Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - Jan-97

(Cabinet Secretariat)

GENERAL

January was characterized by a relatively limited number of attacks and violent incidents in various arenas. But the affair of the gold and Jewish riches deposited in Swiss banks prompted an outburst of anti-Semitism unprecedented in Switzerland since the end of World War 11. Especially conspicuous was the trend of unrestrained expressions among senior establishment and media leaders.

Alongside expressions of anti-Semitism in Switzerland there was a conspicuous trend to use this subject to attack Israel and the Jews in the Arab press (reported separately).

Anti-Semitic propaganda appeared in many arenas but at the same time countries and various bodies struggled conspicuously against manifestations of racism and anti- Semitism.

In South America kidnapping for ransom for a "reasonable sum" has become common, especially in Brazil, where the tendency is to kidnap drivers at traffic intersections. Although this act is criminal, due to the fact that the Jewish community is in a favorable economic situation these kidnappings also concern them and undermine their safety.

ATTACKS AND INCIDENTS

Scotland - The Glenduffhil Jewish Cemetery in Glasgow was desecrated. A number of gravestones were moved from their places but the identity of the perpetrators is unknown,

France - In late December swastikas were drawn and anti-Semitic slogans were sprayed on the walls of the Great Synagogue in Grenoble. The expressions 'Sales Juifs' and 'Heil Hitler' were among them.

The automobile tires of one of the Jewish community leaders in Marseilles were slashed while the car was parked in front of his home. This incident followed a number of anonymous phonecalls threatening his life. It is assessed that these calls were made by radical right activists as he had spoken a number of times over the radio condemning the radical right as part of the struggle against the election of the radical right-wing F.N. representative in the local elections in Vitrolles.

Spain - The "House of Life" (where cleansing of the dead is carried out and from which they are taken for burial) in the Jewish cemetery of Ceuta was set on fire by unknown individuals. The city of Ceuta is a Spanish territorial enclave located next to the city of Tetouan in Morocco.

Belarus - The dacha (summer home) of the editor of the Minsk Jewish newspaper "Aviv" was set on fire. Swastikas and S.S. slogans were drawn on the front door. It is assessed that the arson was a result of the editor's article on anti-Semitism in another newspaper "Narodanaya Volia".

THREATS

Switzerland- Due to the gold and Jewish riches affair, there has been a sharp increase in the number of threatening letters sent to the Jewish communities in Switzerland.

PROPAGANDA

Switzerland - Accusing letters were received at the Jewish Community offices (I.C.Z.) in Zurich. A swastika was also drawn on the window of the community building. The outgoing president of Switzerland called the demand for setting up a compensation fund for Jews whose money and riches were stolen during World War II "blackmail". In an internal document, the Swiss ambassador to Washington defined Switzerland's treatment of this affair as a war against the Jewish organizations which are an enemy that cannot be trusted. Following these declarations the ambassador was forced to resign.

Anti-Jewish feeling was expressed in publications in the media such as crude anti-Semitic caricatures presenting the Jews as stereotypes. One of the caricatures showed the Jews praying to a wall made of gold bricks.

Britain - This month a number of Jewish organizations received letters from the radical right-wing violent C-18 organization. They included anti-Semitic expressions and threats.

Anti-Semitic graffiti which included two swastikas and the word "Hitler" were drawn on the walls of the Manchester City Hall which is owned by Jews. In the region of Kinetic Town anti-Semitic graffiti were found which contained swastikas and the name of the C-18 organization.

Belgium - A swastika was drawn on the outside wall of the parking lot at the "Ganenou" school in Brussels.

Uruguay - An abusive sentence was written on the wall surrounding the "Pereira Russel" hospital in Montevideo which is located on the same street as the Israeli Embassy. It read "Quienes son los Nazis del pueblo Palestinos?" (Who are the Nazis of the Palestinian people?).

Brazil - In late December an abusive letter was received at the administration office of the Jewish community in Belem. The letter contained anti-Semitic expressions and mentioned the Nazi funds that were deposited in Switzerland and their connection to Brazil.

