U.S. Global Anti-Semitism Report - 01.05.2005





State Department Releases Global Anti-Semitism Report


Feature: Report on Global Anti-Semitism


Jan. 14: Editorial  - "Good Start" on Anti-Semitism
Jan. 12: Rightist Russian Parties Protest Report 

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Related articles and legislative history



 Kommersant - 01.06.2005





Kommersant

U.S. Department of State: Anti-Semitism Still Alive in Russia


U.S. Department of State believes that even though the Russian government no longer supports anti-Semitism, it does not take any active steps to oppose it. In 2004, the number of Russian skinheads reached 50,000 people. 

This is said in the first report of U.S. Department of State to U.S. Congress devoted to problems of the world anti-Semitism and entitled "Report on Global Anti-Semitism " published Wednesday. 

According to U.S. foreign policy department, 600,000 up to 1 million Jews live in Russia now, making approximately 0.5 percent of the country’s population.

"Many representatives of the Jewish community in Russia consider conditions for the people of the Jewish nationality in the country have improved, which is basically caused by the fact that there is no longer any official policy of state anti-Semitism in Russia," - the Russian section of the report reads.

However, American experts note that the signs of anti-Semitism and attacks on separate people of Jewish nationality and Jewish organizations on the territory of Russia are occurring all the more often. 

Spokesmen of Anti-Defamation League, referred to by the authors of the report, stress that despite the stability in the number of anti-Semitism acts in 2003, they are becoming all the more cruel.

The report emphasizes that the Government of the Russian Federation publicly condemns nationalist ideology and anti-Semitic statements, the Russian authorities support legal prosecution of any such displays. Nevertheless, lower rank officials are inclined to consider such displays of anti-Semitism as mere "hooliganism," which makes their suppression problematic.

The report gives numerous examples of attacks on Jews, Jewish organizations, desecration of Jewish cemeteries in different cities and regions of Russia. It also points at Anti-Semitic statements of many Russian politicians, in particular, representatives of Rodina (Homeland), Communist and LDPR parties. 

Authors of the report specify that anti-Semitic publications are freely distributed at the Russian territory, including Russkaya Pravda (The Russian Truth), Vityaz (Hero) and Peresvet, many of which are distributed in the Moscow metro and even in the building of the State Duma. 

The report says that, recently, the number of radical young people, calling themselves skinheads, who actively and illegally express their ultranationalist position has radically increased in Russia. In 1992, the number of skinheads in the country did not exceed several tens of people, by 2004 their number was over 50,000. 

“Minister of the Interior Rashid Nurgaliev was the first high-ranking official to recognize the existence of right-extremist youth groups in the country and declare that the struggle against extremism is one of the priorities for the Ministry and the FSB, " the Department of State stresses.

The report of U.S. Department of State notes that, over the past years, anti-Semitism has considerably strengthened in Europe. Since 2000, anti-Semitic statements have become more frequent, and the number of incidents of vandalism against Jews and their organizations has significantly increased.

France, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands are among the most anti-Semitic countries, authors of the report conclude from E.U. statistics. 


 Forward - 01.07.2005





Antisemitism Report Hailed

By Ori Nir

WASHINGTON -In a first-of-its-kind report on the global rise in antisemitism, the Bush administration is recommending several legislative and law-enforcement steps to countries in which the problem is rampant.

The report, issued this week by the State Department, describes the efforts of 61 governments to fight antisemitism. It concludes that although many governments - particularly in Europe - are increasingly speaking out against the threat of antisemitism, "most law enforcement officials are not specifically trained to deal with hate crimes, particularly anti-Semitic hate crimes." 

The State Department initially opposed the idea of a report devoted solely to antisemitism, arguing that it could erode America's "credibility by being interpreted as favoritism in human rights reporting." But the State Department was forced to prepare the report after Congress passed the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act shortly before it adjourned late last year to prepare for the November elections. President Bush signed the bill into law October 16. 

This week, however, State Department officials were hailing that the 60-page report is part of a broader American effort to encourage better monitoring, reporting, education and law enforcement to combat antisemitism worldwide.

