Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - May-98

Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - May, 1998

General

May saw an increase in attacks against Jewish targets throughout the world, mostly the burning of synagogues. The number of incidents, including violent incidents, also rose, in comparison with April. Most prominent in this connection was Russia where, among others, there were two cases of synagogues burned in Moscow and its environs and the burning of a rabbi's car. This trend towards a greater number of attacks and incidents began in April. The background to this is unclear.

Threats against Jewish targets and Jews were also recorded in May, although slightly less than in April.

Manifestations of anti-Semitic propaganda continued 'in the street', over the Internet and in various publications distributed in several countries. In most cases the motifs appearing indicate that the disseminators are from the radical right, although Islamic elements, such as "Radio 786" in Capetown, occasionally use classical anti-Semitic themes.

Attacks and Incidents

Russia - After the celebrations on the night of Lag B'Omer an explosive charge exploded in the orthodox Marina Roshcha synagogue in Moscow. No one was hurt but the synagogue was damaged.

There was an arson attempt in the synagogue in the Otryadnoye neighbourhood which is in the north of Moscow. This occurred at the same time as the explosion in the Marina Roshcha synagogue.

The car belonging to the rabbi of the Otryadnoye synagogue was set on fire. No one was injured but the car was damaged.

In Yaroslavl, a city about 150 km. from Moscow, an orthodox rabbi was badly beaten by two skinheads in the city subway station. The youths shouted anti-Semitic slogans at the rabbi before they beat him. The attackers were arrested and the rabbi was taken to hospital.

The old Jewish cemetery in Irkutsk in Siberia was desecrated. 149 gravestones were damaged.

Chile - A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the side door of the Circulo Israelita synagogue in San Diego, the Chilean capital. No one was hurt but the door was damaged.

South Africa - A small synagogue belonging to the orthodox community in one of the Johannesburg suburbs was burnt. The building had been empty and no one was hurt. The background of the incident is unknown.

The Czech Republic - A number of stones were thrown at the windows of the Jewish community building in Prague. Some windows were smashed in the office of the community's chief rabbi, Rabbi Sidon, as well as a window of his home. More stones were found beside the synagogue.

Romania - The Jewish cemetery in the city of Targu Mures was desecrated. On the cemetery wall was written 'Death to the Jews' and 'Jews, go back to Israel'. A number of graves were also smashed in the Foksun cemetery recently.

Hungary - The Jewish-Hungarian candidate for the SDS (social-democrat- liberal) party in the Hungarian parliamentary elections, Gabor Horn, was beaten by skinheads. He was standing beside the Hegeds Gy Utca synagogue when the attackers came out of the pub nearby that serves as a meeting place for skinheads. The attackers shouted 'Jews! Get out!' during the attack.

New Zealand - The synagogue on Greys Avenue in Auckland was broken into. The trespassers were disturbed in the middle of their activity and fled. The background to the incident is unknown.

Britain - Fireworks were fired at the Gateshead Yeshivah building in Gateshead. The firecracker exploded and the people in the building were evacuated. No one was injured. The entrance to the yeshiva was damaged.

Unknown persons broke into the Hubert Jewish girls' high school in Manchester. The trespassers entered through a small window and upset everything in the room. Two days later unknown persons broke into the building again, this time drawing on the door of the building a swastika and a Star of David with the words 'Hitler is coming'.

A group of youths attacked the rabbi of the Sale and District synagogue in Manchester. This happened while the rabbi was traveling on the train from Prestwich to Manchester. Three youths beat the rabbi and kicked him and then left the train.

A Jewish student studying at the Northwood school in Middlesex has been suffering from harassment and beatings by the school students for a number of months. This month 20 of the school students attacked him. They beat him while shouting 'Jews, Go back to the concentration camps!'.

A boy from the Jewish Free School (JFS) in London was attacked by school students at the bus station on his way to the subway.

Threats

Switzerland - A Righteous Gentile and others were honored at an event in Bern in which prominent members of the Swiss establishment participated. The event was extensively covered by the local press. A few days later the Righteous Gentile received a letter threatening his life.

Russia - A threatening postcard was sent through the mail to the JDC offices in St. Petersburg. A call for death to the Jews was written on the postcard which was received.

