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The Scourge of Anti-Semitism
Global forum reveals massive rise in
European anti-Semitism
By Jeremy
JERUSALEM (EJP)--- New figures released by the Global Forum Against
Anti-Semitism on Sunday have revealed a concerning rise in anti-Semitic
incidents in Europe as well as worldwide.
According to the forum - a joint venture by the Jewish Agency for
Israel, the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Prime minister’s
Office-, Russia and Austria were two of the countries with the biggest
increase, 20 and 60 percent respectively.
The statistics were released at a press conference held at the Jewish
Agency’s headquarters in Jerusalem attended by Israeli foreign minister
Tzipi Livni and Jewish Agency chairman Zeev Bielski.
At the press conference, Jewish Agency official Amos Herman particularly
highlighted the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe. According to the
Forum’s figures, there were 360 reported incidents in France in 2006
compared to 300 the previous year and Scandinavian countries saw 53
incidents in last year, compared to 35 in 2005.
Although numbers for Germany as a whole were not included, the Forum’s
report cited a 60 percent rise in the Berlin area. It however showed a
decrease in incidents in the UK from 321 to 312.
Nazi comparison
Herman said anti-Semites in Europe are using the comparison of Israel to
the Nazis to encourage people to think that “the Jewish nation has no
right to exist, because the Nazis, according to international consensus,
have no right to exist.”
He also said that last summer’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and in
particular the mistaken bombing of an apartment block in the town of
Qana which reportedly left dozens of innocent Lebanese dead, fuelled
anti-Semitism.
"There is no doubt the recent Lebanon war and the Qana incident led to
the most severe incidents in the past decade," Herman said.
Speaking at the press conference, Bielski expressed his concern at the
situation. “Anti-Semitic phenomena in Europe are very grave and
countries like France and England are struggling to handle them," he
said.
Thousands of French Jews have immigrated to Israeli in recent years with
many saying the rise in local anti-Semitism has made them feel unsafe.
Open invitation
Bielski stressed that Israel is always open to new Jewish immigrants
from anywhere in the world. "All of Europe’s Jews know they can come to
the sole Jewish State of Israel, which has the Law of Return," he
reiterated.
The report also noted the influence of Iranian anti-Semitism, and
especially the recent conference held in Iran which denied the Holocaust
as well as comments by the country’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Two years ago Ahmadinejad also called for Israel to be wiped off the map
and said the Jews should return to Europe where a new state should be
created for them.
Addressing this issue, Livni said: "It is not enough for the United
Nations to condemn this. These statements must not be acceptable in the
world."
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