Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - Jun-98

Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - June, 1998

General

During the month of June, synagogues in various places throughout the world were the main target for anti-Semitic attacks and incidents. In Montevideo, Uruguay, a Molotov cocktail was thrown into a synagogue and caused much damage. A Neo-Nazi organization was behind the attack.

There were threats of a bomb planted in Britain and Uruguay.

There were many instances of anti-Semitic propaganda this month. They also appeared this month in publications, over the Internet and in 'street' events.

Attacks and Incidents

Uruguay - A Molotov cocktail was thrown into the 'Ahdut Israel' synagogue in Montevideo. No one was injured but the ark of the covenant and the synagogue furniture were seriously damaged. An anonymous letter left at the entrance door included strongly abusive expressions against the Jews and a call to destroy them. The letter was signed by a Neo-Nazi organization called 'Josef Goebbels'.

Russia - The Jewish cemetery in Malakhovka which is some 30 km. from Moscow was desecrated. A number of gravestones were moved from their place and abusive slogans were written on others.

Latvia - A swastika and the abusive slogan 'Jews Are Pigs' were drawn on the wall of a Riga synagogue.

Poland - A memorial plaque erected in the city of Rzeszow in memory of the members of the local Jewish community who were murdered in the Holocaust was desecrated. Unknown persons poured white paint on the plaque and wrote anti-Jewish slogans in another colour paint. The letter 'O' appeared in the writing with a swastika inscribed. This is the 'signature' of Polish skinheads.

Uzbekistan - Unknown persons damaged and broke the entrance sign to the Chkalova synagogue in Tashkent.

Germany - A synagogue window in Hamburg was smashed. No other damage was caused besides the window.

Hungary - Swastikas and Cross symbolizing of the Hungarian Fascists in the 'Forties, were drawn on the wall surrounding the synagogue in the Ujpest quarter far from the center of Budapest. The synagogue is in a compound where a number of institutes of the local Jewish community are located.

Britain - The synagogue belonging to the Torah Hesed yeshivah in Hertfordshire was completely destroyed as a result of fire. The background to the action and the perpetrators are unknown.

Unidentified persons tried to break into the King Solomon high school in London. The reason for to this is not known.

A Jew in the city of Oxford was verbally attacked by a group of young people who cursed him and shouted obscene remarks such as 'Fucking Jews'.

A swastika was drawn on the mezuzah of a girls' school in London and a sign saying 'Hitler is back' was found at the school entrance.

During May, eggs were thrown from a passing car at a number of Jewish students who were standing next to the 'Hasmoneam' high school in Golders Green in London. This incident reoccurred when the children left the school later on their way home.

Mexico - Swastikas were drawn inside the 'Tarbut' school in Mexico City. One of the swastikas was made of wooden planks.

Brazil - In the A.R.I. community building in Rio de Janeiro, a window was smashed and bullets from a firearm were found. The background to the incident is unknown.

U.S./Philadelphia - Abusive slogans in Arabic and German were smeared on three synagogues in Bucks County, north of Philadelphia. The synagogues on which the slogans were written are the Temple Judea in Doyelstown, the Ohev Shalom in Richboro and the Bnei Israel in Warrington.

Threats

Britain - An anonymous phonecall on the planting of a bomb was received in the Ilford Jewish Primary School in London. The school was evacuated and searched but nothing was found.

Uruguay - Since a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the synagogue in Montevideo anonymous announcements have been received on the planting of bombs in Jewish institutions and facilities. Among those were the large Jewish 'Integral' school, the Punta Crest Shopping Center (a large elegant shopping center near Montevideo most of which is under Jewish ownership) and the local branch of the Discount Bank.

Anti-Semitic Propaganda

Britain - hostile pamphlet entitled " Jewish Racism Towards Non-Jews as it Appears in the Talmud" was found on the bulletin board of tha Jewish society.

The Jewish UJS students' organization received a number of anti-Semitic e-mail announcements. One was entitled 'Zionism is Racism'.

An anti-Semitic type announcement was left on the answering machine of the Harrow and Wembley Progressive Synagogue. The caller claimed he was Hitler back from the dead. Vulgar cheap comments towards the Jews were also heard.

The Al-Muhajiroun organization held a demonstration in Trafalgar Square in London. At the demonstration, statements denouncing the Jews were made such as 'The Jews are so malicious and stupid! They don't even deserve a dog's death'. There were also Holocaust denial statements such as 'The Jewish Holocaust is a fabrication and everyone knows it'.

