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MOSCOW-Allegations by nationalists that Vladimir Putin's chosen successor, Dmitry Medvedev, has Jewish roots have brought anti-Semitism to the surface on the margins of Russia's presidential election campaign.The first deputy prime minister, who is all but assured of victory on Sunday because he has Putin's support,has said he belongs to the Russian Orthodox faith.But some nationalist groups say his mother's maiden name, Shaposhnikova, is Jewish, and that he is unfit to be president because of this.Medvedev's campaign staff declined to confirm or deny he has Jewish roots. The Kremlin condemns all forms of anti-Semitism.Medvedev's faith has not been raised by mainstream media but has been widely discussed on far-right Internet discussion groups in postings that are a reminder of the discrimination and persecution Jews in Russia have faced for hundreds of years."It's common knowledge. Medvedev never hid his sympathy towards Judaism," Nikolai Bondarik, who heads the nationalist Russian Party in Medvedev's home town of St Petersburg, told Reuters."A president ought to be related by blood with his people. Imagine if Japan was run by a Chinese president," he said.Moscow's chief rabbi said the suggestions that Medvedev has Jewish roots offered a new take on a well-worn theme among Russian nationalists.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
