Jewish Comedian Leads Ukraine Elections

Breaking news in Israel this week is about Jewish comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy as the top candidate in the first round of Ukraine’s presidential election. With 84 percent of polling stations counted, Zelenskiy has earned 30 percent support in Sunday’s vote. Haaretz reported the success of Zelenskiy is a reflection of the Ukraine’s public desire for a candidate who is far removed from the corruption of the current political regime. The hope is he can create a new approach to the conflict with Russian-backed separatists resulting in 13,000 deaths since 2014. Zelenskiy, who has been dubbed the “Ukrainian Donald Trump,” will need at least half the vote to win.

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