South Africa - A phone threat on the planting of a bomb was received at the offices of the 'Carmel Crawford College' (formerly the Jewish school in Pretoria) and it was stressed that 'the threat should be taken seriously'. The threat was received against the background of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the State of Israel and the fact that the school has a Jewish orientation. The school was evacuated and searched but nothing was found.

Uruguay - An anonymous announcement on the planting of a bomb was received at the building of the Youth Front (the second largest Zionist youth movement) in Montevideo. The place was searched but nothing was found.

Mexico - An anonymous announcement that a car bomb would explode in a few minutes was received at the Bonds office in Mexico City. The place was evacuated and searched but nothing was found.

Australia - Anti-Semitic threatening announcements were left on the answering machine of a Jewish organization in Sydney.

Four anti-Semitic conversations and a threatening call on the planting of a bomb were received in the building of a Jewish organization in New South Wales.

Anti-Semitic Propaganda

Britain - Anti-Semitic slogans were shouted at the New West End synagogue in London by passengers of a passing car.

An anti-Semitic racist letter was received at the St. Martin hospital. The letter was entitled 'The Diseases of the Jewish People'. In the letter a list appeared of diseases carried by the Jews. At the end of the letter was written 'Whites throughout the world, wake up and understand the danger of death existing in mixing races with Jews, Blacks, Asians, Armenians and Orientals'.

The editor of the Searchlight newspaper received a letter from a member/supporter of the C-18 organization. The letter was made up of a sheet of paper printed with swastikas, various caricatures and a rifle beside which was printed 'Fuck you Jew'.

Gibraltar - Anti-Semitic slogans were shouted at worshippers who were coming out of the' Shaarei Shomayim' synagogue by passengers from a passing car.

Brazil - Anti-Semitic expressions were used in an article written by a mayoralty candidate for Maua in the Jornal Da Cidade De Maua criticizing the functioning of the Secretary of Culture and Sport of the Sao Paulo province, Mr. Marcus Arbeitman, who is a Brazilian Jew. The article states, for example, that 'the Secretary is from the country where they killed Jesus', that 'he hired a special cook for his bureau where Hitler receives mayors with much grandeur' and that 'the killer of Jesus used the services of a marketing office'.

Uruguay - Abusive slogans and curses were drawn on the wall of the large 'Integral' Jewish school in Montevideo.

Peru - On Channel 13 television in Lima in a talk show that hosts various guests a program was broadcast on racism in which a man appeared who identified himself as a Neo-Nazi and expressed very radical opinions against the Jews. The man appeared with his face covered by a black mask.

Venezuela - There were many incidents of swastikas drawn in Caracas during May, especially near Jewish sites.

Columbia - There were many swastikas drawn in Bogota during May. The dissemination of anti-Semitic and Neo-Nazi books in a number of shops and book fairs has also increased.

Australia - A swastika was cut into the lawn of a golf club in one of the suburbs of New South Wales.

Graffiti, which included swastikas, were drawn on 12 statues in the community center in one of the suburbs of New South Wales.

An academic in Sydney received a Holocaust denial letter which slanders the head of the Jewish community.

Radical right-wing e-mail was sent from the U.S. to a Jewish organization in Sydney.

An anti-Jewish/religious defamatory note was handed into a Jewish institute in Sydney.

In Adelaide threats and slander were made against a Jew during a business argument. He was told 'Hitler had the right idea with you Jews'.

'Updated News' of the Adelaide Institute continues to compare the Zionist opposition towards the Palestinians to Nazis organizing during World War II against the Jews. The update included articles by Canadian Holocaust deniers. In the editorial office of the Hobart Mercury a letter was received which compared the actions of Nazis against the Jewish people with the opposition of the Israeli government towards the Palestinian people. A letter in the same vein was received at the editorial offices of the Australian Daily Telegraph.

A well-known Neo-Nazi who operates in Perth sent a letter to a reporter claiming that he was from now on the leader of the 'Australian Revolutionary Movement' which cooperates with the Aryan Skinheads to destroy the myth of the Holocaust. He called for purging Australia of the Zionists.

