Points of Jew

Anti-Semitism in the UK

The number of UK anti-Semitic incidents on people and property during 2005, was the second highest ever reported.

According to The Community Security Trust (CST) which works to combat anti-Semitic hate crime, 455 incidents were recorded with 82 being described as "violent assaults".

Two extreme violence incidents were reported. In Manchester, a Jewish religious student was stabbed by a man who chased him and shouted: "I knew I could get you, you f**king Jewish bastard", while in London a man was attacked by 15 youths who smashed a bottle over his head, kicked and punched him and then tried to set fire to him

The number of incidents recorded as "abusive behaviour" were 273.

Record levels were reached in 2004, when 532 incidents were reported

According to the CST, the number of "threats" including phonecalls dropped in 2005 to 25 compared to 60 in 2004.

While overall anti-Semitic attacks continue, those described as "desecrations of Jewish property" dropped from 53 in 2004, to 48 in 2005.

"The number of anti-Semitic race hate incidents remains unacceptably high," said CST spokesman Mark Gardner. "The key indicators of violent assaults and abusive behaviour are remarkably consistent with the record 2004 figures."

Dealing with hate

Jewlicious runs a weekly entry on its blog called Hate Site of the Weak.  Get it, weak as in weak!  A very neat idea.

They take one or two haters and reduce them to show how pathetic they are.

This week, I mean weak, they've taken a look at jokes and one site is particular.

Have a look at Jewlicious for this.

MPs look into rise of anti-semitism

The Guardian is reporting that MPs are to look into the rise of anti-semitism

MPs yesterday launched an all-party inquiry into anti-semitism amid fears that incidents have reached record levels.

Denis MacShane, the former minister for Europe, will lead the investigation, which will take submissions from groups and members of the public as well as oral evidence during sessions at the House of Commons.

John Mann, chairman of the parliamentary committee against anti-semitism, said the problem had moved into the mainstream. "Anti-semitism is back in fashion," he said. "It was once considered solely a problem of the far right, but this is no longer the case."

He said the "liberal and progressive left" could not absolve itself. "With the levels of anti-semitic incidents at their highest for over a generation, an investigation of this type is much needed and overdue."

The night of Broken Glass

November 9 1938 was Kristallnacht, the night of Broken Glass in which Jews in Germany and Austria were attacked and killed along with damage and destruction caused to their businesses and synagogues.

Some coverage on the anniversary here on Google News.

While Wikipedia offers this:

This pogrom damaged, and in many cases destroyed, about 1574 synagogues (constituting nearly all Germany had), many Jewish cemeteries, more than 7,000 Jewish shops, and 29 department stores. Some Jews were beaten to death with others forced to watch.

Although few people knew it at the time, the Kristallnacht pogrom was a first step in the systematic persecution and mass murder of Jews throughout Europe in what came to be known as the Holocaust.

Concern over poem

An anti-semitic poem that would likely be banned in Germany under its law of how its deals with racism and glorifying Adolf Hitler appears to be acceptable to be given out to British children.

SomethingJewish (via Ynetnews) reports:

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly is under increasing pressure to ban an anti-Semitic poem featured in a book distributed for free to British pupils.

The scandalous poem includes the following lines: “Jews are here, Jews are there, Jews are almost everywhere, filling up the darkest places, evil looks upon their faces.”

The Times reports that the poem was written from Hitler’s point of view by a 14-year-old pupil, Gideon Taylor.

Another part reads: “Make them take many paces for being one of the worst races, on their way to a gas chamber, where they will sleep in their manger. I’ll be happy Jews have died.”

Irene Lancaster, a Jewish academic, told The Times: “Many of my university students have gone on to become secondary school teachers. If they had written essays glorifying Hitler and the Holocaust in this way, I would have failed them and reported them to the appropriate university authorities.”

Unite against fascism

Another useful email from Dutch Jewish news service JoodseInfo.net:

In Germany on 13 February 2005 thousands of Nazis and right-wing extremists met, abusing the commemoration of the bombing of Dresden. This was the biggest demonstration of right-wing extremists in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Unfortunately this is not the only example. All over Europe, fascist organisations abused the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of the 2nd World War. During meetings they also had the chance to spread fascist ideology and to demonstrate strength in a legitimised way.

