ay ▁he ▁argued ▁that ▁great ▁nations ▁experience ▁periods ▁in ▁their ▁history ▁when ▁reform ist ▁el it ist ▁groups ▁(' small ▁nations ') ▁that ▁have ▁values ▁that ▁differ ▁fund ament ally ▁from ▁the ▁values ▁of ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁people , ▁gain ▁upper ▁hand ▁in ▁the ▁society . ▁In ▁Sh af are v ich ' s ▁opinion , ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁such ▁a ▁' small ▁nation ' ▁in ▁Russia ▁was ▁played ▁by ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁intellig ent si ya ▁domin ated ▁by ▁Jews . ▁They ▁were ▁full ▁of ▁hat red ▁against ▁traditional ▁Russian ▁way ▁of ▁life , ▁playing ▁an ▁active ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁terror ist ▁reg imes ▁of ▁Vladimir ▁Len in ▁and ▁Joseph ▁St alin . ▁ ▁Its ▁publication ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁request ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁National ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences ▁( N AS ) ▁to ▁Sh af are v ich ▁to ▁res ign ▁his ▁membership , ▁because ▁the ▁NAS ▁char ter ▁prohib ited ▁stri pping ▁an ▁existing ▁membership .< ref > S emy on ▁Re znik , ▁On ▁Sh af are v ich ▁And ▁NAS : ▁Tol er ance ▁V s . ▁Ind ifference , ▁The ▁Scient ist , ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁ 7 ( 8 ): 1 1 .</ ref > ▁In ▁an ▁open ▁letter ▁to ▁the ▁NAS , ▁Sh af are v ich ▁denied ▁that ▁Russ oph ob ia ▁is ▁ant is emit ic . ▁Sh af are v ich ▁also ▁noted ▁that ▁since ▁NAS ▁en list ed ▁him ▁without ▁his ▁request ▁or ▁knowledge , ▁it ▁is