Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - Mar-98

Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - March, 1998

General

The month of March was characterized by a small number of violent incidents (four), most of them 'street clashes'. In Buenos Aires, Argentina a regulation mortar bomb was found in a Jewish school.

In this connection mention should be made of a wave of abductions (for ransom) which has characterized the Latin American countries in recent months and is on the rise. In March the daughter of the president of the Reform Jewish community in Bogota was abducted and later released. Although the background to the abductions is not anti-Jewish this wave of kidnappings is a 'security' problem for the Jewish communities there also.

The number of threats recorded for the month was few - only two.

In the sphere of anti-Semitic propaganda, the trend of many manifestations continues. This could be seen this month in publications, the Internet, E-mail and 'on the 'street', in various countries throughout the world. Most of the motifs were classically anti-Semitic.

In the sphere of struggle against anti-Semitism, there were verdicts this month against manifestations of violence and anti-Semitic, partly Nazi racism, in Britain, Switzerland, Germany and Italy.

The report will also refer to the Vatican document apologizing to the Jewish people for the silence of the Church during World War II and the Holocaust.

Incidents

Britain - In a local pub in Golders Green in London a group of youths harassed a young Jewish boy and tried to set his prayer shawl fringes on fire. Another Jewish youth who tried to intervene to protect the first received hard blows, was injured in one eye and had to receive medical treatment in a hospital.

The rabbi of Reading was attacked on his way to the synagogue by a man who had been following him. The assailant stuffed a piece of paper into the rabbi's mouth on which was written 'Kill the Jews' and a drawing of a swastika. He also added that he hated Jews. When the rabbi asked him why he hated Jews he was attacked once again with a punch and a kick. The attacker approached another member of the congregation afterwards and shouted at him 'The Jews are terrible'. He hung the note later on the synagogue door.

U.S./Pennsylvania - At the entrance of the orthodox 'Beit Avraham' synagogue in Philadelphia on Lombard Street, a swastika was found painted on a wall. A pig's head was also found thrown on the steps at the entrance to the synagogue.

Argentina - A regulation mortar bomb was discovered in the B.A.M.I. Jewish school in Buenos Aires. The bomb was found between the school entrance steps. The school was evacuated and studies were resumed only the next day.

Threats

France - On the evening before the performance of the Israeli troupe 'Anachnu Kan' in the city of Nancy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel, announcements were received in the editorial office of the local newspaper 'L'Est Republicain' on the planting of a bomb in the Poirel Hall where the event was to take place. The place was evacuated after the beginning of the event and was searched. Nothing was found and the event resumed.

Brazil - An anonymous threat on the planting of a bomb was received at the offices of the Federation in Rio de Janeiro. These offices are in the basement of the ancient Grande Templo Israelita synagogue. The place was closed to activity for a few days and in searches that took place there nothing was found.

Anti-Semitic Propaganda

Britain - An anti-Semitic letter which contained a publication from the Internet called 'Facts on the Holocaust', was received in the South London Liberal synagogue. This synagogue appeared on the list distributed by Combat-18.

A swastika was drawn on a Jewish community ambulance which was parked opposite the Stamford Hill community center in London.

An anti-Semitic letter containing a swastika on which was written 'Fuck you, Jews' was received in the Rabbinical Court in Manchester.

Anti-Semitic e-mail was received at the Institute of Jewish Policy Research. The heading of the e-mail was 'Heil Hitler'.

The Internet site http:\\ www.al-ansar.org, which is the Shariahsupporter's site, published an article by Isa Abdullah Al-Kanadi entitled 'The Secret World'. It contained a comprehensive report on the international Jewish conspiracy down through history from the Islamic point of view.

France - On one of the Internet sites there is an advertisement for a Tamagouchi (virtual infants and animals - for children to take care of). The image on the tiny screen is a naked Jew in the form of a devil. In one of the disgusting examples it is explained that no. 2 button 'Tamago Juif' lets you choose a concentration camp and afterwards the possibility of phoning the Swiss embassy and asking for a payment in gold. Another possibility is button no. 5 where the 'Jewboy' cry, sighs begs and asks for compensation for crimes against humanity.

U.S./Pennsylvania - A red swastika was discovered sprayed on the entrance sign to the ancient Jewish cemetery 'Mikveh Israel', which is on Spruce Street in Philadelphia.

Australia - The Adelaide Institute in Adelaide, which is known for its Holocaust denial publications, sent Holocaust denial literature to the home of a Jew whose parents were killed in Auschwitz.

In Adelaide in the window of a pharmacy which was closed down, the following sign was hung: 'we were forced to close due to municipality development work and to the contemptible owners (the Jewish Church).

Paraguay - Drawings of swastikas have recently been seen in various places in the capital Asuncion. In some cases the swastikas are accompanied by slogans such as 'Death to the Jews' and 'Kill the Jews'.

The orthodox rabbi Yoshua Furmah (Habad) was interviewed on the radio and asked to refer to and comment on the 'Vatican Document'. A phone number was given at the beginning of the program. A number of listeners left abusive anti-Semitic messages over the phone. One of the comments was 'it's a shame the Nazis did not finish their work'.

In the 'Ultima hora' newspaper a caricature appeared of two Jews with physical 'characteristics' which would have ranked with the 'creations' of the Nazi newspaper 'Der Stuermer'. The text accompanying the caricature presents the Jews in a negative anti-Semitic manner. Following a vigorous protest by members of the Jewish community on the heavy anti-Semitic 'odour' coming from the 'work of art', the newspaper published a clarification the next day by the artists who had created the caricature denying any anti-Semitic motives and rejecting malicious intentions on their part. They explained that certain aspects of their work that might have offended the feelings of the Jews might have escaped their attention but that this had been done in innocence.