The victims of the war that were commemorated at such events did not include any Jews, Roma, homosexuals or disabled.

Fascist organisations aim to rehabilitate racism and National Socialist ideology. Denying the Holocaust is one of the most dangerous tools that fascist propaganda uses.

Through distortion, invention, misquotation, manipulation and mistranslation self-appointed 'revisionists' try to prove that the Holocaust is something that never happened. In public, these 'revisionists' pretend to be serious scientists with only deviating opinions and often they are believed and given podium.

The crimes against the Jews are minimised and denied, in particular the mass extermination of Jews in the gas chambers of the extermination camps. They claim that there is no evidence that gas chambers really existed.

Some even claim the Holocaust did not happen because there was no single, systematic 'master plan' for the extermination of the Jews. Some even blame the Jews themselves to be responsible, or the Holocaust to be just a big lie made possible through Jewish conspiracy. In the minds of many Nazis and right-wing extremists the war crimes committed by the Allied Forces were as bad as the war crimes of the Germans.

During the commemoration events of the end of WWII fascists did not refrain from using those unacceptable statements.

But not only fascists make use of antisemitism as a focus for their hatred. Antisemitism as well as racism, xenophobia and discrimination of minorities are on the rise in Europe. In France for example racist and antisemitic violence nearly doubled in 2004, hitting its highest level in a decade and this growth is showing no sign of slowing down. These are reasons to be concerned.

Each year around 9 November the UNITED network http://www.unitedagainstracism.org organises a European-wide campaign to commemorate the "Kristallnacht" pogrom, to protest against intolerance and to build a better future of tolerance and respect.

The strength of UNITED campaigns is that the diversity of the European movement against racism, fascism and intolerance takes part in a common action.

There are many different approaches and philosophies, different methods and ways, but one common vision of intercultural understanding and peace.

UNITED campaigns generate publicity and mobilise people but they are also a unique opportunity to inspire each other and to learn from each other's experiences. As a sign of reconciliation and mutual understanding different groups commemorate the 'Kristallnacht' pogrom together. Eye-witnesses tell about their experiences to young activists, youth groups take the occasion to develop models of responsible and progressive commemoration of the Holocaust.

UNITED against fascism and antisemitism, Jews and Roma groups organise joint commemorations and Christian groups cooperate with gay organisations. Together we want to highlight the danger of discrimination, racism and division and we stand together for peace and understanding.

The variety and creativity of many simultaneous activities on different levels all over Europe make the campaign successful.

A list of activities taking place in your country is available on the web site:
http://www.united.non-profit.nl/pages/act05n9.htm

A shocking video of religious hate

Dutch-based JoodseInfo.net is the first international English language Dutch web site and email newsletter reporting on news and cultural events of particular interest to Jewish and non Jewish communities worldwide.

Their latest email comments on a anti-semitic hate broadcast shown on Palestinian TV,

In the international media today, extensive coverage has been given to the Palestinian suicide attack yesterday in the Israeli coastal city of Hadera. Five people were killed and thirty were wounded in the attack for which Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility. In addition, world leaders have condemned comments made yesterday by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who called for Israel to be 'wiped off the map

Today a British Foreign Office spokesperson on BBC Online was quoted as saying: "We have seen in Israel today the horrible reality of the violence he (Mr Ahmadinejad) is praising."

Hatred of Israel and of Jews is nothing new. As Leopold Zunz (1794-1886), founder of the New Jewish learning said: "If there are ranks in suffering, Israel takes precedence of all the nations."

For most of us, it is a rare event that the rantings and ravings of the anti-Semite personally touch us. So, what's it truly like?

We now give you the opportunity to experience hate through a video produced a few months ago.

The video will give you an idea of what we all are up against, irrespective of one's religion. We suggest you take the time, approximately five minutes, to watch it in total.

Click on the link below. The video will play on its own. You don't need to download any software.

http://switch5.castup.net/frames/20041020_MemriTV_Popup/video_480x360.asp?ClipMediaID=60227&ak=null