Anti-Semitic Incidents - March 2000

Anti-Semitic Incidents - March 2000

General

March 2000 was characterized by an average level of violent activity, but in the area of propaganda of every type and in almost all of the world, the quantity and level was higher than usual.

It has already been proven in the past that there is a direct connection between the high level of propaganda and its practical translation into violence and other physical anti-Semitic expressions.

Attacks and Anti-Semitic Incidents

Mexico - On 26 February, 2000, near the 'Shaarei Shalom' synagogue in Mexico City, a car tried to run over two Jewish boys who were about to enter the synagogue. The car succeeded in injuring one of the boys and knocking him down. Shouts of 'Dirty Jews' were heard and the car drove off.

On Saturday, 4 March, a car drove past the Shaarei Shalom synagogue. A pistol was put out of the window and pointed at the crowd of Jews about to enter the synagogue. No shots were fired. Someone in the car shouted threats over a megaphone, like 'Kill the Jews!' and the car left the scene.

Hungary - On 4 March, during a meeting of Jews inside the Conservative synagogue in Budapest, a man burst aggressively into the synagogue and began cursing and reviling the Chief Rabbi and calling him by derogatory anti-Semitic names. The attacker even threatened that he would see to it that the rabbi would be sent to the gas chambers and thrown out of the country. That same day, while the rabbi was walking along the street with his wife and daughter, two youths followed them shouting threats and anti-Semitic abuse at them.

France - A demonstration organized by the PKK was held on 21 March opposite the Great Synagogue in Bordeaux on the occasion of the Nawroz festival. About 100 demonstrators carrying signs cursed and reviled the heads of the Jewish community and shouted 'Dirty Jews!'. The demonstration lasted some 30 minutes in front of the synagogue and then moved on to the center of town.

Britain - On 26 March, four men driving in a car purposely hit a woman while she was coming out of the Saatchi synagogue in London and shouted anti-Semitic slogans at the worshippers.

Desecration of Jewish Cemeteries/Memorials

Hungary - On 24 February, it was discovered that in the Jewish cemetery in Nagyatad, 106 graves had been desecrated (about 70% of the graves). Gravestones were smashed and broken, some of the graves were opened and the bones of the dead were strewn beside the graves.

Germany - Some 90 gravestones were uprooted in the Jewish cemetery in Hanover. Slogans were not drawn on the graves.

Argentina - Several gravestones were desecrated in the cemetery in Posadas. Seven youths were arrested on suspicion of committing the act.

Australia - Unidentified persons desecrated a memorial to the victims of the Maccabiah bridge disaster which was erected in a Sydney suburb.

Swastikas Drawn

Poland - In Lodz, swastikas were sprayed and the abusive slogan 'Jews out!' was written on the home of Marek Edelman who was the deputy commander in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the last of the leaders of the uprising still alive. A Polish Neo-Nazi organization called 'The National Revival of Poland' signed the slogans. The president and prime minister of Poland sent Edelman letters of support and apology.

Australia - Swastikas were drawn on the wall of a synagogue in Sydney on 14 March.

Mexico - Swastikas were drawn on the benches of the main avenue in one of the neighbourhoods populated by Jews in Mexico City.

Switzerland - On 31 March, worshippers arriving at the Great Synagogue in Lausanne discovered swastikas drawn on the synagogue walls.

U.S. - In early March, swastikas and the words 'Heil Hitler!' were drawn on the walls of the Jewish community center in Clifton, New Jersey.

Threats

Chile - On 3 March, in the evening hours, two anonymous threats of a bomb planted were received at Vinia Del Mar community building during the Sabbath prayer services.

Argentina - On 4 March, an anonymous threat on the life of President Hadiyah in the Bahia Blanca community was received at the editorial office of the local newspaper.

Britain - On 30 March, a man with an Arab accent phoned the Ilford Jewish Primary School and said, 'The Syrians will win, take the children out!' Following this, the children were evacuated and the building was searched, but nothing was found.