Brazil - An article was published in Fortaleza on a security subject, O Povo Leitor, written by Carlos Rodrigues Pinto Cidade, which contained strongly anti-American and anti-Zionist statements. Among other things he wrote that Hitler was right in his choice of the Final Solution. Hitler was acquainted with the 'race of snakes' and today the Jews were showing their true nature. A Jewish lawyer from Rio de Janeiro, who heads the Jewish organization against racism, lodged a complaint of racism against the writer of the article.

A Brazilian citizen published a letter in the 'Carta Capital' newspaper, which is published in Rio de Janeiro, which complains about the 'non-Brazilians' who run the country's affairs. Three leaders of the Jewish community who have senior positions in Brazilian and international industry are mentioned in the letter.

Struggle Against Anti-Semitism

Britain - A man who attacked four Jewish students from Newcastle in February 1998 while they were leaving a college building, was tried and received a year's suspended sentence. In the same incident, one of the attackers hit one of the students with a sign, which was on the premises. Another attacker caused a student a cut in the neck while shouting 'I cut a Jew'.

Switzerland - A young right wing radical was tried for intimidation and violation of the Swiss law against racism. The Basle police had captured him in the summer of 1997 after he had threatened a Jewish journalist and his daughter with a rifle and gave the Nazi salute while shouting disgraceful anti-Semitic slogans at them. The judge found the accused guilty of racist behavior and sentenced him to 60 days imprisonment and his suspended sentence was extended to the year 2001.

Germany - The distribution was discontinued of a CD on which a theater actor recites, with no commentary, sections from Adolph Hitler's racist book 'Mein Kampf'. The publishing company decided to discontinue distribution of the CD and to remove the CD's which had already been distributed from store shelves after the Bavarian Ministry of Finance banned the distribution. The head of the German Jewish Community demanded the immediate destruction of the CD's which in his opinion could be used by any Neo-Nazi organization as propaganda material.

Italy - A former Nazi officer Karl Hass was sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for the massacre of 335 men and boys he took part in along with the SS officer Erich Priebke during World War II in Italy. The prisoner admitted participating in the massacre but claimed that he was only following orders. Public pressure led to Hass' retrial (he received 10 years imprisonment in the first trial) where, as mentioned, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Hass is in hiding in Italy and will turn himself in only after he appeals his sentence.

Miscellaneous

Vatican - In the document published on 16 March 1998 the Vatican apologized to the Jewish People for the Church's silence during World War II and the Holocaust, which it defined as an 'indescribable tragedy'. The Vatican claims that the Holocaust was a result Nazi ideology whose anti-Semitic roots were outside of Christianity. The document does not harm the reputation of Pope Pious XII who it was claimed ignored the destruction of the Jews by the Nazis. The publication of the Vatican document had many repercussions in the media all over the world and in the Jewish world, which criticized the fact that the document did not apologize for the actions and silence of Pope Pious XII during the Holocaust. It is worth mentioning the reaction of the chairman of the Supreme Shiite Council, Sheik Muhammad Mahdi Shamsaladin, who referred to the document saying that the Church has no reason to ask forgiveness of the Jews as he is convinced that the Holocaust is nothing but Zionist lies which were intended to blackmail the world.

Slovakia - The Catholic Church in Slovakia asked forgiveness of the Slovak Jews and called on Slovak believers, Christians and others of good faith to join in the request for forgiveness and to remove any discrimination from their hearts. The declaration which was signed by Slovak bishops stated that 'We believe that this act will be understood as an act of repentance and the love of Jesus'. 'The Holocaust deeply affected the life of the Jews', continues the declaration. 'We do not deny that the expulsion of the Jews was carried out among us and that certain Slovaks participated in it and other Slovaks witnessed this and were silent'. The document does not make mention of the role played by the pro-Nazi president of the country during World War II, the priest Josef Tisu, who was responsible for sending 70,000 Slovak Jews to the death camps. There is still certain Slovak a priest today who conducts memorial services for the priest Tisu. The secretary-general of the Jewish community in Slovakia called the declaration 'a step in the right direction', even though it came too late for most of the Slovak Holocaust victims. He noted that the declaration had given New Hope to the Jews of Slovakia and added that despite the silence of the Slovak priests, hundreds of Slovak Christians helped to save Jews at the risk of their lives.

Italy - Many insurance companies in Europe, among them the 'Generali' company collaborated with the Nazis to rob the Jews of their property. This was reported in the 'El Mondo' economic weekly. Various organizations and U.S. Senate members demand boycotting the activity of the Italian insurance company throughout the U.S. because of its questionable past. According to the legal assessment of those handling the subject, 'Generali' must compensate the families of 10,000 people who died in the Holocaust who had insurance policies with the company, at a sum of a billion dollars. After massive international pressure the Generali Company agreed after 50 years to open its archives in Italy for inspection and examination to return the funds of the policies to the families of Holocaust victims who were insured with the company.

France - In mid-March local elections took place in France. They resulted in some success for the Left and a split in the votes between the traditional/moderate Right and the radical right party led by Le Pen. The elections were characterized by votes from the traditional Right who called for the creation of alliances with the Radical Right in order to defeat the Left. This is a turnabout since up to now aligning with the Front National was considered unacceptable. Many voices, however, are being heard from the traditional Right, which reject this approach. After the elections took place large demonstrations throughout France against the 'collaboration' (a term used in France to describe collaboration with the Nazis during the Vichy period) with the 'National Front' and the pressure is increasing for the resignation of members of the moderate Right who were elected to the regional presidency supported by the Radical Right. As a result of public pressure three regional presidents resigned their positions.