Argentina - At the resort city of Carlos Paz which is near Cordoba, Nazi symbols and flags were sold to visitors and tourists at a fair held around the local lake. Following the report of it in the press, the flags and symbols were removed from the stands. This town and its surroundings are known for a high concentration of residents of German extraction and for anti-Semitism.

Swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans were drawn on the walls of the "Zionist Youth" Jewish club in Cordoba which is a kind of social country club for the Jews of Cordoba.

El Salvador - Unknown persons smeared red paint on the stone tablets bearing the name "Jerusalem Avenue" on one of the streets of the city El Salvador.

New Zealand - An abusive letter arrived at the office of the Zionist Federation in Auckland. It was signed "Zieg Heil". A headline from the New Zealand "Herald" newspaper was enclosed, which read "Neo-Nazi Role in Letter Bombs".

STRUGGLE AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM

Sweden - The Court of Appeals confirmed the district court's sentence given to a man accused of carrying Nazi symbols. The man received a fine equal to 100 days income.

A Swedish newspaper published a list of forbidden Nazi symbols.

A report drawn up by the secretary of the Committee for the Struggle Against Anti- Semitism in Sweden, Stepbane Bruchfeld, exposed faults in the course of study and textbooks in Sweden on the subject of Jewish history and the Holocaust. A member of parliament who read the report expressed shock at some of the expressions found in the books. The press and the publisher, on the other hand, did not regard the report as a threat to the continued distribution of the textbooks. A Swedish newspaper published an editorial under the title "Anti-Semitism in the Schools" which stated that in 36 books examined, serious mistakes concerning the Jews, Judaism and anti-Semitism were found. The article calls for raising the level of the books and it appears that the publishers are prepared to do this.

Denmark - A Jewish member of parliament complained in parliament following the participation of the neo-Nazi Jonni Hansen in a television program, claiming that his participation in the program gave him undesirable legitimization. Two jurists claimed that Hansen's denial of the Holocaust is not against the Danish law. On the other hand, a third jurist claimed that such statements had led to the conviction of the American neo-Nazi Gary Lauck.

France - A mathematics teacher who taught mathematics by teaching his pupils to add the number of Jews murdered by the Nazis as part of an arithmetic exercise was suspended from the school. The 27-year-old teacher, Vincent Reynouard, is from Normandy and had already served a month's sentence five years previously for inciting to racial hatred and distributing Nazi propaganda. The teacher, who called the exercise "counting bodies at a death camp", was quoted as saying that it was a good exercise in arithmetic because the numbers were so large. Reynouard stored Nazi propaganda in the school computer and used a fax machine to contact radical right-wing persons in the area.

About 60,000 copies of a French radical right-wing publication were confiscated by the local post office director and not sent to their destination using existing legislation. The copies of the weekly publication "National Hebdo" published by the "Front National" were supposed to be distributed in the three cities Roubaix, Croix and Wasquehal near Lille. The local post office director decided to stop the distribution of the publication since in his words he felt that it might cause a public disturbance. He added that the postal services were a public service and as such they had a moral responsibility towards the public.

Britain - A hearing took place for two members of C-18 on anti-Semitic material found in their possession in March, 1996. The court fined them bail and scheduled another hearing for February, 1997.

Argentina - Following much publicity on the involvement of the Buenos Aires provincial police in anti-Semitic activity, a meeting took place between the Secretary of Internal Security for the Buenos Aires province, the Buenos Aires provincial Police inspector and the heads of Amia and Daia. The Secretary of Internal Security for Buenos Aires province announced the establishment of a special police force to "assist the legal system in investigations of attacks against the Jewisb community".

POLITICS AND ANTI-SEMITISM

Estonnia - At a meeting of minorities representatives with the President of Estonia it was emphasized that there was no violation of minority rights in the Republic. The document defining minority rights, however, shows the Estonian government's real attitude towards the problem. The state does not recognize the existence of the Jewish Holocaust and the media calls the Nazi Germans heroes. Out of a previous population of 4,000, only 2,000 Jews have remained in Estonia today and 50 Jewish families leave Estonia every year. According to the Estonian Minorities law, in order to receive "cultural freedom", a minority in the country must number at least 3,000 souls.

MISCELLANEOUS