France - At a conference organized by the 'Front Nationale' (FN) headed by Jean Marie Le Pen, Le Pen stated that the 'Penny Revolution' (the events of May 1968 in France) should be attributed to, as he called it, the 'Jewish student elite' which, in his opinion, had not forgiven De Gaulle for his statements on the 'small, self-confident and domineering nation'.

Romania - A new anti-Semitic newspaper by the name of 'Romania Treaza' appeared this month in Bucharest. A series of articles against the Jews appeared in the first issue.

Russia - In the 'Komsomolskaya Pravda' and the nationalist anti-Semitic newspaper 'Znamia Yunosty' (Flag of the Youth), an anti-Semitic type interview appeared with Kondratenki, head of the Krasnodar district. The head of the district accused the 'Zionists' of all the ills of Russia and listed a number of known Zionists. He also claimed that the Zionists pollute the Russian media with pornography and 'it is impossible to see a Russian face on television'. From the ideological point of view the Zionists use the media to 'pour sewage on the great achievements of Russia' during the Soviet period. From the point of view of the 'purity of the race', he complained that Jewish women marry Russian men and give birth to children who will not object to Zionism.

Ukraine - In the newspaper 'Za Vilnu Ukrainu (For a Free Ukraine), which is known for its anti-Semitic publications, a strongly anti-Semitic article was published this month entitled 'The End of Israel'. The article depicts the Jews (or as they appeared in the newspaper 'Djids') as super criminals, murderers, villains, spies, terrorists, etc.

Thailand - At the beginning of the month an advertisement for selling chips appeared on Thai television and in street signs using the image of Hitler to promote sales. On television, through the use of animation, the snack in the shape of a cross becomes a swastika. Hitler is standing in a wheatfield and is seen losing control after tasting the chips. The advertisement ends with the Nazi raised arm salute.

Brazil - In an article published in the 'Correio Braziliense' on the Indian nuclear tests, an anti-Semitic caricature appeared with Israel in the shape of a bearded Jew dressed in the traditional Jewish garb wearing an orthodox Jew's hat (the image characterizing the Jews in anti-Semitic publications) handing a nuclear warhead to an Indian.

In an article in the 'Jornal Da Cidade De Maua', which is published in Sao Paolo, the mayoral candidate for Maua (Sao Paolo) Luiz Teofilo, criticized the functioning of the culture and sport secretary of the Sao Paulo state who is of Jewish extraction. Teofilo uses anti-Semitic expressions and comparisons against the secretary. He writes, for example, that 'the secretary is from the country where they killed Jesus', and so on.

Paraguay - At an Asuncion Internet site, elp@a57k0101.asu.planet.py,anti-Semitic discussions and information were recently found, which also includes the question: 'Are you prepared to kill a Jew? - Yes'. U.S. - A swastika was drawn on the sidewalk near the house of Jews in the Nassau, Long Island, N.Y. district.

Australia - A number of anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial letters were received in Jewish institutions and organizations in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth through the mail, fax and Internet. Racial comments appear in the letters such as: 'The Jews should be killed because they are the reptiles of humanity', and 'The Jews are a criminal race'. Swastikas were drawn on the houses of Jews in Ipswich in Queensland. Anti-Semitic graffiti 'Kill the Jews Now' was found in a Sydney suburb. An anti-Semitic phone conversation was received in the offices of the community organization in Melbourne.

At the Internet sites of The Covenant Vision Ministry, The CDL Report, The Despatch and Liberty Australia, anti-Semitic articles appeared which, among other things, accused the Jews of striving to take over the world and acting to destroy Christians and they were presented as causing Malaysia's economic troubles. Holocaust denial articles also appeared. The Australian press continues to publish anti-Semitic articles this month as well:

a. The newspaper 'Strategy' wrote that Jewish groups that fight against Holocaust denial are racist, anti-Whites and anti-German.

b. The 'Exposure' newspaper claims that there is a direct connection between the Talmud and the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion'.

c. A writer of a column in the 'Sydney Business' claimed that Israel exploits the death of the Jews in the Holocaust to create an atmosphere of world guilt in order to carry out more atrocities.

John Bennett, known for his right-wing views, published the 24th edition of 'Your Rights' where he criticized the Jewish Lobby and what he called the intimidation of the Jewish leaders. He claimed that the Jews aim at removing books from libraries that they do not agree with. He even published a list of Holocaust denial Internet sites.

Frederick Toben, the Holocaust denier from the Adelaide Institute, appeared on a radio ABD interview and claimed that the gas chambers in Auschwitz had never really existed.

South Africa - A student complained that a lecturer from the WITs university in Johannesburg said that when a Jewish businessman sells a business to another Jewish businessman he smells a rat. The professor has already made anti-Semitic statements in the past.

