Is the Note Given to Some Ukrainian Jews Telling Them to Register a 'Fake'?

Is the note given to some Ukrainian Jews telling them they had to register a fake?

Yes and no, according to reports.

As TheBlaze and others reported Thursday, a flyer popped up in the eastern region of Dontesk telling Jews that an "ID and passport are required to register your Jewish religion, religious documents of family members, as well as documents establishing the rights to all real estate property that belongs to you, including vehicles."

We pointed out then that pro-Russian groups denied the leaflet was officially sanctioned, and could have been the work of people trying to gin up controversy. Now it seems that's being used as the official explanation.

“It’s a fake flyer,” Lesley Weiss, deputy director of the National Conference Supporting Jews, told the Daily Dot.

But "fake" might not be the right word. According to Weiss, it's more that the flyer was not created by Denis Pushilin, the chairman of the pro-Russian Donetsk People’s Government whose name is on the flyers.

An image of the reported leaflet was posted on several news sites and Twitter accounts. (Photo via Twitter)

What is not in question is that the flyer was circulated. It's just now becoming more clear that it was done as a "provocation," she added.

In fact, both John Kerry and  U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine Geoffrey R. Pyatt condemned the note, with Pyatt even saying it seems to be the "real deal" in an interview with CNN (although his suggestion seemed to be more that the leaflet wasn't real in the sense that it wasn't Photoshopped):

While it's certainly worse if the flyer is official, even if it is not it still seems to be sending a chilling message about the attitude at least some have towards Jews in the area.