Report of Anti-Semitic Incidents - Sep-96

General

The Jewish religious holidays and the great number of worshippers compared to other periods in the year aroused a wave of anti-Semitic incidents and manifestations against Jews, especially around synagogues. These were reported in various places in Europe (including Eastern Europe), Latin America, Australia and Morocco.

The anti-Israeli and anti-Zionist attacks which occurred in the international arena, and especially in the Arab world, following the opening of the Hasmonean Tunnel in Jerusalem, also included anti-Semitic overtones.

In the sphere of the struggle against anti-Semites, it was decided to bring a Nazi criminal to trial in France, and in Switzerland and Britain legal proceedings were taken against neo-Nazis and anti-Semitic elements. In London a complaint was lodged against the appearance of an anti-Semitic notice in the 'Guardian' newspaper.

An official report was published in Canada complaining about the deterioration in the level of tolerance, among other things, against Jews.

The Holocaust denier, David Irving, intends to request an entry permit into Australia following the Prime Minister's announcement of new regulations dealing with freedom of speech. The subject aroused once again in Australia public debate on the subject.

The scandal of the 'Nazi gold' stolen by the Nazis in World War II, especially from Jewish victims, and hidden on their instruction in the vaults of Swiss banks, rose to the headlines in the world media. Repercussions were especially conspicuous in Britain, Germany and France. Other countries intend to investigate the possibility of finding Nazi gold in central banks.

Attacks and Incidents

Britain - At the beginning of the month, unknown persons broke into the Hull Hebrew Congregation synagogue in Humberside. Nothing was stolen but the intruders also broke into cars that were parked near the synagogue and left notes on them with statements such as 'Bloody Jews, I will inform the police of your illegal parking'.

At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, a number of worshippers gathered outside the Damesk Eliezer synagogue in Manchester. A group of white youths who were standing on the opposite pavement began to imitate the prayer service. At a certain stage one of the boys took out an air rifle and shouted at the worshippers "Shoot the Jews!". The boys fled after the incident. This incident was part of a series of similar incidents in the area between the orthodox community and young people.

Scotland - The 'Piers Hill' Jewish cemetery in Edinburgh was desecrated on the eve of Yom Kippur. 94 gravestones were knocked over.

During a prayer service conducted in the Netherlee and Clarkston Hebrew Congregation community building in Glasgow, youths pounded on the door of the building which was being used as a synagogue. The youths fled by the time the congregation members succeeded in reacting.

During the month a number of incidents occurred in the streets of Britain where youths drove by in cars shouting anti-Semitic slogans at groups of Jewish worshippers who were leaving the synagogue.

Greece - Unidentified persons threw stones at the Larisa synagogue. No one was injured but a number of windows were smashed.

Lithuania - A memorial stone which was erected to commemorate an ancient Jewish cemetery in Silude was desecrated by a group of local youths.

Poland - During a friendly soccer game between the Polish and German all-star teams on 4 September, 1996 in Zabrze, about 300 German fans became rowdy and fighting broke out between them, the Polish fans and the Polish police. The Germans shouted anti-Semitic slogans and raised their hands in salute, crying "We are marching again" and "We are in Poland again to kick the Jews in the ass".

Morocco - Stones were thrown at the worshippers' succah at the Biton and Baba Laziz synagogues in Casablanca. No one was injured and no damage was cause.

Mexico - At the Ashkenazi synagogue in Acapulco a book was found on the eve of the Jewish New Year which had a page with a swastika drawn on it. On a number of its pages Nazi slogans such as 'Heil Hitler' were written.

Argentina - On the eve of the second night of the Jewish New Year, 57 gravestones were desecrated in the Cordoba Jewish cemetery. In the intermediate days of Succot, eight more gravestones were desecrated.

Uruguay - The words 'Pueblo Judio' were painted on the memorial plaque for the victims of the Holocaust in Montevideo.

Australia - Mezuzot were ripped off the doorways in a Jewish school in Perth and the following slogan was painted on the building wall: 'Get out of here, you stinking Jews. We are going to blow up the joint'.

A stone was thrown at the window of the Temple Beth Israel synagogue in Perth on the Jewish New Year.