Propaganda

Italy - The media reported on swastikas, pro-Fascist and pro-Haider slogans and Neo-Nazi symbols drawn on the outer walls of La Risiera di San Sabba (a building used as the only concentration and death camp in Italy). Additional anti-Jewish slogans were written at night in the streets of the nearby city of Trieste.

An anti-Semitic carnival parade, in which an Italian Neo-Nazi group demonstrated a stage with scenery of a death camp entitled 'Auschwitz 2000' aroused shock in northern Italy.

Germany - On 12 March, large Neo-Nazi demonstrations were held to mark 'Anschluss Day' (the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany) and as a token of identification with Haider in Austria.

Argentina - The Jewish community in Argentina demanded the authorities bring to trial racist football fans who shouted Nazi slogans and threw bars of soap at a Jewish football team.

Switzerland - Research conducted in Switzerland reveals that 45% of the Swiss believe that their country has no reason to apologize for its attitude towards the Jews in World War II and 54% of Swiss citizens think that anti-Semitism will increase in the coming years. Those questioned claimed they felt that the Jews had too much influence in the past and present on world events.

France - A survey conducted by the National Advisory Committee for Human Rights (CNCDH) on the situation of racism in France, revealed that 61 % of the French think that there are too many foreigners in France, 21% claim that there are too many Jews in France and 31% think that the Jews have too much power.

In an article which appeared on 4 March in Le Monde, National Front (FN) leader Jean-Marie Le Pen accuses the Jews of tyranny.

During a debate on human rights, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism conducted on 15 March in the plenum of the EU in Strasbourg, Bruno Gollnisch of the National Front party claimed that there were several Jewish streams which needed anti-Semitism to justify their existence, shape their identity and establish their moral, political and economic superiority. He praised brave Jewish intellectuals who oppose the perverted use of the Holocaust which is exploited for economic goals.

U.S. - An anti-Semitic article which was distributed for the first time in mail boxes in 1995, was once again distributed in mail boxes throughout the U.S. and Europe in March 2000. The article was written in the style of academic research, attacks the Jews and recommends a book list which includes a book written by David Duke, a radical racist who was a Ku Klux Klan leader in the past. The article was sent from an area near Chicago.

On 3 March, a court hearing took place against the son of the Nashua Massachussetts mayor who had been accused of sending anti-Semitic letters to a Jewish politician, a political opponent of his father. One of the letters said, 'You should have died in the gas chambers Die well, Jewboy!'.

On 7 March, abusive anti-Semitic slogans were found on the bathroom walls of the Newton North high school in Massachussetts. An anti-Semitic letter was also sent to the school teaching staff and administration.

Romania - Abusive anti-Semitic slogans have recently appeared in Timisoara in English, Romanian and German. Senior officials in Romania assess that the success of Haider's Freedom Party in Austria encouraged the radical right-wing in Romania to act in this way.

Russia - Russian national television reported that Yavlinski (who is partly of Jewish origin), the liberal presidential candidate who ran against the then acting President Putin, received support mainly from the Jews and foreigners. The article which was broadcast three times on television was apparently intended to make use of the anti-Semitism and xenophobia rampant in Russian society in Putin's favour.

St. Petersburg has recently become one of the foci of nationalist activity under the slogan of 'Russia for the Russians'. Dozens of nationalist parties are currently operating and many swastikas can be seen in the city.

On 13 March, anti-Semitic e-mail messages were received in the offices of the Community Relations Department. The messages said the Jews should be expelled from Russia or harmed since the Jews harm the economy and Russian society. The messages included abusive articles and threats against the Jews.

Czech Republic - On 21 March, 1000 copies of a new edition of 'Mein Kampf' were published. The publisher of the 'Okatur 2' publishing house claimed that it was a historical book which could be used as a scientific source. The book's publication aroused strong protest from the War Veteran's Association in the Czech Republic as well as the Jewish community.