A radio announcer in Melbourne warned his listeners of 'Jews bringing gifts' during a radio program which discussed the Melbourne football club that is owned by a Jewish millionaire.

South Africa - A swastika and an SS symbol were drawn on the outside wall of the Crawford school pool in Pretoria. The graffiti was left on the wall for a week and then additional graffiti - Joode Vrek - appeared.

The Islamic 'Radio 786' in Capetown broadcast an interview with Dr. Zaki from the Islamic Institute in London. In the interview Zaki used ideas from the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion' to prove how the Jews manipulate South Africa's history and politics.

A number of swastikas and an anti-Semitic derogatory sentence were drawn on the sidewalk near the 'Or Samayah' bookstore in Glenhazel, Johannesburg.

During a rugby game between two schools, the students of one school stood in a line, made the Nazi salute and shouted 'Heil Hitler'. The game was stopped, the students went home and later apologized. As a result of the incident the Jewish organizations decided that Holocaust education should be intensified in the non-Jewish schools and anti-Semitic behaviour in schools should be watched.

Struggle Against Anti-Semitism

Gibraltar - Anti-Semitic slogans were shouted at worshippers who were coming out of the' Shaarei Shomayim' synagogue by passengers from a passing car. The car was traced and the passengers were each fined a large sum.

Argentina - The court in Moron, in the Buenos Aires province, decided to sentence the leader of the Verdad Y Justicia anti-Semitic group to two and a half years prison. Three other members of the group received a two year suspended sentence and participation in a human rights course. The four had been arrested at the time on suspicion of damaging gravestones in the Jewish Tablada cemetery but their participation in the incident was not proven. Their conviction stems from the seizure of much anti-Semitic material they had in their possession (some 25,000 pamphlets). This is the second time that Law no. 23.595 against discrimination was enforced against an anti-Semitic group. (In previous case three skinheads were sentenced to three years in prison). The law imposes three months to three years in prison on those members of racist groups or organizations or on those who encourage hatred based on race, religion or origin.

Britain - Jewish organizations received anti-Semitic and Holocaust denying accusing letters by e-mail over the Internet from the Al -Muhajiroun organization which had used the mailing list of another Jewish organization. The organization complained to the Internet service supplier. The latter closed the website that the organization had used, claiming that the ethical code of the Internet had been violated, especially in this case, against Jews.

This month, the trial of Nick Griffin, the leader of the radical right-wing British Nationalist Party (BNP) and another activist of the organization, Paul Ballard, ended in their conviction after a police raided their apartment and found anti-Semitic, racist and Holocaust denial publications. The raid came after Holocaust denial mail was sent to senior Jewish government officials. Griffin was sentenced to nine months in prison and two years suspended sentence and Ballard received six months in prison and a two years suspended sentence.

Australia - At the end of May the public television station in Adelaide was to have broadcasted a program of Frederick Toben from the Adelaide Institute who is a well-known Holocaust denier. Following pressure by the Jewish community and other bodies the program was not shown. The subject aroused much public discussion afterwards.

Miscellaneous

Egypt - An exhibition was held in Cairo by the Slovak artist Lubomir Ferko entitled 'Thus Spoke the Prophets' in which the artist presented the connection between the three monotheistic religions. He developed a special technique of creating glass which contained pages of the Old and New Testaments and the Koran in the three appropriate languages - Hebrew, Latin and Arabic. The exhibit was shown in Cairo on the condition that the items connected with Judaism, the Prophets and everything written in Hebrew be omitted. Despite his reservations and lack of enthusiasm, the artist agreed to showing the exhibition as requested, and the exhibition was shown without the part connected with Judaism.

Denmark - The Danish Minister of Justice requested that the parallel authorities in Germany prosecute Soeren Kam, an SS officer of Danish extraction, aged 76, who participated in 1943 in the execution of the Danish journalist Carl Henrik Clemmensen. After the war Kam became a German citizen and was sought by the Danish police. Kam lived in Germany, taking advantage of the fact that Germany did not extradite war criminals. In 1995 Kam was seen wearing an SS uniform at a Nazi gathering in Austria. The affair came to light again following the DNA examination of the Danish journalist which proved Kam's guilt.