Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - Oct-97

October 1997

General

There were less violent incidents in October than in other months but the nature of activity remained the same. Synagogues continued to be a target for anti-Jewish activity (possibly because of the Jewish holidays). There was an attempt in Britain to set the inner courtyard bordering on the wall of a synagogue on fire. A Molotov cocktail was also thrown at a synagogue in Marseilles, France and in Genoa, Italy a bottle of oil was exploded in the front of a synagogue. Cemeteries were desecrated in London and in Copenhagen. Threatening messages, mainly against Jewish installations, continued to be received in October as well.

In the sphere of propaganda, the well-known denunciations against Jewish installations continued in publications and in the street. Prominent this month were the anti-Semitic statements of the Prime Minister of Malaysia who accused the Jews for his country's serious economic difficulties. The Internet, which acts as a platform for anti-Semitic publications, is also used for sending abuse through e-mail. Among those manifestations of the struggle against anti-Semitism, mention should be made of the fact that at a symposium held in the Vatican on the sources of anti-Semitism in Christianity, the Pope denounced anti-Semitism.

Attacks and Incidents

Britain - There was an attempt to set the South Tottenham synagogue in London on fire. The perpetrators tried to set fire to the inner courtyard which is alongside the synagogue wall by using kerosene.

Two girl students from the King David high school in Manchester were attacked by a group of boys while riding the train home from school. One of the Jewish girls was beaten. This was yet another of a recent series of threats and physical and verbal harassment of girl students from the Jewish King David school. A number of weeks ago boys threatened three girls on their way to school with a gun, asked for their money and lit a cigarette lighter in front of one of the girl's face.

Stones were thrown at the Hillel Wolfson elementary school in London. The stone throwers were boys living in the neighborhood.

The Plashet cemetery in London was desecrated. Ten gravestones were smashed. A gang of youths who shouted anti-Semitic slogans, smashed a window and pasted anti-Semitic stickers on the doors and walls of a theater in Croydon. Actors and the theater crew were in the theater at the time putting on the play 'The Dream of Anne Frank'.

A Jew was attacked while parking his car near the Central Synagogue in Birmingham. Boys dragged and beat him and stole his wallet and car. A brick was thrown at the window of his car the previous night.

Denmark - There was an attempt to break into the ancient Jewish cemetery in the Norrobro neighbourhood in Copenhagen.

Italy - An exploded oil bottle was found in front of the Genoa synagogue. It is assessed that it was a prank of local young people.

France - A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the St. Marguerit neighbourhood synagogue in Marseilles. No one was hurt and no damaged was caused to the building.

Threats

France - An announcement was received in the town of Antibes of a bomb planted in the Beit Eliahou Hanavi synagogue. The synagogue was evacuated and searched but nothing was found.

Austria - Threats of a bomb plant reached a number of Jewish sites in Vienna:

a. An anonymous call on an expected explosion in Tempelgasse (a street in the Second Quarter where a number of Jewish institutions are concentrated, including two synagogues), with no specific reference to the place. The street and places were searched but nothing suspicious was found.

b. An anonymous announcement of a bomb was received at the Maimonides Center Jewish old people's home.

Brazil - An anonymous announcement of a bomb was received at the Lapa neighbourhood synagogue in Sao Paolo. The place was searched and nothing was found.

Australia - A lecturer at Melbourne University known to be Jewish received a threatening letter bearing his name. Swastikas were drawn on the letter.

Anti-Semitic Propaganda

Britain - Muslim youth shouted anti-Semitic slogans at Jewish women in the Edgware district in Middlesex. The word "Yids" was also heard among the slogans.

Anti-Semitic statements such as "It's a shame that Hitler didn't finish off everyone" and "Heil Hitler" were shouted at a father and son on their way home from the synagogue prayer service in Edgware.

The management of the Discovery Museum in Newcastle received an anti-Semitic and anti-Zionist letter in reaction to an Anna Frank exhibition which was to have been held there.

Anti-Semitic remarks were shouted at a female worker from the Ealing synagogue in London while she was on her way to the synagogue.

Greece - An anti-Semitic abusive slogan was discovered at the site of the memorial to Holocaust victims from the Saloniki community which is at a special site near Saloniki.

Romania - During a basketball game between an Israeli team and a Romanian team in Bucharest, anti-Semitic type slogans and variations of the word "Jidan" were heard and the Nazi salute was seen.

Malaysia - The Malaysian prime minister made anti-Semitic statements that a Jewish plot was behind his county's serious economic difficulties.

India - Anti-Jewish remarks were found in a pamphlet entitled "The Jewish Fifth Column in India" which was published in the series "The Library Political Secrets" written by Istvan Bakony and published in Bombay. There were claims and proofs in the pamphlet of the Jewish takeover of Indian economic sectors and their infiltration into parts of the closed Indian society.

Uruguay - Eight swastikas were drawn on the Integral Jewish school building in Montevideo.

