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Study cites dramatic rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe
By Assaf Uni, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel News, Jewish World 

The number of anti-Semitic incidences in Europe through the first three months of this calendar year exceeds the total number of such occurrences from all of 2008, according to a report issued by the European Jewish Congress.

The findings were announced by EJC president Moshe Kantor during a special session of the European Parliament which was devoted to the subject of anti-Semitism on the continent.

The report cites the reaction to this past January's Israel Defense Forces operation in Gaza as one of the key triggers of anti-Semitic attacks against Jewish communities in Europe. In addition, the current financial crisis is giving rise to age-old anti-Semitic stereotypes suggesting "Jewish control of the global financial system."
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EJC members from all over Europe who gathered in Brussels for the special session reported a significant rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents. The head of official Jewry in Finland, Rony Smolar, said that the 25,000-strong Jewish community living in the Scandinavian countries is subject to repeated harassment due to its support for Israel.

"Public opinion links Israel with the local Jewish community, which turns us into enemies," Smolar said, adding that his country has seen "a dramatic rise" in the number and severity of anti-Semitic attacks.

Smolar said that Molotov cocktails have been thrown into synagogues and Jewish cemeteries in Sweden and Norway have been vandalized. He also cited a shooting incident in which two Israelis were wounded by a gunman in Denmark during Operation Cast Lead.

"Cartoons likening the Star of David to the Nazi swastika have become commonplace in Scandinavia," Smolar said.

Richard Prasquier, the head of the umbrella organization representing the Jewish community in France (CRIF), also pointed to a rise in anti-Semitic incidents. "France is home to the largest Jewish community in Europe and the largest Muslim community in Europe," Prasquier said, hinting that the sizable immigrant community from North Africa is most responsible for instigating the anti-Jewish violence. European politicians have shied away from blaming Muslim immigrants for attacks against Jews.

The EU's human rights arm, the FRA, told the gathering that increases in anti-Semitism have been reported in Holland, Belgium, France, and Britain. An organization representative said the reasons for the phenomenon must be studied and examined.

Peter Feldmeier, the head of the Jewish community in Hungary, said that anti-Semitism in his country still features historical overtones "as we knew them in the interwar years."

While noting that "there is barely a Muslim community in Hungary," Feldmeier brandished a copy of a widely circulated newspaper affiliated with a far-right party. The newspaper made waves after featuring on its cover a Hungarian politician bearing a fictitious yellow Star of David. The paper demanded that the politician admit to his Jewish roots.