An article appeared in the 'Die Afrikaner' newspaper referring to an event at the Glenvista school where pupils who were standing in line at a rugby game gave the Nazi salute and called out Heil Hitler. The article criticized the reaction of the Jewish community and accused it of vindictiveness. The article claimed that the children responsible for the act received too harsh a punishment and asks 'who will teach the Jews that their behavior is unreasonable?'.

Abusive racist and anti-Semitic slogans were drawn with spray paint on a bus station in one of the Johannesburg suburbs.

Struggle Against Anti-Semitism and Racism

Britain - A citizen aged 77 who works at the British Railways will stand trial for his part in the killing of Jews in the Nazi occupied area of Belarus. The man is accused of killing four Jews in the town of Domachevo in 1942.

Sweden - Seven Neo-Nazis who participated in an illegal demonstration in the city of Nora in May were convicted and sentenced to 3-6 months in jail.

Croatia - The Croatian war criminal Sakic who was captured in Argentina was extradited this month to Croatia and sent to a prison in Zagreb. U.S./Philadelphia - A young man turned himself into the police and admitted smearing abusive slogans on three synagogues in the Bucks County area. The young man had been tried in the past for disseminating anti-Semitic propaganda and other offenses. The District Attorney defined the man as a 'danger. This is a person who spread hatred from a young age. He is the image of hatred'.

Thailand - Following the publicity on the chips advertisement and the use of Hitler's image to promote sales, as well as the use of the swastika and the Nazi salute, various elements appealed to the advertising company protesting the use of the anti-Semitic effects in advertising. The company explained that using Hitler's image was not intended to hurt anyone and that he was presented in a humorous manner. It should be noted that in Thailand there is no law prohibiting such publicity but an additional appeal to those representing the advertising company in Chicago resulted in a decision to stop the advertisement completely and to express regret over the whole affair.

Argentina - Argentina signed an agreement for information transfer on Nazi war criminals who still live in South America. Victor Ramos, head of the National Institute for the War on Discrimination, Xenophobia and Racism

(INADI), signed the agreement with the representative of the National Archives of Germany, the Israel Ministry of Justice and the U.S. Office for War Crimes. These agreements will enable the establishment of an international network to capture war criminals not only from World War II but afterwards as well. The INADI organization received clear guidelines from the Argentine Minister of Interior and President Carlos Menem to use every effort to fight war criminals not only from the 'Forties but to fight against Neo-Nazis in our time.

Miscellaneous

France - A public opinion poll conducted at the initiative of the National Committee for Human Rights (Commission Nationale Des Droits De L'Homme), which was published in the Le Monde newspaper, revealed that 38 percent of those polled (twice as many in Germany, Italy and Britain) defined themselves as racist. 38 percent answered yes to the question 'Do you consider yourself racist?' and 'are you convinced that ,it is impossible to feel at home in France due to the great numbers of foreigners' (56 percent denounce the Arabs, 27 percent the Blacks and 15 percent the Jews).

Sweden - The Swedish police decided to close the investigation file against Ramzi Ahmed the notorious owner of the anti-Semitic radio station 'Radio Islam'. It will be recalled that a number of months ago, due to the pressure of the Committee for the Struggle Against Anti-Semitism and other liberal circles, the police decided to open an investigation against the radio station and especially Ramzi's Internet site which had become a world-wide instrument for the spread of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial. According to a report in the Gotheburg Posten, the police investigation revealed that American anti-Semites were responsible for the server to this Internet site and not Ahmed Ramzi himself. The police could therefore not determine who was responsible and so closed the file.

Germany - A demonstration by the largest Neo-Nazi party in Germany (NPD) took place in east Berlin as a protest against the rate of unemployment and following the 50th anniversary celebrations of the State of Israel which had taken place a few days previously at the same place. There was a counter demonstration of writers, actors and singers against right-wing radicalism.

The British 'Sunday Telegraph' reported that large quantities of arms that had been collected by Neo-Nazis were discovered in a raid conducted by the police in Germany. It is assessed that the large arms cache found in the area of Berlin was apparently prepared for terrorist attacks.

Estonia - It was discovered that a print shop in Tallin, prints Neo-Nazi propaganda material and newspapers of Neo-Nazi groups from Sweden. The print shop claimed that it did not know the content of the material and could not imagine that anti-Semitic racist material had appeared

in it since its employees did not know Swedish. The printing of the material was stopped, the President of Estonia appointed a committee of inquiry and apologized for the embarrassing affair.