Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - Jun-97

Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - June, 1997

General

During the month of June no attacks against Jewish targets were recorded and the number of violent incidents decreased to half the number in May. Thus the number of incidents returned to the relatively low average characterizing recent months. About half of the incidents recorded were connected with synagogues (U.S., Britain, France) and some of them were desecrations of Jewish cemeteries (in New York and in Britain).

Two cases of threats were recorded in Italy and Argentina.

In the sphere of propaganda, manifestations of anti-Semitism 'in the street' continued in various countries. This was in addition to the continuous examples of anti-Semitic propaganda, including Holocaust denial and the use of motifs from the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion', in overt publications of radical elements and over the Internet

In the sphere of struggle, the legal system in Sweden is considering steps against the growing racist and anti-Semitic propaganda over the Internet. In other places (Jordan, Portugal, Brazil) steps were taken against manifestations of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

Incidents

U.S.

Unknown persons broke into two Jewish cemeteries in the borough of Queens in New York, broke tombstones, removed remains of corpses from the graves and burned them. The tombstones in the 'Shaarei Tzedek' cemetery which belongs to the Conservative congregation in New York were smashed and graffiti were sprayed on some of them. Burnt corpses and the lighter which was used to burn the corpses were also discovered. In recent years Jewish cemeteries throughout New York have become a target for vandalism. The act was condemned by the mayor of New York, the Jewish Congregations Committee and the World Jewish Congress.

The 'Tifferet Israel' synagogue in San Carlos, California, was desecrated. Swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans were sprayed on the walls of the building.

Britain

More than 40 tombstones were desecrated in the cemetery belonging to the Jewish Community Center in Bournemouth.

A Hassid from the Lubavich Hassidic Yeshivah in Manchester was attacked by a gang of six youths aged 13-14 who apparently live in the vicinity.

A Jew was attacked and knocked down on his way home in the Golders Green neighborhood of London. When he asked why he was attacked, he was answered with 'You bloody Jew!' and again attacked and injured.

Graffiti were drawn on the walls and doors of the 'Belt Hamidrash'' synagogue in the Edgware neighborhood in London. Among others, the graffiti included the letters C-18, NS, AH (the initials of the neo-Nazi Combat-18, National Socialism and Adolf Hitler organizations). On the other side of the street on a deserted building swastikas and the words 'Gas the Jews' were drawn.

On the walls of the 'South London Liberal' synagogue was written, 'Kill the Jews. The only true Jews are blacks'. The graffiti appeared to be written by young blacks.

In Oxford, a few Jewish youths wearing skullcaps were verbally attacked on their way home by youths from a car which stopped near them. One of the passengers shouted at them 'You fucking Jews!' while motioning threateningly as if using an imaginary weapon. The passengers in the car were about 20 years old and had a Middle Eastern appearance.

The windows of the 'Kingsbury' synagogue in London were smashed by stones and an air rifle.

Sweden

In early June a building belonging to the Jewish community in Boras was broken into. Silver articles were stolen from the community building and carpets, a lamp, cases for kiddush wine, and a stereo set were stolen from the synagogue. The background to the action is unclear.

France

Abusive slogans appeared on the window of the 'Montevideo' synagogue in the 16th Quarter of Paris. The slogan which was on a sticker, had, among other things, a picture of a pig with a Star of David on it. On another sticker was written 'I'm Jewish (as compared to a disease) but I get treatment for it... with Zyklon-B' (Je suis Juif, mais je me soigne ou Zyklon-B). The community rabbi also discovered an abusive letter on his car. Such letters and stickers are common in Paris and are sent often by fax or stuck on synagogues and community centers in Paris.

Threats

Italy

Two anonymous telephone threats of anti-Semitic nature were received within a day of each other at the Venice congregation secretariat and at the home of the congregation's cantor who lives in the community building. The conversations were short and included anti-Semitic curses, including the saying: 'Hitler did not finish the job and we will continue (it)'. The background to this may be the Jewish Culture Week which was organized by the Venice Municipality at that time.

Argentina

Three anonymous threatening announcements were received at a hotel in Buenos Aires where a Hadassah Convention was taking place. The announcements said that 'These Jews will die' and 'There is a bomb on the 11th floor' (the floor above the convention). The premises were searched but nothing was found.

