Judeo-Banderites

Judeo-Banderites is an ironic self-description used by some Ukrainian Jews who support national independence. Its significance lies in the reversal of a hostile political label: a name wielded to discredit Ukrainian independence is reclaimed, even by some critics of Bandera, as a pointed expression of support.

Origin and Use

The expression draws on “Banderite,” derived from the name of Stepan Bandera. Russian propagandists apply the term broadly to modern supporters of Ukrainian independence, extending it beyond any particular position on Bandera himself. Against that usage, some Ukrainian Jews who favor independence call themselves Judeo-Banderites, joining the label to an identity its propagandistic deployment would treat as contradictory.

Irony and Political Meaning

The self-description does not signal uncomplicated allegiance to Bandera: the book notes that even some of his critics embrace his legacy ironically. The irony instead exposes how propaganda turns a historical name into a blanket accusation, while those targeted can appropriate it and alter its force. “Judeo-Banderites” thus holds two associations in deliberate tension—Jewish identity and a term used to stigmatize supporters of Ukrainian independence—and makes that tension part of its political meaning.