- Title: JERUSALEM/RUSSIA: PREPARATIONS FOR JEWISH PASSOVER FESTIVAL
- Date: 2nd April 1996
- Summary: JERUSALEM/ MOSCOW, RUSSIA (APRIL 2 AND 3, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) JERUSALEM (APRIL 3, 1996) 1. LV: ISRAELI SECURITY 0.04 2. GV: ISRAELI SOLDIER CHECKING BOOT OF CAR 0.17 3. MV: PEOPLE IN CAR SHOWING IDENTIFICATION TO SOLDIER 0.26 4. GV: ISRAELI SOLDIERS STANDING GUARD AT BUS STOP (3 SHOTS) 0.40 5. SV: ORTHODOX JEW
- Embargoed: 17th April 1996 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: JERUSALEM/ MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City:
- Country: EUROPE ASIA Jerusalem Jerusalem Israel MIDDLE EAST Russia
- Reuters ID: LVAD3Q72NVC0WE4K1ZREFU24J7DF
- Story Text: INTRO: Israel put its security forces on alert amid fears that Hamas guerrillas would renew suicide attacks over the the Jewish festival of Passover. In Russia the close-knit community of Jews joined to begin Passover ceremonies.
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Israeli street patrols were strengthened on Wednesday (April 3) and security forces searched buses to deter any suicide bombers coinciding with the start of Passover.
On Tuesday Hamas guerrillas said they would launch fresh attacks against the Jewish state in retaliation for a crackdown by the Palestinian Authority and Israel on Islamic militants.
Israel has taken tough action against the Palestinians since the end of February when a fresh wave of Islamic suicie bombers claimed 58 lives.
In anticipation of Passover religious Jews burned all grain products in their possession, as these are forbidden during the festival week.
On Wednesday evening most Israelis will eat the traditional Passover meal. No grain products will be sold or even displayed in shops for a week and secular Israelis will have to travel to Arab towns to buy bread.
Moscow's large Jewish community celebrated on Wednesday (april 3) the beginning of Passover holiday commemorating the "passing over" of the firstborn of the Israelites when the God "smote the land of Egypt" on the eve of the Exodus.
There are slightly more than a hundred thousand Jews living in Moscow now. The Jewish population of the former Soviet Union has shrunk since most of the restrictions for the emigration were lifted with Gorbachev's 'perestroika' and many Soviet Jews left for the United States and Israel.
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