"We want the world to recognize that anti-Semitism is a growing problem and is something we have to look at very seriously, while developing reporting on what's going on and also developing education systems and law enforcement," said Edward O'Donnell, the State Department's special envoy for Holocaust issues.

O'Donnell told reporters this week that the administration had yet to establish a special office on antisemitism, as required under the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act. According to O'Donnell, the White House has not yet determined the way in which to structure the office. 

The law gives the administration leeway in the way the office would be structured - whether it would be independent or a part of another entity within the State Department - and in terms of the seniority level of the person who will run it. Sources intimately familiar with the issue told the Forward that the White House is strongly considering a political appointee for the post.

Two lawmakers who led the push for the Global Anti-Semitism Review Act praised the new report: Ohio Republican George Voinovich, and Representative Tom Lantos, a California Democrat.

A spokesman for Voinovich described the report as a "penetrating, frank and candid look at this issue, creating a good foundation on which to build."

Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor in Congress, expressed vindication. "For the past few years, the Department of State has been in denial about the nature and extent of the problem," Lantos said. "The Global Anti-Semitism Review Act compelled the department to take a first step - publishing a comprehensive report detailing the problem."

Jewish organizations that strongly backed the legislation were happy with the report, describing it as valuable despite containing only a few illustrative examples of antisemitic acts. In particular, organizational officials said, the report adopts a broad definition of antisemitism, which makes reference to Israel bashing. The report states: "An important issue is the distinction between legitimate criticism of policies and practices of the State of Israel, and commentary that assumes an anti-Semitic character. The demonization of Israel, or vilification of Israeli leaders, sometimes through comparisons with Nazi leaders, and through the use of Nazi symbols to caricature them, indicates an anti-Semitic bias rather than a valid criticism of policy concerning a controversial issue." The report also states that one of the four main sources of antisemitism across the world in recent years has been: "strong anti-Israel sentiment that crosses the line between objective criticism of Israeli policies and anti-Semitism."

Although the report covers the whole world, it mentions only a handful of countries outside Europe and the Middle East. "Europe is certainly the focus of this rising anti-Semitism that has occurred in the last few years," O'Donnell said. Referring to Muslim nations, he added, "Even in countries where there are no Jews, we can't ignore the anti-Semitism that goes on in the media."


 Jerusalem Post - 01.06.2005





Jerusalem Post

Report: Rise in global anti-Semitism 


By Janine Zacharia

A combination of traditional anti-Jewish prejudice, strong anti-Israel sentiment and Europe's growing Muslim population has contributed to a recent rise in global anti-Semitism, a new report to Congress released by the State Department on Wednesday said. 

The department's first-ever "Report on Global Anti-Semitism," mandated by a new law signed by President George W. Bush in October, documents anti-Semitic acts around the world between July 2003 and December 2004. 

"The increasing frequency and severity of anti-Semitic incidents since the start of the 21st century, particularly in Europe, has compelled the international community to focus on anti-Semitism with renewed vigor," the report said. 

It made it clear that it does not deem all anti-Israel rhetoric to be anti-Semitic, but it said the lines between the two are becoming increasingly blurred. 

"An important issue is the distinction between legitimate criticism of policies and practices of the State of Israel and commentary that assumes an anti-Semitic character. The demonization of Israel, or vilification of Israeli leaders, sometimes through comparisons with Nazi elders, and through the use of Nazi symbols to caricature them, indicates an anti-Semitic bias rather than a valid criticism of policy concerning a controversial issue," it said. 

The report noted that in Western Europe, traditional far-right groups still "account for a significant proportion of the attacks against Jews and Jewish properties." 

But it noted that "disadvantaged and disaffected Muslim youths increasingly were responsible for most of the other incidents." 

"The recent rise in anti-Jewish acts and sentiments in Western Europe was often influenced by Middle Eastern events or conflated with anti-Israeli views," it said. 

In Eastern Europe, the "stereotype of Jews as manipulators of the global economy continues to provide fertile ground for anti-Semitic aggression," it said. 

