In January, the US District of Columbia Court ruled that Russia should pay $50,000 per day in fine unless it returns the collection. In response, President Putin suggested placing the archive in the Jewish Museum and Tolerance Centre in Moscow. He also expressed his regret over the dispute reaching the point of confrontation, adding that the library does not belong to a particular Jewish community.

“If we agree that this national asset goes to anyone, we will open Pandora`s Box. If we start meeting their demands, we will see such kind of lawsuits streaming in”, Mr. Putin said.

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