Propaganda

Britain

The entrance door of the 'Bury Hebrew Congregation Community Center' in the Lancashire district was painted with the word 'Yid'.

An anti-Semitic type letter was received at the Center for Jewish History in England which is located in London. The mail contained newspaper clippings with added handwritten anti-Semitic comments. An identical letter was also received at the Jewish Museum in London.

The neo-Nazi publication, 'The National-Socialist' which is published in Britain devoted its 21st issue to the subject of Holocaust denial. The message published was that the Holocaust is a lie, mentioning the 'reasons' and the 'proofs' acceptable to Holocaust deniers for this claim. The publication, among other things, 'refutes', from the 'scientific' point of view, the reasons for the liquidation of the six million victims of the Holocaust in the gas chambers, and claims that most of them died of starvation and diseases like hundreds of thousands of Germans. It also notes that the preoccupation with the Holocaust was meant to implant guilt feelings among the sons of the Aryan race, to bring about the establishment of the 'robber' State of Israel, and materially blackmail Germany.

A publication published in Britain by the neo-Nazi organization 'The Essex Order' and called 'The Plan' referred at length to the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion'. The article refutes the claim that the 'Protocols' are imitations and refers to the plan, as it were, of the 'World Zionist Government' to enslave all the races of the world under it, while destroying the white race and gaining control of the media and banks throughout the world.

Denmark

In Copenhagen a number of post boxes were pasted with red and white stickers on which was written 'Havid Revolution' The White Revolution) and 'Combat-18' with a drawing of a swastika.

U.S.

Abusive anti-Semitic slogans and swastikas were drawn on fences, houses and cars in the city of Wantagh and on the path leading to the 'Temple Beth-El' in the city of Bellmore in Nassau county in Long Island, N.Y. Among the slogans were those of the KKK. It is assessed that the action was carried out by KKK extremists in their struggle against Jews and Blacks who live together in those places for many years.

Australia

Four cases of anti-Semitic e-mail were received in Jewish institutions in Melbourne and Sydney.

A racist letter was sent to a Jewish organization in Sydney as a reaction to a fundraising letter for charity that a Jewish organization had sent.

Struggle against Anti-Semitism

Sweden

Following the increase of racist and anti-Semitic propaganda over the Internet, information was published this month on the possibility that the legal system in Sweden would consider steps against this form of racist incitement. The subject was widely reviewed over television and in the press. Against this background the 'Committee for the War Against Anti-Semitism' published an announcement to the newspapers vigorously protesting the dangers of the spread of this phenomenon in general and the use of it over 'Radio Islam' which is run by Ahmed Rahmi in particular. The announcement expressed concern over the growing Nazi propaganda over the Internet and called on public opinion and the legal system in Sweden for more awareness of the danger in disseminating such denunciations over the network.

Norway

The Norwegian prime minister made a declaration to the press concerning the moral responsibility Norway has to clarify crimes committed against Jews in Norway during World War II. The declaration followed the publication of a report dealing with the fate of Jewish property confiscated by the Nazi Quisling government in World War II. On the other hand, during discussions of the examining committee appointed by the Norwegian Minister of Justice for Jewish property stolen from the Jews in World War II, anti-Semitic expressions, such as 'Jewish greed', were heard among the committee members, of whom only two were representatives of the Jewish community.

Jordan

In a supermarket in a prestigious area in the Jabel Amman neighborhood in Amman, an anti-Semitic sign in English was discovered which said 'No Dogs No Jews'. The supermarket owner who was asked to remove the racist sign refused. After the appeal of Israel and Jewish organizations the sign was removed and the supermarket owner arrested. He was not charged and was released two days later.

Portugal

In the popular daily 'Diano De Noticias' published in Lisbon, a letter was published from a reader in Coimbra who tried to refute the number he claimed was exaggerated of Holocaust victims which Israel presents. He claimed that according to reliable estimations that were presented even in Israel, only about 300 to 500 thousand Jews were murdered during the Holocaust, including by natural death, bombings, diseases, starvation and underground activity. The claim that six million were murdered contradicts the natural truth of demography, physics and chemistry. In response, and after a discussion with the newspaper's editors, a reaction of 'Yad Vashem' was published in the newspaper together with other letters of persons in the Jewish community. The reactions included official data on the victims.

Brazil