The report also detailed the spread of anti-Zionist propaganda, particularly in Arab media, that "frequently adopts the terminology and symbols of the Holocaust to demonize Israel and its leaders." 

The report called for countries in which anti-Semitism is a serious problem to institute specialized training for police and members of the judiciary that will teach them how to confront anti-Semitic acts more effectively. 

"Many nations still do not have hate crime laws that address anti-Semitic and other intolerance-related crimes. In some instances where such laws already exist, stronger enforcement is needed," it said. 

The report provided a country-by-country breakdown of attacks, both verbal and physical, over the past 18 months. France reported 510 anti-Semitic incidents in the first six months of 2004 alone, compared with 593 for all of 2003. In Belgium, the report described the stabbing of a youth in Antwerp and the heckling of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer club by the opposite team, which taunted the players with shouts of "Heil Hitler." In the Czech Republic, vandals toppled 80 tombstones in a Jewish cemetery. In Germany, an ancient Jewish cemetery in Dusseldorf was desecrated in June. Similar incidents were reported around the world. 

"We applaud the United States for its leadership in recognizing that anti-Semitism is a serious and growing problem and for addressing it as manifested today," said Abraham Foxman, the Anti-Defamation League's national director. 

"Having set benchmarks in this report, we look forward to the appointment of the new US special envoy on anti-Semitism, as well as follow-up in US human rights and religious freedom monitoring efforts." 

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-California), the only Holocaust survivor in Congress, welcomed the issuance of the report but called it "only a beginning." 

The State Department already reports on anti-Semitism in its "International Religious Freedom Report" and its "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices." But legislators, led by Lantos, found such reporting inadequate and pushed for the legislation requiring the separate annual report and the appointment of a new US special envoy on anti-Semitism. That position has not yet been filled.


 Jewish Week - 01.07.2005





Jewish Week

State: ‘New’ Anti-Semitism Serious 

In first report on worldwide hatred, department connects anti-Israel sentiment with anti-Jewish acts. 


James D. Besser - Washington Correspondent 

There was little in the report that hasn’t already been cited by Jewish advocacy groups, but this week’s report on global anti-Semitism was notable because of its source: the U.S. State Department. 

In a one-time report required by a law passed last year against the wishes of the Bush administration, the department documented anti-Semitism in 61 countries, including many U.S. allies. 

And, amplifying comments made earlier in the year by Secretary of State Colin Powell, the report cites “strong anti-Israel sentiment that crosses the line between objective criticism of Israeli policies and anti-Semitism.” 

The report, which was expected to be released to the public this week, also points to a source of anti-Semitism that European leaders have been loathe to publicly acknowledge: “anti-Jewish sentiment expressed by some in Europe’s growing Muslim population, based on longstanding antipathy toward both Israel and Jews, as well as Muslim opposition to developments in Israel and the occupied territories, and more recently in Iraq.” 

But in Eastern Europe, “skinheads and others members of the radical political fringe” are still responsible for most anti-Semitic actions, the report said. 

Anti-Semitism, according to the report, “remained a serious problem in Russia and Belarus, and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, with most incidents carried out by ultra-nationalist and other far-right elements.” 

The report identified anti-Jewish media incitement in countries such as Syria, but seemed to suggest that it was on the decline in Egypt — a conclusion Jewish leaders dispute. 

The country-by-country reports provided less detail than similar reports by the Anti-Defamation League and other agencies — in part because the State Department relied on reports from U.S. embassies abroad, which do not have the resources or expertise to investigate anti-Semitic incidents. 

“They’re not geared up to deal in nuances,” said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “And there’s no uniformity among the embassies about how they report.” 

Political factors undoubtedly led some embassies to soften their criticism of allies such as Egypt, he suggested — but overall, he said, “it’s an important report. The important fact is that they did it, and acknowledged anti-Semitism as a serious problem. And it clearly recognizes the connection between demonizing Israel and anti-Semitism.” 

Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), author of the primary legislation mandating the report, used its release to take a swipe at the State Department. 