Slovakia - On the 61^st anniversary of the establishment of the Slovak Republic, which is accused of collaborating with the Nazis, assemblies took place in front of the presidential palace by skin heads and older people who remember with nostalgia the first days of Slovak independence. At the same time, representatives of the bi-annual assembly of European rabbis met with the president of Slovakia.

Latvia - On 16 March, veterans of the Latvian Waffen SS legions held a parade to mark 56 years since the battle in which their comrades were defeated by the Russian army. It was estimated that some 800-1000 men took part in the march, during which anti-Semitic remarks were heard.

Hungary - Fans of a Hungarian football team shouted at a Jewish football team 'The train is leaving now for Auschwitz'.

India - On 15 March, the 'Mid-Day' newspaper which is published in Bombay, printed an article which said 'Pakistan and Israel are the two most artificial nations created by imperialism to guarantee the future interests of the U.S.'. According to the writer of the article, the Pope apologized for crimes against the Jews because he wanted to appease the Jews who control the U.S. economy.

South Africa - An anti-Semitic publication called 'The International Jew' can be found on the shelves of a Muslim bookstore in London. The publication also includes the ''Protocols of the Elders of Zion' and was published in Johannesburg by 'Global Publishers'.

On 8 March, a cricket game took place between the 'Linden' school and the Jewish 'King David' school. Players from the Linden school drew swastikas on their hands and made anti-Semitic remarks against the King David players.

Brazil - An anti-Semitic slogan 'Death to the Jews!' was inscribed on a car belonging to a Jew in the parking space of his home.

Australia - On 24 March, an abusive sign was hung on the door of the office of an MP in Queensland.

Dozens of abusive letters were sent to Jewish organizations, families, businessmen, community leaders, Internet news sites, rabbis and synagogues in Victoria, Canberra, New South Wales and South Australia. The letters denied the Holocaust and called for 'Death to the Jews'. A synagogue in West Australia also received accusing mail twice that was sent from South Africa.

On 30 March, unknown persons smeared faeces on the front door of a charity organization in Sydney.

On 14 March, anti-Semitic pamphlets were distributed in a public library in Sydney in which the Jews were accused of crimes and Bolshevism.

Britain - On 22 March, anti-Semitic letters were received at the Woodside Park synagogue, sent apparently by an organization called 'White English Christian Democrats Monarchist'.

On 23 March, senior officials in the Jewish community received anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist letters in connection with the elections to the London municipal council.

On 27 March, the 'Austrian Connection in London' received anti-Semitic mail which accused the Jews of various incidents and of exaggerating/inflating the subject of the Holocaust.

On 14 March, the 'Holocaust Charity' organization received a letter signed by the 'Office Manager, Joseph Mengele Fan Club'.

Struggle

Latvia - The Ministry of Defence began legal proceedings against a local monthly in Liepaja that published anti-Semitic articles. Newspaper employees will apparently be charged with spreading abusive and accusing material.

The Human Rights Committee in the Latvian parliament submitted to the Attorney General two articles defined as pro-Fascist and anti-Semitic that were published in the 'Zemgale Region News' and the 'Universitates Avize'.

Slovakia - In an interview published in all the media, Slovakia's president Schuster denounced the decision of the town of Zilina to put up a memorial for the Fascist leader Tiso. The president of Slovakia said the president of a fascist state who caused the deportation of 72,000 Jews must not be honoured.

Poland - Senior officials in the town of Wadowice where the Pope was born approved the erection of a memorial plaque for the Holocaust victim Chaim Balamuth who owned the house in which the Pope grew up.

Ukraine - The 'Jewish World' newspaper reported that an organization by the name of 'The Ukrainian Jewish Foundation' demanded the authorities shut down the 'Dzhereltze' youth newspaper which published articles in Kharkov containing anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial expressions.

Austria - In the town of Oberwart, a plan to name a street after a veteran active Nazi doctor was discarded and the street will be named after a Protestant clergyman.

