THE COORDINATION FORUM FOR COUNTERING ANTISEMITISM
Anti-Semitic Incidents - August and September 2000
General
Violent incidents and verbal attacks against Jews and Jewish facilities continued around the world during August and September. However, considering the period since New Year 5761, the incidents mentioned in this report seem marginal. One should not ignore the fact, however, that also without particular reason, we have been witness to no small number of incidents whose severity has been steadily on the rise.
Attacks and Anti-Semitic Incidents
U.S.
On 31 August, the 'Beth Aharon' synagogue in the Sheepshead Bay neighbourhood in Brooklyn, New York was burnt down. According to the synagogue's rabbi, the background to the action was anti-Semitic. The synagogue suffered damage in the past: stones and Molotov cocktails were thrown at the synagogue and the windows were smashed twice. This is apparently the result of tension between the Jews and the Blacks living in this neighbourhood.
On 30 September, the rabbi was attacked by a group of youths while he was returning from the synagogue in Brooklyn. The attackers sprayed tear gas into the rabbi's eyes and began to beat him. One of the attackers cried 'This is for the Palestinians!'.
On 30 September, a Hassidic Jew about 50 years old was attacked in New York by an unidentified person who stabbed him and shouted derogatory remarks at him. The attacker said he was a Palestinian and asked the Jew why he didn't leave the place. The Jew was injured and required hospital treatment.
Sweden
On 12 September, a Norwegian Jew was attacked by three skinheads while he was walking in Gothenburg. The attackers shouted abusive cries at him. He was injured and taken to hospital.
Russia
On 17 September, a Jewish school in Ryazan, a town south of Moscow, was attacked by a group of ruffians which included 15 young skinheads dressed in black. They caused slight property damage. The attack came about 30 minutes after the end of the school day and after the teachers had left the premises.
On 27 September, two masked persons attacked a computer teacher very violently at the 'Beth Yehudit' Jewish school in Moscow. The teacher, who is not Jewish, required hospitalization.
Italy
On 18 September, a professor who teaches at the University of Verona was beaten by three skinheads while calling him a 'dirty Jew'. The professor is Catholic of Jewish origin.
France
On 24 September, a synagogue in Marseilles and private cars belonging to Jews who had arrived for the 'selichot' prayers were set on fire.
Britain
On 6 August, the gates of the 'Clore Tikva' school in London were defaced. On 13 September this happened again and the electric wires to the door mechanism were also severed.
On 7 August, five youths of Asian origin disrupted the activity at the 'Cheetam Hebrew Congregation' synagogue in Manchester.
On 29 September, in the late evening, stones were thrown at the windows of the 'Kehilat Yaakov' synagogue in London.
On the night of 29 September, stones were thrown at the windows of the 'Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue' in London.
Desecration of Synagogues and Jewish Cemeteries
Lithuania
During August, Jewish cemeteries in the cities of Kelme and Kaunas (Kovno) were systematically destroyed by a gang of vandals who broke and shattered gravestones, sprayed them with whitewash and scattered the gravestone debris. The suspects were arrested and tried. After the verdict was given they shouted at those Jews present in the court room 'The Germans didn't shoot you for nothing'.
Germany
Four cemeteries in different places were desecrated in August.
On 26 August, the cemetery in Gustrow was desecrated and several gravestones were smashed.
The cemeteries in Rockenhausen were desecrated. Swastikas and SS symbols were sprayed on 12 gravestones and in Dielkirchen.
The Jewish cemetery in Hillersleben/Sachsen-Anhalt was desecrated twice. The entrance gate was destroyed and three gravestones were toppled.
U.S.
On the night of 25 August, about 90 graves in the Jewish cemetery in Tulsa, Oklahoma were desecrated. The gravestones were torn out from their places and toppled. Two suspects who are identified with skinhead groups were arrested. On 27 August, an event was to have taken place in the cemetery to express solidarity with the Jewish community, with the mayor's participation.
In August, several gravestones were toppled in the 'Beth Israel' cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.
Russia
In August, unknown persons desecrated 40 Jewish graves in the cemetery in Samara.
Ukraine
In August, unknown persons desecrated the famous 'Golden Rose' cemetery in the center of Lvov. They broke the sign of the Jewish Cultural 'Sholom Aleichem' Association and drew swastikas and abusive slogans on the walls.
In early August, Neo-Nazi abusive slogans and swastikas were drawn on the walls of the Jewish community's funeral home in Oslo. The slogans denied the Holocaust and praised the Nazi occupation regime of the Second World War.