“For the past few years, the Department of State has been in denial about the nature and extent of the problem,” he said in a statement. “The Global Anti-Semitism Review Act compelled the Department to take a first step — publishing a comprehensive report detailing the problem.” 

Ambassador Edward B. O’Donnell, the State Department’s special envoy for Holocaust issues, said this week that the report sends out an important message. 

“We want the world to recognize that anti-Semitism is a growing problem and something we have to look at very seriously,” he said. “We also have to develop better reporting on what’s going on, and to develop laws and education systems and law enforcement to protect the security of Jewish populations.” 

He said that the report’s emphasis on European anti-Semitism was, in part, a function of better reporting mechanisms in those countries. Although the legislation required only a one-time report, its methodology will be incorporated into semiannual reports on human rights and religious freedom around the world, he said. 

O’Donnell said that that the White House and State Department are still negotiating over another provision in the law — the creation of a special State Department office on anti-Semitism. 

Some administration officials want to combine that job with another portfolio — possibly O’Donnell’s. But some Jewish leaders are quietly pushing for a separate portfolio outside the European bureau, to emphasize the worldwide nature of the anti-Semitism problem.


 JTA - 01.05.2005





State's first anti-Semitism report finds Europeans taking more action 

By Matthew E. Berger

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The U.S. State Department's first report on global anti-Semitism finds increased governmental action in Europe to combat bias against Jews, but an uneven track record among law enforcement agencies responding to anti-Semitic incidents. 

The report, slated for release Wednesday and obtained in advance by JTA, comes after Jewish lawmakers and community officials pushed Congress last year to pass a law requiring the State Department to step up monitoring of anti-Semitic incidents around the world. The report is expected to be released annually. 

The law, and the report, are part of an effort to pressure European governments to do more to stop a wave of anti-Semitic incidents across the continent since the Palestinian intifada began more than four years ago. Jewish organizations have been strong advocates for forums on anti-Semitism held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and others. 

While little new information can be gleaned from the State Department report, Jewish officials said its publication would draw attention to the issue of global anti-Semitism, and pressure foreign countries to work harder to prevent bigotry against Jews. 

"The idea of this publication being public can serve as a really good guidepost for other countries," said Daniel Mariaschin, executive vice president of B'nai B'rith International. "They should be aspiring to this level of detail." 

Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said a detailed listing of anti-Semitic incidents that comes from the United States government, rather than American Jewish organizations, would have added impact around the world. 

The report says recent anti-Semitism has come from traditional anti-Jewish prejudice in Europe, along with anti-Israel sentiment "that crosses the line between objective criticism of Israeli policies and anti-Semitism." 

It also cites anti-Jewish sentiment among Muslims in Europe, and spillover criticism of the United States and globalization that is redirected against Jews. 

As part of the report, the State Department announced new responsibilities for overseas embassies, seeking additional monitoring of acts of violence against Jews and Jewish properties and actions taken by governments to prevent anti-Semitism. 

It also said efforts have been accelerated to combat anti-Semitism through education, law enforcement and legislation. 

"Anti-Semitism is an issue that cannot be ignored by other governments anymore," said Mark Levin, executive director of NCSJ: Advocates on Behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia. 

The report defines anti-Semitism as hatred toward Jews because of their religion or ethnicity. 

"An important issue is the distinction between legitimate criticism of policies and practices of the State of Israel, and commentary that assumes an anti-Semitic character," the report says. "The demonization of Israel, or vilification of Israeli leaders, sometimes through comparisons with Nazi leaders, and through the use of Nazi symbols to caricature them, indicates an anti-Semitic bias rather than a valid criticism of policy concerning a controversial issue." 

The report praises European governments for taking the issue seriously. But it says European law enforcement agencies aren't trained to handle hate crimes, and anti-Semitic acts are often dismissed as petty crimes. 

"I concur with the conclusions: The governments, both individually and collectively in Europe, have stopped the denial," Foxman said. "They have accepted the fact that there is anti-Semitism and moved to the area of combating it." 