The Austrian Ministry of Education will issue a directive to all schools that radical right-wing representatives of the 'Initiative for Self-Defense' may not appear before the pupils.

In Gratz, the trial opened of two youths who desecrated gravestone in the Jewish cemetery and sprayed Nazi slogans on twelve graves in April 1999.

France - According to an official report, France is to compensate all Jewish orphans who were deported from the country during World War II.

The French parliament's Lower House passed a law to mark a national 'Recognition Day' for French Righteous Gentiles who helped Jews flee from the Nazis during the Holocaust. 1913 French Righteous Gentiles have been recognized by Yad Vashem.

Russia - In response to a petition to Putin by the two American senators Bayden and Smith, the Russian ambassador to the U.S. replied in a letter that all efforts are being made to combat anti-Semitic manifestations. He said anti-Semitism was an intolerable expression of aggressive nationalism and xenophobia which have no right to exist in an enlightened society.

Germany - In Gubin , two young men were arrested who smashed gravestones and sprayed anti-Semitic slogans and Nazi symbols in a Jewish cemetery.

U.S. - On 27 March, the American Jewish Committee demanded from Barnes and Noble that it stop selling the anti-Semitic book 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion' , claiming it directly helped encourage racism in the U.S.

Michael Byrne was convicted of making anti-Semitic statements and defacing a menorah in December 1999 at Georgetown University. The accused sent letters of apology to several newspapers and to the Jewish Student Organization.

An amended indictment was served in late March at the district court in Reno against five skinheads who tried to blow up a synagogue in Reno in November 1999.

Miscellaneous

U.S. - The Justice Department decided to deport to Austria Ferdinand Hammer who worked in the Death Squad in Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen in World War II. His American citizenship was already revoked in 1996.

It was decided to deport to Latvia Juozas Naujalis who worked in the Nazi Death Squad which was responsible for the murder of thousands of Jews in World War II..

Vatican - On 12 March, the Pope delivered a sermon in which he announced 'Mea Culpa' (I am guilty). In the name of the Church, the Pope begged forgiveness for the sins committed for the past thousands of years towards Jews and Muslims. The plea for forgiveness will from now on appear in the prayers of the Catholic Church.

Poland - In the 'Millenium Declaration' which was published in mid-March 2000, the Synod of Poland's Lutheran church asked forgiveness of the Jewish people for the statements of its founder Martin Luther who incited to hatred and for the Lutherans'persecution of the Jews. It also stated 'we confess our sins and ask forgiveness'.

Ukraine - The central Synagogue in Kiev which served as a puppet theater during Soviet rule was rededicated.

Latvia - The appeals Court in Vilna ordered the resumption of the trial of the Nazi war criminal 92 year old Alexander Lilikus who is accused of genocide and handing over many Jews to Nazi death squads. The trial had been suspended for a long period due to Lilikus's poor health.

The Attorney General's Office opened criminal proceedings against Karlis Ozols who lives in Australia on charges of collaborating with the Nazis on war crimes during the Holocaust.

Russia - Russia's new president, Putin, decided to bestow on the director of the Center for Jewish Culture in Moscow Russia's National Medal of Valour after he was stabbed in July 1999 by a Neo-Nazi activist.

Germany - The last of the 'Auschwitz Doctors', the 88 year old Hans Munch, will not be put on trial because according to the Attorney General in Frankfurt, he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Thousands of documents attesting to the activities of the Nazi war criminal Adolph Eichmann during his stay in Austria, were discovered in the Federal Archives in Germany.

Australia - The Jewish community is very angry that the editor of the periodical 'Australia Style' chose the journalist Helen Darville to cover the libel trial of David Irving against Prof. Lipstadt. Under the pen name Helen Deminki, Darville had written a book which claimed to be a historical record describing how the Jews brought the Holocaust on themselves due to their harassment in Ukraine.