Threats

Britain - An anonymous call was received at the New West End synagogue in London. The caller had an Arab accent and said he intended to blow up the synagogue. A search of the premises revealed nothing.

The Czech Republic - An anti-Semitic letter was sent to a Jewish artist who had opened an exhibition of paintings and photographs in Prague. The letter gave the artist a 'warning' and a schedule for leaving the Czech Republic before the writers of the letter (the 'Adolf Eichmann Unit') took care of him.

Turkey - An anonymous phone call was received at the home of the head of the Ankara Jewish community announcing that a bomb had been planted. Nothing was found.

Brazil - An anonymous announcement was received at the A.R.I. synagogue in Rio de Janeiro on the planting of a bomb. A search revealed nothing.

Propaganda

Britain - Pamphlets were seized by the police belonging to the Islamic 'El Mouhajiroun' organization, entitled 'Jewish Murderers' and 'Muslim vs. Jews War' calling for a holy war to 'eliminate the Jews'.

In the 'Muslim News Monthly' newspaper a call appeared to the leaders of Muslim organizations in Britain to break off relations with the Jewish community. The newspaper accuses the Jewish community of conducting a campaign (apparently defamation) against Islamic institutions. The newspaper even demanded an apology from heads of the Jewish community.

Italy - A number of days before the Day of Atonement anti-Semitic slogans were written on a wall of the main town square in Padua close to the university.

Lithuania - Anti-Semitic articles were published during the month in the Lithuanian press, some of them with classic anti-Semitic motifs and some on the life of the Jews.

Latvia - On the Jewish community building in Riga a number of defamatory statements were written such as 'Jews Go Home'. Rifle sights were also drawn and beside them the letters 'Gud'.

Canada/U.S. - The leader of the American anti-Semitic Muslim organization 'Nation of Islam', Louis Farrakhan, appeared in Toronto. His appearance aroused much interest in the written and electronic media. Farrakhan was cautious in his remarks about Jews, but anti-Semitic publications were sold in the hall.

Jordan - A strong anti-Jewish and anti-Israel article was disseminated in 'Al-Sabil', the magazine of the Jordan Islamic movement by the Islamic representative Abd Al-Moun'im Abu Zanet. The State of Israel and the Jewish people were defamed in the article and at the end of it was written that with the help of Allah the State of Israel and all its inhabitants would be eliminated.

Turkey - In the Islamic newspaper 'Akit', which partly represents the Rafah party, a series of articles denied the Holocaust. Despite the protest of the State of Israel the publication was not stopped.

Argentina - The 'Pagina 12' newspaper reported a letter signed by the 'Police of the Province of Buenos Aires' with radical anti-Semitic content(referring to affairs such as Deir Yassin and the murders in the Mahpelah Cave) which was meant to express support for the four policemen arrested in the Amia affair.

Struggle

United States - A draft law is up for discussion in the Legislature which will require the U.S. federal authorities to release information on Nazi war criminals or persons suspected of being illegible for entry into the U.S. According to the new law, if it is passed, the government will not be able to refuse requests for information detrimental to national security, except for special cases. The initiative for the law came from Congress member Carolyne B. Maloney, a Democrat from New York who claims that the former U.N. Secretary General Kurt Waldheim would never have reached his high position if the public had had access to the U.S. federal government's files dealing with World War II.

Switzerland - The leader of the Universal Church organization in Switzerland, Reimers Peters, was found guilty of publishing a pamphlet which claimed that the greed of the Jews caused World War 11. He was fined $4,000 and court expenses of $6,800 after he was found guilty of breaking the law forbidding ethnic discrimination or incitement to racism.

On the basis of the law ratified in 1994 in a referendum, a number of additional complaints were lodged against racist and neo-Nazi elements: A complaint was lodged against a library in Basle for circulating a book banned in Germany which diminished the magnitude of Nazi crimes and accuses the Jews of scheming to gain control over the world. Another complaint was lodged against a number of record distributors accused of distributing a neo-Nazi record which had also been banned previously in Germany.