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      1.   The Bosnian war sparked anti-Serbism. So what? 20:01  |  Michael 30/03/09
      2.   Had Israel not undertaken it`s operation in Gaza 20:01  |  Allon 30/03/09
      3.   Okay, `control` is anti-Semitic, but `influence` is not 20:10  |  Mark B. 30/03/09
      4.   Most Israelis seem to believe that the best cure..... 20:16  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/03/09
      5.   FIRST LINE IS 20:32  |  ALBERT 30/03/09
      6.   TRADITION 20:40  |  Arie 30/03/09
      7.   anti semitism worldwide 20:40  |  Connie 30/03/09
      8.   who is it? 21:00  |  shmuely 30/03/09
      9.   Link between International Jewry and Israel 21:01  |  Bob 30/03/09
      10.   Arie - It is not like Jews are not the same 21:10  |  Manitee 30/03/09
      11.   Anti-Semitism is not different than any form of Racism 21:12  |  Period 30/03/09
      12.   Israel elected Netayahu...so CARES about this? 21:14  |  Peter 30/03/09
      13.   Absolute Rubbish 21:17  |  Jon 30/03/09
      14.   EARTH TO ISRAEL 21:23  |  bill 30/03/09
      15.   Who contributed to antisemitic rise? 21:27  |  Vittorio 30/03/09
      16.   No surprise 21:30  |  Italian Zionist 30/03/09
      17.   About time 21:32  |  Natallie Durson 30/03/09
      18.   Nothing new. Europeans invent every time the same ugly thing 21:41  |  Israeli citizen 30/03/09
      19.   Israel is sowing the seeds of the next holocaust 21:42  |  Historian 30/03/09
      20.   The price paid by the diaspora 21:42  |  David 30/03/09
      21.   First step is to stop involving ourselves in EU "Holocaust Rememb 21:44  |  Alan SA 30/03/09
      22.   Anti-Semitism 22:01  |  Jean-Paul Walshaw 30/03/09
      23.   A CANARD AIMED AT BANNING MUSLIM AND ARAB IMMIGRATION IN EUROPE 22:08  |  JACKAL 30/03/09
      24.   European Jews should leave 22:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/03/09
      25.   Re # 1 Michael no comparison between... 22:39  |  Ines 30/03/09
      26.   #11: Semites are not a race nor an ethnicity. 22:46  |  Yitzhak 30/03/09
      27.   Tzipora 22:58  |  Jean-Paul Walshaw 30/03/09
      28.   there is no anti-semitism, there is anti-Israelism 22:58  |  Khalid 30/03/09
      29.   War is over, people! But Hamas is still firing rockets at 23:25  |  Maria 30/03/09
      30.   "Haaretz"`s "massacre of innocent women and children" quoted in 23:26  |  Absolute Sweden 30/03/09
      31.   #24 Hey Cipora 23:27  |  ballistic 30/03/09
      32.   Re # 2 You are right Allon besides 23:28  |  Ines 30/03/09
      33.   #17 Natalie Drugson "About time" 23:28  |  H 30/03/09
      34.   #21 Hey Alan, are you in South Africa? 23:30  |  ballistic 30/03/09
      35.   Anti-Semitism 23:44  |  Unchel Ben-Joseph 30/03/09
      36.   we Jews should not be ashamed of our achievemnts or contributions 23:46  |  Steve 30/03/09
      37.   Earth to Bill, who cares about the rest of the world. the Jews 23:49  |  james 30/03/09
      38.   Natalie 00:07  |  Connie 31/03/09
      39.   Are Europeans and new muslim European are antisemites? 00:14  |  17 31/03/09
      40.   Bill 00:14  |  Connie 31/03/09
      41.   Anti-seminism in Finland? 00:18  |  Anna 31/03/09
      42.   # 24 you are wrong 00:23  |  Mongo 31/03/09
      43.   Paranoia 00:25  |  TH 31/03/09
      44.   Lie: there are no such cartoons 00:34  |  OU 31/03/09
      45.   The Israeli psyche is distorted in Europe`s view 00:43  |  Mark B. 31/03/09
      46.   Studies on Anti-Sem just in time 00:49  |  Engelbert 31/03/09
      47.   Ballistic - once slave is alway slave? 00:54  |  17 31/03/09
      48.   #36 Steve, quite right and I will drink to that 00:55  |  Mark B. 31/03/09
      49.   Dear Bill 01:05  |  steve 31/03/09
      50.   #39 to 17, question from an object of study 01:10  |  Mark B. 31/03/09
      51.   michael 01:14  |  david 31/03/09
      52.   ballistic #34 - once again you show how enslaved 01:20  |  ChanahS 31/03/09
      53.   Anti-Semitic Europe 01:21  |  George Haas 31/03/09
      54.   Natallie Durson 01:40  |  TonyL 31/03/09
      55.   #27, Jean-Paul Walshaw 01:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/09