Twelve European countries had serious incidents of anti-Semitism during the reporting period, which ran from July 1 to Dec. 15, 2004. There was verbal harassment of Jews in 28 countries and desecration of cemeteries and synagogues in 30 countries. 

The report also notes a rise of anti-Semitism in Pakistan and Argentina, as well as a significant drop in the number of incidents in Australia. 

The report chastises Syria for condoning and supporting media programs that export anti-Semitism. A section on the media notes that anti-Semitic cartoons often are used to attack Israeli policies, as well as U.S. foreign policy. 

Foxman said some of the report's documentation was "meager," specifically regarding anti-Semitic media reports in Egypt. 

The report is mandated by the Global Anti-Semitism Awareness/Review Act, which passed Congress in October. The act called for the establishment of an office devoted to monitoring global anti-Semitism, and President Bush told Jewish leaders last month that he would soon name someone to fill the post. 

The State Department originally had opposed the idea of a separate report on anti-Semitism, suggesting the topic is addressed in other State Department reports. In a memo to Congress, Secretary of State Colin Powell said a separate report on anti-Semitism "could erode our credibility by being interpreted as favoritism in human rights reporting." 

The memo also said the legislation establishes an "unworkable precedent."


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 Associated Press - 01.04.2005






Anti-Semitism rising, State Dept. says

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER

WASHINGTON (AP) - A rise in the number of Muslims in Western Europe, many of them poor and uneducated, is contributing to an increase in already deeply rooted anti-Semitism there, the State Department said in a report to Congress.

However, far-right groups still account for a significant proportion of attacks on Jews and Jewish property, the report said.

In eastern Europe, skinheads and other members of the radical political fringe are responsible for most anti-Semitic incidents, according to the report, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

In Russia, Belarus and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, anti-Semitism remained a serious problem, with most incidents carried out by ultra-nationalists and other far-right elements.

"The stereotype of Jews as manipulators of the global economy continues to provide fertile grounds for anti-Semitic aggression," said the report to the Senate and House foreign relations committees.

The report, which covered the period between July 2003 and December 2004, gave no worldwide totals but did include statistics provided by some countries.

There are dwindling Jewish populations in the North Africa and the Middle East, except for Israel, and there are few incidents involving Jews who remain in those areas. But Syria condones and supports "a virulent domestic anti-Semitism" as government-supported media demonize Israel and its leaders, the report said.

Beyond Europe and the Middle East "there are also worrying expressions" of anti-Semitism, the report said.

In Pakistan, where there is no Jewish community, anti-Semitic sentiment fanned by anti-Semitic press articles, is widespread, the report said. Anti-Semitism where there are virtually no Jews is a recent phenomenon, the State Department told Congress.

In Europe, where millions of Jews died in the Holocaust, anti-Semitic acts have increased both in frequency and severity since 2000, the report said.

The sense of safety and security of Jewish communities has been disrupted, the report said.

Contributing to the trend, the report said, is a rising Muslim population with "long-standing antipathy toward both Israel and Jews" as well as developments in Israel, the occupied territories and Iraq.

In Europe and other regions of the world, many governments have become increasingly aware of anti-Semitism and have spoken against it. Countries such as France, Belgium and Germany have taken effective measures to combat anti-Semitism and have increased protection for Jewish communities and Jewish properties, the report said.

Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the U.S. should be applauded for its leadership in recognizing the reality of the problem, which is the old anti-Semitism and the newly Muslim extremist-engendered anti-Semitism.

"It is forthright in recognizing the changing nature and threat of anti-Semitism, its connection, and its virulent demonization of Israel and Zionists," Foxman said in a statement.

And, he said, the United States is more direct in linking anti-Semitism to an increase in Muslim extremists in Europe and not to the Arab-Israeli conflict.


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 Jerusalem Post - 01.11.2005






Jerusalem Post 

Russia slams US anti-Semitism report


(AP) - The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday criticized a US report on anti-Semitism around the world, saying that its statements about Russia were condescending and in some cases accusatory and baseless. 