Britain - On 30 August, 1996 the trial took place of four neo-Nazis caught in April on their way to desecrating gravestones in the Earlham Jewish cemetery in Norwich. The four were dressed in Nazi guerrilla uniforms. An examination of their apartments revealed various Nazi mementos. The main purpose of those caught was to harass the Jewish community. All four were sentenced to over a year's imprisonment.

The inter-parliamentary committee against anti-Semites in London lodged a complaint with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) concerning 'classic anti-Semitic propaganda' which appeared in the 'Guardian' newspaper in an announcement published in May in the name of Ayatollah Khamenei in anticipation of the Haj to Mecca. It was stated in the announcement that the Zionists are a 'malignant cancer, inhuman, and control the world media'. Israel was described in the announcement as am extorting country in the heart of the Muslim world. Following the complaint the A.S.A. censured the publication of the announcement.

France - The Court of appeals in Bordeaux decided to try Papon, a war criminal accused of ordering the deportation of 1,690 Jews (including 240 children) from the Bordeaux district during his police service in the Vichy government which collaborated with the Nazis during World War II.

Politics and Anti-Semites

Canada - An official report published in Ottawa entitled 'Hostile Crimes in Canada' complained of the deterioration in the level of tolerance and protested that the subject was treated lightly, including hatred of foreigners in various manifestations (from verbal abuse to murder). According to the report this phenomenon could happen in every community and neighborhood with the common targets being blacks, Jews, Asians and homosexuals. The report protested the improved methods, including exploitation of the large information networks such as Internet for disseminating negative ideas. The report mentioned the Holocaust denier Zundel who uses the computer system for incitement and spreading hatred and violence. Canada has laws dealing with such negative manifestations but so far they have only been partially enforced. The Ministry of Justice is currently discussing the problem of such propaganda infiltrating the large information networks.

Australia - Following Prime Minister John Howard's announcement on new regulations concerning freedom of speech, Holocaust denier David Irving announced his intention of requesting an entry permit to visit Australia. This announcement renewed the debate which arose in Australia whether to allow Irving to visit. It will be recalled that Irving's previous request for an entry permit in 1992 had been rejected, after which Irving sued the Australian government and won the case in 1995. The Australian Minister of Immigration was required to pay him court expenses. In an article published in the Australian newspaper 'The Australian', Robert Manne claims that granting Irving an entry permit should be examined not only from the aspect of freedom of speech but also the damage such a visit might cause. Many Holocaust survivors live in Australia today and they may be harmed by the ideology Irving spreads which denies the Holocaust.

Miscellaneous

Switzerland - The subject of 'Nazi gold' - the gold stolen by the Nazis during World War II, especially from Jewish victims and hidden on Nazi instruction in Swiss bank vaults - was of great interest to the international media during September. By present-day calculation, this gold would be worth more than ten billion German marks. The allies were also involved in this affair. A report on the subject published in Britain was heavily covered in the written and electronic media and public discussion. The report confirmed the harsh news that after the war the allies 'were not too enthusiastic' about bringing pressure to bear on the Swiss government to transfer the illegal treasures sent to it by the Nazis. According to the research article written in Germany, it was the Nazi gold, most of which came from plundering Jewish property, which financed the Nazi assault. The research article clearly accuses the Swiss. It emphasizes that Hitler actually began his campaign of occupation with no funds, and he refilled his treasury with the help of the Swiss after the occupation of Prague. The Swiss complied with the instruction from the Czech national bank to transfer the gold reserves they had in Berne to the bank reserves of the German Reich.

Brazil, Argentina and the U.S. intend to investigate the possibility of Nazi gold deposited in central banks. According to additional investigations currently going on, a great deal of Jewish property still exists in the hands of the government of France. It is claimed that much gold belonging to the Jews is also deposited in government banks in the U.S. which was transferred there following agreements with the Swiss government at the end of the war.

Britain/Switzerland - Basing its information on a C.I.A. report, the London 'Jewish Chronicle' published the fact that Hitler had apparently kept a secret bank account in the Union Bank of Switzerland in Berne where royalties from his book Mein Kampf were accumulated. A bank clerk close to Hitler by the name of Max Amman, handled the account.