      56.   Self-defence and aliya: two solutions to the same problem 01:49  |  Realist 31/03/09
      57.   Khalid: attacking synagogues is not "anti-Israelism" 02:03  |  Yitzhak 31/03/09
      58.   #48, Mark B 02:04  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 31/03/09
      59.   does unpopularity bring contempt? 02:25  |  jess from Brazil 31/03/09
      60.   Anti Semitic attacks in Europe. 02:30  |  Stephen. 31/03/09
      61.   Someone from Switzerland will doubtless blame this on the Jews... 02:37  |  JP 31/03/09
      62.   Depends on how you define anti-semitism 02:46  |  W 31/03/09
      63.   Natallie - what are you going on about 03:15  |  Henk 31/03/09
      64.   Europeans hate Jews that stand up for themselves 03:43  |  Tom C 31/03/09
      65.   W 03:56  |  TonyL 31/03/09
      66.   What is so very sad... 04:14  |  David M 31/03/09
      67.   #54.JP Take no notice. 04:16  |  Stephen. 31/03/09
      68.   It`s just Euros being Euros 04:20  |  Serpico 31/03/09
      69.   #28 - anti-Khaled 04:39  |  SG 31/03/09
      70.   They will never neutralized us with their hate. 06:12  |  Akram Zekaria 31/03/09
      71.   Tom 06:19  |  arik 31/03/09
      72.   jewish 06:52  |  jackie cox 31/03/09
      73.   Is that Spain? 07:08  |  dan 31/03/09
      74.   stand for themselves 07:35  |  john and the TRUTH! 31/03/09
      75.   54 07:37  |  Jean-f. 31/03/09
      76.   Time for Aliyah 07:38  |  Morris Valentine 31/03/09
      77.   james 08:31  |  yogigirl 31/03/09
      78.   Bill...better pass Connie the tissue box... 09:25  |  kiwi girl 31/03/09
      79.   Swastikas 10:01  |  Erik 31/03/09
      80.   Thank you antisemites everywhere 10:12  |  The Prophet 31/03/09
      81.   Scattily, battily Natalie 10:20  |  The Prophet 31/03/09
      82.   All Jews are Welcome in Israel 10:21  |  Jamie 31/03/09
      83.   Here we go again - cry wolf 10:32  |  Steve the Pals. 31/03/09
      84.   JACKAL NO"CANARDS"NEEDED ABOUT PAKISTAN 12:11  |  PETER SM 31/03/09
      85.   NATALIE Thousands of shrapnell filled missiles at Haifa in 12:16  |  PETER SM 31/03/09
      86.   Morris Valentine #76 you sound so Victorian! 12:43  |  examiner 31/03/09
      87.   Batten down the hatches and bailout! 13:02  |  examiner 31/03/09
      88.   EXAMINER the antisemite.Jews are less represented in science 13:13  |  PETER SM 31/03/09
      89.   PETER SM-Science and money 14:26  |  examiner 31/03/09
      90.   Cipora. 14:40  |  zmogus 31/03/09
      91.   PETER SM 16:28  |  zmogus 31/03/09
      92.   #47 17---3rd attempt 18:48  |  ballistic 31/03/09
      93.   #47 BTW 17 18:52  |  ballistic 31/03/09
      94.   #52 Ah Chanah, do tell, have you become 18:56  |  ballistic 31/03/09
      95.   To examiner: You sound like you`re in denial 07:38  |  Morris Valentine 01/04/09
      96.   Rise of Anti-Semitism in Finland? 10:18  |  Mikael 01/04/09
      97.   Morris Valentine-you sound like you enjoy antisemitism too much 12:50  |  examiner 01/04/09
      98.   Morris Valentine. I`m sorry, your examples are simply paranoic 13:31  |  zmogus 01/04/09
      99.   Morris Valentine-you sound like you enjoy 14:28  |  examiner 01/04/09
      100.   Right 14:49  |  Jon 01/04/09
      101.   To examiner, zmogus 16:14  |  Morris Valentine 01/04/09
      102.   #58 Cipora Julianna Kohn 16:30  |  Mark B. 01/04/09
      103.   ZMOGUS 13:23  |  PETER SM 02/04/09
      104.   EXAMINER How would you know who is Jewish or not in the Science 03:30  |  PETER SM 03/04/09
      105.   PETER SM peer review? + Nobel prize nonsense 12:30  |  examiner 03/04/09
      106.   Thank G-D For Israel 13:15  |  Mikhael 03/04/09
      107.   Morris Valentine. I`m speechless. 19:01  |  zmogus 03/04/09
      108.   PETER SM. There was a materially motivated crime... 19:41  |  zmogus 03/04/09
      109.   EXAMINER You ducked my point,enough said 14:34  |  PETER SM 04/04/09
      110.   All the gloating antisemites 11:26  |  sweis Melbourne 05/04/09
      111.   PETER SM. There was racially motivated crime... 17:22  |  zmogus 06/04/09
      112.   Response to Yitzhak 03:29  |  Dr Reality Check 15/05/09
      113.   anti semitic attacks 11:26  |  Paul Rose 17/07/09
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