Ireland
In August, anti-Semitic abusive slogans were discovered on a Jewish cemetery building in Dublin.
Britain
On 12 August, the words 'Jews' were carved on the doors of the Hazelrigg, Newcastle cemetery.
Iraq
In August, dozens of Jewish graves in the municipal cemetery in Samaraa were desecrated. Swastikas and abusive slogans were drawn on the graves.
France
In September, an abusive slogan against the Jews was drawn on the walls of the synagogue in the Aubervilliers neighbourhood in north Paris.
Propaganda
U.S.
A dramatic rise in anti-Semitic manifestations was recorded after the election of Joseph Lieberman as vice president to the democratic presidential candidate Al Gore. Several days after the appointment was published, the chat rooms and bulletin boards of the Internet's 'America on Line' and 'Yahoo' sites were flooded with slander and anti-Semitic curses. Anti-Semitic slogans were drawn on the walls of Gore's campaign headquarters in Chico, California, such as 'No Jew in the White House'. Noteworthy are the statements of Matt Hale, leader of the white racist 'World Church of the Creator' organization, who claimed that ' the Jews have controlled the political scene in Washington for decades'.
Latvia
In the August edition of the monthly 'Kapitals', an anti-Semitic article was published, covering 10 pages and entitled 'The Jews Rule the World'. In response to the severe criticism voiced against the article, the newspaper's editor Normunds Liskovis replied that he does not discriminate against Jews. 'They are simply better cheaters than others'. The 'Delfi' company which runs the Internet site reported that it had received more than 900 anti-Semitic messages from Latvians who expressed support for the ideas in the article.
Britain
On 24 August, pictures of Hitler and swastikas were pasted on the entrance gates to the 'Boehamwood and Elstree' synagogue in Hertfordshire.
Russia
In August, a television station in St. Petersburg broadcasted an article accusing the Jews of 'all the troubles befalling Russia today'.
Bolivia
In September the members of the Jewish community in Santa Cruz found anti-Semitic pamphlets hanging in prominent places in the center of town. The title of the pamphlets was 'Orgullo Skinhead' and in the middle was a portrait of Hitler with eagles and swastikas on either side. The pamphlet contained a severe attack on the Jews and a call for opposing the Jewish plague and those who follow it capitalists, neo-Liberals and Communists.
Belgium
On 29 September, in two mosques in Brussels, the muezzins reportedly called on the worshippers to rise up and take revenge against the Jews in reaction to events in Israel and the Territories.
Struggle
Czech Republic
On 20 September, the Czech House of Representatives passed an amendment to the criminal Law enabling the punishment for Holocaust denial, Communist genocide denial, incitement and the spread of religious nationalist racial hatred and class hatred. A person committing such an offence is now liable to be sent to prison for six months to five years.
Sweden
The prime minister of Sweden, Goran Persson, will convene another international conference on the Holocaust in 2001 in order to examine practical ways to tighten international cooperation in the struggle against Neo-Nazi organizations.
U.S.
In September, the Barnes and Noble book store chain together with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), mounted a campaign against racism and anti-Semitism in the U.S. A new book by the ADL entitled 'Hate Hurts' is the major text in the campaign which is called 'Close the Books on Hate' whose purpose is to help children, teachers and parents root out hatred in their communities.
Russia
The Supreme Court in the Karelia district temporarily suspended the activity of the local branch of the strongest Neo-Nazi organization in Russia, the 'Russian National Unity'.
Miscellaneous
Germany
On 11 September, in a special ceremony held in New York and organized by the World Jewish Congress in honor of the leading activists for the restoration of property, the German foreign minister Yoshke Fischer appeared and delivered an emotional speech in which he said 'I ask forgiveness once again for the crimes of Nazism, in the name of the young generation of Germany'. He stated that 'it is difficult for the young generation in Germany to contend with its national heritage and to accept the historical and moral guilt of the Holocaust and added that Nazism and racism should not be given an opportunity to develop once more, especially not in democratic Germany'. Fischer's statements were received with ovation and were praised by the guest of honor, U.S. President Clinton.
Poland
The local authorities in Auschwitz gave their approval to construct a discothèque in the building which had been used by the Nazis as a workshop for forced laborers in the concentration camp, thereby overturning the previous decision which had prohibited it. The discothèque will open at the end of August and begin operating regularly.
Lithuania
The war criminal Lileikis died on 26 September.