The US State Department report to Congress said that anti-Semitism remained a serious problem in Russia, Belarus and elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, with most incidents carried out by ultra-nationalists and other far-right elements. 

In a statement, the Russian ministry said the evaluation of anti-Semitism in Russia in large part repeated a September 2004 State Department report on world religious freedom. 

"As for the content of the document, the effort by its authors to somehow combine objective evidence from the Russian Jewish community about the lack of anti-Semitism at the state level in Russia with an expression of 'concern' about certain instances of religious and ethnic intolerance 'in localities' and from a series of political parties appears openly artificial," it said. 

The problem of extremist youth groups who carry out anti-Semitic crimes such as vandalizing Jewish cemeteries and synagogues is shared by many countries, including the United States and Western European nations, it said.



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 Interfax - 01.12.2005



Rodina, LDPR blast State Department for anti-Semitism blame

MOSCOW (Interfax) - Leader of the Rodina (Homeland) parliamentary group Dmitry Rogozin has categorically disagreed with statements that the Rodina party made anti-Semitic remarks, for which it was blamed in a U.S. Department of State report about anti-Semitism in various countries. 

"I would call it filthy slander. We are not dealing with such rubbish," Rogozin told journalists on Wednesday in comments on the report. 

The report, in particular, said that certain Russian politicians, including members of Rodina and the Liberal-Democratic party, sometimes resort to anti-Semitic remarks. 

Rogozin said he had sent two letters to U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow to explain the accusations. "I asked him to provide any information that would confirm these statements," he said. 

"The only excuse for Mr. Vershbow can be that it is not the American embassy in Russia that provided this information to Washington and that it is Washington itself that is engaged in this PR action," Rogozin said. 

"If the Jewish question exists anywhere, it is not Russia. There can be only a Russian question in Russia," he said. 

The Liberal Democratic faction also expressed its protests to the U.S. Department of State in a press release on Wednesday.


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 Jewish Week - 01.14.2005





Jewish Week

Good Start On Anti-Semitism


Last week’s State Department report on global anti-Semitism represents another important step in making the issue an integral element in U.S. foreign policy. But its promise will go unfulfilled if the folks at Foggy Bottom, who opposed the bill requiring the report, do not improve the way they collect and report the data and make such reporting a permanent part of this country’s worldwide human rights efforts. 

The official fight against anti-Semitism will also falter if the report’s weaknesses — including its somewhat cursory reporting on anti-Semitic incitement across the Arab world — are allowed to stand. 

Critics have suggested the report, which examined incidents and incitement in 61 countries based largely on reports from U.S. embassies, went easy on friendly Arab governments while focusing inordinate attention on Europe and the former Soviet Union. The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies noted that Iceland merited 387 words in the report, while Saudi Arabia, a major contributor to anti-Semitic incitement, was given only 182. To a degree, that reflects the fact that European nations, working with international Jewish groups, have developed systems of monitoring and reporting anti-Semitic incidents, while Arab and Muslim nations refuse to even acknowledge the problem. But it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that at least in part the report protects some Mideast allies from the criticism they so richly deserve. 

Still, the very fact of an official U.S. report sends a strong signal to the world that fighting anti-Semitism is on the diplomatic agenda of the United States. And the document clearly identifies the threat of “strong anti-Israel sentiment that crosses the line between objective criticism of Israeli policies and anti-Semitism,” an important acknowledgement of the changing face of anti-Semitism. 

It is critical that U.S. officials build on this good beginning. At the very least, the mechanisms created for this one-time report should be permanently incorporated into the regular human rights and religious freedom reports the State Department is obligated to submit to Congress. The uneven reporting procedures must be improved, and a greater effort should be made to avoid coloring the report with diplomatic considerations. 

It is just as important that U.S. diplomatic personnel get instructions to raise the findings in their dealings with foreign governments. Documenting the problem is important, but so is using the information assertively and in a sustained way. Last week’s report was a good start. We hope administration officials will have the resolve to make improved reporting on anti-Semitism a permanent element in American diplomacy.


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