Three Jewish members of Congress--Democrats Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, Jerrold Nadler of New York and Henry Waxman of California--have denounced anti-Semitic comments made in the past by a member of the official U.S. delegation to the recent inauguration of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushensko. 

Emanuel and Waxman asked President John G. Peters of Northern Illinois University to distance the university from comments made in 2000 by Myron Kuropas, an adjunct professor, that "Big Money drives the Holocaust industry. To survive, the Holocaust industry is always searching for its next mark. Ukraine's turn is just around the corner." (see previous story)

In a Jan. 27 letter to Peters, Emanuel and Waxman said: 

"While we support the University’s participation in international election monitoring, we find it 
troubling for an academic scholar to be spreading hate and bigotry particularly as we join Europe 
and the rest of the international community in recognizing the 60th anniversary of the liberation 
of the Auschwitz concentration camp. In light of Professor Korupas’ comments, we hope Northern Illinois University will distance itself by renouncing his remarks and we call on you as President to reevaluate the University’s association with Professor Korupas."

In a separate statement, Nadler said the inclusion of Kuropas on the delegation was "an outrage, and an insult to the entire Jewish people

“It’s completely unfathomable that at this moment in history, as the world reflects on the tragedy of Auschwitz, the Administration would send one of this country’s most vocal anti-Semites on an 
ambassadorial assignment anywhere – much less to a celebration of the triumph of democracy.” 

The State Department’s delegation which included Kuropas was led by former Secretary of State Colin Powell and House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

—Donald H. Harrison