Turkey - The Istanbul community received an anti-Semitic pamphlet in which the Jews were referred to as the enemies of Islam who should be wiped from the face of the earth.

Australia - Swastikas and graffiti were drawn on the outside door of a Jewish community building in Sydney.

Unidentified persons shouted anti-Semitic remarks at worshippers coming out of five different synagogues in the eastern suburbs of Sydney. This occurred on the eve of the Day of Atonement.

A Jewish organization in Sydney received 43 anti-Semitic pamphlets and letters through the e-mail. The unidentified sender was from the U.S.

An Adelaide Jewish community representative received an abusive letter containing abusive sayings and Holocaust denial, the worst of which was "No Jew was ever gassed anywhere outside an American penitentiary."

In the October issue of the "Adelaide Institute Online" newspaper an article appeared on the "negative role" of the Jews in World War 11 (for example, Jewish Zionists collaborated with Hitler) and the "assault of the Zionist Jews on the banks and insurance companies in Switzerland". The article also contained letters attacking the Adelaide Jewish community.

An anti-Semitic article was published in the September-October issue of the Islamic publication "Nida'ul Islam", which is printed in Australia. The article warns the Arabs of the world not to arrive at a permanent agreement with the Jews as this enrages Allah. The article continues drawing a picture of the Jews as the "rebellious and arrogant children of Allah". The Jews are tyrants and Allah will surely punish them. The end will be that the Jewish state will be destroyed.

Struggle Against Anti-Semitism

The Vatican - This month Pope John Paul 11 strongly denounced anti-Semitism, thereby admitting that many Christians did not act in accordance with the principles of their faith during the Holocaust, but he refrained from expressly apologizing for the Church's faults during the Nazi persecutions. "There is no justification for anti- Semitism and it is fitting to denounce it completely," said the head of the Catholic church in statements he made before Christian theologists at a symposium held in the Vatican on the roots of anti-Jewishness in Christianity. The declared purpose of the symposium was to create a society where Christians and Jews could live together despite their differences.

Sweden - A complaint was filed by the Holocaust Survivors Association to the State Attorney in Stockholm against 'Radio Islam' anti-Semitic broadcasts. The complaint defines the station as the most anti-Semitic in Europe.

Britain - During a demonstration held by the 'Al-Muhajiroun' organization opposite the Ealing municipality building in London, one of the activists was arrested for anti-Semitic incitement because of an anti-Semitic poster he was waving. The activist was accused by the British law against incitement to racism, the maximum punishment for which is six months imprisonment. The trial has not yet taken place.

The radical right-wing activist Mark Atikson was sentenced to 21 months in prison for publishing and disseminating the radical right-wing newspaper 'The Stormier'. In giving the verdict, the judge stated that during the entire period of his career he had not encountered such a level of hatred and incitement to violence which was directed not only against minorities, but also against Jews, which appear in that publication.

Germany - Following discoveries from a video movie filmed by German soldiers documenting neo-Nazi actions and declarations, Nazi salutes and the announcement that the destruction of the Jews by the Nazis was a fabrication, legal proceedings were opened against two officers and six enlisted men who will be accused of incitement to racism and exhibiting Nazi symbols forbidden by law. The Parliament Security Committee in Bonn will examine how the movie circulated in the army base for three years without any commander knowing of it or reporting it.

Miscellaneous

South Africa - During a Muslim demonstration next to the mosque on Queen Street in Pretoria, calls were heard for official recognition of Hizballah and Hamas and an Israeli flag was burned. Anti-Jewish posters were waved such as: 'One bullet, one Zionist Jew' and 'Get out of Palestine, Zionist dogs'. The demonstration spokesman and organizer also added that 'the Jews are killing our families, stealing our lands and destroying our homes' and demanded that the Arab lands be returned to their owners.

Poland - The priest Jankowsi, who became known in 1995 for his anti-Semitic remarks, expressed himself once again this month during mass in the St. Brygida church in Gdansk, stating that many Poles are not satisfied with the current coalition and that the Jewish minority should not be accepted in the government. He also spoke against Bronislaw Gereinek, the Jewish foreign minister candidate, The head of the Catholic church in Gdansk, Bishop Goclawski, denounced Jankowski's statements and said that it was another example of ignorance and exploitation of his status as a priest to intervene in political matters. Television and press commentators defined the priest's statements as 'stupid' and emphasized that he was violating his promise to the church to refrain from anti-Semitic statements.

France - At the beginning of the month the trial began of Maurice Papon, the official in the Bordeaux municipality accused of collaborating with the Nazis to send thousands of Jews to concentration camps during World War II. On the day the trial began a memorial meeting took place at the Stele De Merignal memorial site from where 1500 Jews were led to the gas chambers by Papon. The judges decided to release Papon until the end of the legal proceedings, The renewal of the trial aroused public debate in France over whether Papon, should stand trial at his age and in his poor state of health.

FAX: 03-5468352, TEL - AVIV, ISRAEL