Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - Nov-96

November, 1996

General

The trend of a certain decrease in the number of violent incidents reported throughout the world against Jewish targets and installations continued through November. This carne after a wave of incidents following the opening of the Hasmonean tunnel and because of the multitude of worshippers during the period of the Jewish holidays (the month of September). But violent incidents and attack attempts against Jewish targets continued this month also- In Britain a firecracker was thrown into a synagogue which burst into flames inside it, Tn two other incidents bricks were thrown at synagogues. The desecration of Jewish cemeteries also continued in Austria, Hungary, and Poland.

There has recently been an increase in the number of Jews kidnapped, Two such incidents occurred this month - in Mexico and Brazil. In Turkey a young man was released after being kidnapped last month. The background to the kidnappings appears to be criminal (request for ransom) but the phenomenon is a cause for concern.

Threats against Jewish installations were also reported this month in Eastern Europe (Latvia) and western Europe (Germany, Spain), as well as in Chile, although it seems that the number of threats has somewhat decreased.

Examples of anti-Semitic propaganda prominent this month %ere the great number of abusive slogans and anti-Semitic and Nazi symbols drawn on Jewish and Israeli buildings.

Anti-Semitic statements in the Arab establishment and opposition press continued this month.

In the sphere of struggle, steps were taken in Britain and Hungary against anti-Semitic manifestations and advertisements. A Moroccan weekly printed an apology for an anti-Semitic article published in a previous edition in reaction to a film shown in the city of Rabat.

'Nazi Gold' and Jewish property continue to occupy the media and government elements in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Argentina. The Presidential Bureau in Slovakia supports compensation to the Jews.

Attacks and Incidents

Argentina - An old hand grenade was thrown into the yard of the Jewish old people's home in San Miguel which is about 50 km from Buenos Aires. It did not explode and no damage was done. A search of the premises did not reveal any additional evidence.

Britain - Two bricks were thrown at the window of the Reford and District synagogue in the city of Essex. No one was hurt as the building was empty at the time.

A brick was thrown at the window of the South London Liberal synagogue. On the synagogue walls very large swastikas were drawn and anti-Semitic slogans were written such as 'Did 6 million really die?', 'Heil, Adolf Hitler' and 'Juden Raus'.

At the Watford Grammar School a Jewish boy was beaten by a group of Pakistanis as part of increasing bullying of Jewish students by Pakistani students.

On 31 October, 1996 in the early night hours a firecracker was thrown at the Catford and Bromley Affiliated synagogue. It was thrown through one of the synagogue windows which was open and it caught fire in the synagogue. The fire was apparently put out immediately by the rabbi who lives in the synagogue. Young people living nearby were responsible.

Austria - On Crystal Night unidentified persons damaged the Jewish cemetery in the town of Hollabrun which is about 60 km from Vienna. Part of the cemetery wall was broken and about 30 gravestones were knocked over.

Hungary - Gravestones were desecrated in two Jewish cemeteries, in west Hungary in the cities of Kormend and Szentgotthard. It is not known who was responsible.

A box was thrown into the courtyard of the Budapest synagogue one evening. Sappers who called in discovered that the box contained old newspapers and a plastic porcupine.

Russia - At the end of a basketball game between Maccabi Tel-Aviv and the C.S.K.A. team from Moscow a group of about 40 local Jewish youths were attacked by about 50 local residents who were wearing symbols of the C.S.K.A. team. The local residents attacked the young people with their fists, brass knuckles And sticks, shouting "Hit the Jews!", "Go to Israel". A number of people were injured in the incident.

Poland - 43 gravestones were desecrated in the Jewish cemetery in the city of Auschwitz.

Spain - Two young boys were beaten in Malaga by four skinheads who decided that they were Jewish. It was learned afterwards that they had been mistaken.

Argentina - A stone was thrown at a crowd coming out of Jewish wedding which had taken place in the community center in Cordoba. No one was injured.

Brazil - In the 'Eitan' building of the Jewish community in Sao Paulo there was an unsuccessful attempt to booby-trap the entrance.

Threats

Germany - Two telephone threats were received during November on the planting of a bomb in the Jewish community building in Berlin. Both proved false alarms.

Spain - An anonymous announcement was received in the Jewish school in Madrid that a bomb was about to explode in the school. A search revealed nothing.

Latvia - The rabbi of the Riga community received an anonymous announcement that the Riga synagogue was to be attacked. No details were given to indicate who was planning the attack.

Chile - Threats were received in the offices of Eduardo Biteran, the Jewish Deputy Minister of Commerce and Industry in Chile. It was stated that Biteran and his family would pay dearly for statements Biteran had made in the media. The callers said they knew where the family lived. It will be recalled that Biteran had come out against anti-Semitic expressions made by senior government officials.

Britain - A 'Bang' letter was received by the Jewish Memorial Council in London from the C-18. In the letter was written: 'It is very easy, Jews. Maybe next time', and 'Jews beware'. This letter was also sent from Newport Cardiff as the previous 'Bang' letters had been.

The Scopus Jewish Education Trust in London received an anti-Semitic letter written in German which had a Chanukah menorah drawn on it.

U.S./Britain - The American Holocaust denier, Michael Hoffman (author of 'The Great Holocaust Trial'), published an article in the 'Palestine Times', a newspaper which supports Hamas and the PLO and is distributed in London. The title of the article was 'The Terror-Tricksters, The Zionist Chess Game of Incitement'. Hoffman claims that the Zionists incited the Germans to kill them and they are today using this tactic against Hamas.

Canada - The Holocaust denier, Ernst Zundel, published through Internet that Michael Hoffman is building a museum of the Israeli Holocaust against the Palestinian people. Hoffman plans to open a number of wings in the museum, among them, the Holocaust of the Jewish Communists against Russia and Eastern Europe and the Holocaust against the German people .

Italy - The 'Il Messaggero' newspaper in Rome published an article on graffiti which included photographs of abusive anti-Semitic slogans written in the Monte Verde neighborhood in Rome where many Jews live. There has recently been an increase in the writing of anti-Semitic abusive slogans in Rome.

During a basketball game between an Israeli team and the local team in Varese the team members were received with abusive slogans, swastikas and statements calling for returning the Jews to the death camps. Varese has been known as an anti-Semitic town ever since 1979 when an Israeli basketball team was received in a similar manner.

Spain - On the Jewish community building in Madrid were drawn swastikas, a hanging tree with a Star of David under it and expressions such as 'Take showers with Cyclon-B'. Similar slogans were also drawn on a kosher shop near the community building.

Czech Republic - A number of skinheads were arrested during a meeting of the radical right in Kozolupy, where about 700 skinheads participated, after they shouted anti-Semitic and racist slogans and made the Nazi salute outside the meeting. The incident was part of a meeting organized by an international neo-Nazi organization called 'Blood and Honor'.

Azerbaijan - Anti-Semitic slogans and pictures have been recently drawn in all parts of the city of Baku. Stars of David are drawn with swastikas inside them. Beside the drawings are written 'Abraham = Hitler'.

Anti-Semitic slogans by an organization called 'The Army of Allah' have recently appeared on the walls of Baku. Among other things the following were written: 'Azerbaijan is in a bad situation because the laws of Islam are not observed'. 'All the Christians and missionaries and believers in Jesus must accept Islam'. 'We must fight all the idol worshippers. 'The Jews are the incarnation of the devil, all over the world, and God has turned His back on them. Therefore there will be no resurrection for the Jews'. 'The army of Allah will fight against all of these'.

Argentina - Swastikas were drawn on the walls of the synagogue, the community school and community building in Corrientes. Abusive slogans against the Jews were also written.

Qatar - An abusive slogan was written on a wall near the home of the local Israeli representative which included a swastika and the peace sign.

Struggle

Britain - A series of proposals for anti-terrorism legislation were brought forward in Britain by Lord Lloyd of Berwick who carried out a thorough investigation on the subject. The proposals call for increasing the present legislation from Northern Ireland to all of Britain. This will facilitate the struggle against activities of terrorist groups who are using Britain as a center for their activity. In addition another law is to be proposed in parliament for the struggle against terrorism as a reaction to London having become a 'safe haven' for terrorists from the Middle East.

The Court fined and warned a member of the Aston Villa soccer team after he made the Nazi salute during a game.

A meeting of 'Hizb Al-Tahrir' which was to have taken place in Nottingham was canceled by court order since the organization's ideology is radical, anti-Jewish, against women and homosexuals.

Hungary - The leadership of the Jewish community registered a complaint against the well-known anti-Semitic weekly 'Democratzia' for selling the book 'Mein Kampf'. This resulted in the Public Prosecutor banning the sale. Five hundred books were nevertheless sold before the Prosecutor made the decision.

Argentina - President Carlos Menem, announced a cash prize for anyone with information that would lead to the capture of those who desecrated the Jewish cemetery in Tablada.

Morocco - The 'Al-Mounataf' weekly published an article on its front page entitled 'Under the guise of culture, the Jews are taking over the motion picture screen'. The article was published in reaction to the film 'Independence Day' which was screened in theaters in the city of Rabat. The article stated that the film was enjoyable even though it promoted ideas such as Judaism being the last refuge of humanity. A week later an apology was published which was defined as a 'technical error that had escaped the attention of the editors'. The weekly's editorial committee wrote that 'they had the same respect for Jews, Moroccan or otherwise, that they had for any person. Jews had a special place in their hearts since they were their brothers in the struggle for the interests of their dear homeland'. The article was published following a complaint sent to the weekly by a member of the Jewish community.

Politics and Anti-Semitism

Greece - The rumor of the Jewish origin of the Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rozakis, which began as a curiosity, grew to a question in Parliament raised by an opposition member, and a series of articles in the local media. The mood of the articles ranged between wonder whether there was actually truth to the rumors, to condemnation of the anti-Semitic tone behind the very raising of such a question. Except for the radical right-wing and most marginal newspapers, most of the publications emphasized the principle of equality and religious freedom in practice in Greece.

Chile - During November many articles were published in the press containing anti-Semitic expressions voiced by senior government members, including the Minister of Defense and the Deputy Minister of Public Works, who were extremely annoyed with the promotion of a group of young talented Jews to the positions of deputy minister. In some cases the expression 'Jewish Zionist clique or troika' was mentioned.

Miscellaneous

Poland - The special committee established by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs began its work to examine the secret agreement of 1949 between Poland and Switzerland, according to which Poland paid compensation to Swiss citizens for property nationalized in Poland through deposits of Holocaust victims. A number of people have already appeared before the Committee, among them those who conducted the negotiations with the Swiss in 1949. It was publicized that Poland received about 3.8 tons of gold in 1976 but that this shipment arrived in Poland in exchange for bank deposits which had been in Poland during the period before World War II in banks in the free city of Danzig.

A telephone line was set up in Warsaw for Jews in distress. The initiator of the telephone line claims that there are thousands of Jews in Poland, part of them from mixed families who are having difficulty dealing with their Jewishness. 'Experienced Jews' give assistance to this open line.

Hungary - The Hungarian government is discussing the subject of Jewish property belonging to Hungarian Holocaust victims. The Jewish community is requesting the establishment of an independent team which will examine the fate of the gold and property transferred to banks in Switzerland, including secret accounts that exist according to an agreement signed between Hungary and Switzerland in 1973. It has also been requested that the money, no matter what amount, be transferred to the Hungarian community after the investigation is completed.

Slovakia/Czech Republic - The Czech Presidential Bureau expressed support of the request by the Association of Jewish Communities in Slovakia for compensation from the Czech National Bank (CNB). This concerns the gold stolen from Jews during the war and transferred in the 'fifties from Slovakia to the CNB vaults.