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Last update - 00:00 29/01/2007
Marked rise in attacks on Jews in Europe over the past year
By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent

Last year saw a substantial rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Germany, Austria and the Scandinavian countries, according to the Global Forum Against Anti-Semitism.

In an annual press conference, the forum explained that 2006 was characterized by escalation in the number and violent nature of attacks on Jews, proliferation of Holocaust denial and increased comparison of Israel to the Nazi regime.

The Global Forum - a joint effort of the Jewish Agency, the Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Office - counted 360 anti-Semitic incidents in France in 2006, compared to 300 in 2005. In the United Kingdom, the report listed a yearly decrease from 321 incidents in 2005 to 312 incidents in 2006. Russia recorded 300 incidents in 2006 compared to 250 the preceding year, and Austria saw a jump from 50 incidents to 83 last year. The Scandinavian countries saw 53 incidents in 2006, substantially more than the previous year's 35. The report cited a 60-percent rise in incidents in the Berlin area, although it did not include figures for all of Germany.
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Spokesmen for the forum emphasized on Sunday the many difficulties in classifying and reporting anti-Semitic incidents that affect the accuracy of the figures, which are primarily valuable as indicators of trends in the countries examined.

Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Sunday that national leaders abroad must understand that anti-Semitism is first and foremost their own problem.

Jewish Agency chair Zeev Bielski commented that, "Anti-Semitic phenomena in Europe are very grave and countries like France and England are struggling to handle them."

January 2006 brought the shocking murder of French Jew Ilan Halimi. Bielski said Halimi's mother has recently decided to bring her son's remains to Israel for interment on the first anniversary of his death, next Friday in Jerusalem.

"There is no doubt the recent Lebanon war and the Qana incident led to the most severe incidents in the past decade," said Jewish Agency official Amos Hermon.

The gravest incident related to the war was the shooting at the Jewish Federation Building in Seattle, Washington last July, when staffer Pamela Waechter was killed and three other people were critically wounded.

The war engendered a wave of criticism in which Israel's deeds were compared to those of Nazi Germany. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claimed last August that Israeli aggression in Lebanon was "reminiscent of Hitler's fascist manner."

An editorial cartoon in a Norwegian newspaper showed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as the sadistic SS officer depicted in the movie "Schindler's List." Hermon noted that Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder included elements of historical Christian anti-Semitism in his book "God's Chosen People," including statements such as, "Don't worry, Israel will go to exile again," and, "We laugh at the idea that God chose one people ... gave them stupid stone tablets and a license to kill."

Other serious incidents in 2006 included the stabbing of synagogue-goers at the Chabad Center in Moscow in January. In a September shooting attack on an Oslo synagogue, no one was injured. The attackers were Islamic extremists who were aided by the extreme right; they had also planned to kidnap the Israeli ambassador, Miriam Shomrat.

Various reports were published in European nations during the year revealing the scope and severity of anti-Semitism. A British parliamentary commission determined that Islamists and the radical left were responsible for increased anti-Semitism in the country. Research published in Germany indicated widespread use of anti-Semitic expressions in schools, primarily by Muslim students. Research in the Ukraine found that about a third of the country's citizens had negative opinions of Jews.

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  1.   What about Anti-Palestinian `incidents` ?? 02:50  |  Ian 29/01/07
  2.   who cares 03:00  |  oleh chadash 29/01/07
  3.   IAN How many Pal initiated anti Jewish incidents since 1920`s 03:06  |  PETER SM 29/01/07
  4.   What about Anti-Palestinian `incidents` ?? 03:18  |  Bruce 29/01/07
  5.   TO IAN 03:20  |  FERCHEJA 29/01/07
  6.   JOIN JDL OR MAKE THE MOVE TO ISRAEL 03:23  |  Meir Weinstein 29/01/07
  7.   To Ian 03:36  |  Persian kitty 29/01/07
  8.   Extension 03:46  |  Edifice 29/01/07
  9.   #2 04:18  |  From the Moon 29/01/07
  10.   Please tell the truth and no more 04:18  |  Yankelowitz (angry) 29/01/07
  11.   Also in 2006, Israeli forces kille 742 Palestinians, injured 04:19  |  Apartheid 29/01/07
  12.   To # 4 You are the ignorant ! 04:25  |  Yankelowitz 29/01/07
  13.   a weakened Israel places ALL Jews into pre-Israel danger ! 04:52  |  jungle boy 29/01/07
  14.   Thank you BBC & Orla Guerin 05:02  |  Dr Dave 29/01/07
  15.   Recent Personal Experience 05:04  |  Shimon 29/01/07
  16.   Attacks on European Jews will continue and rise further 05:12  |  Uzi 29/01/07
  17.   This article = Flypaper for Antisemites 05:23  |  Michigan 29/01/07
  18.   A great shame 05:24  |  Mark Lincoln 29/01/07
  19.   #10, Apartheid, if Arabs wanted peace they`d be alive 05:25  |  David 29/01/07
  20.   Apartheid #10 05:36  |  Bruce 29/01/07
  21.   Methuen 05:43  |  Brad 29/01/07
  22.   Yankel (11) There is a problem with your solution 05:48  |  Brad 29/01/07
  23.   To #6 06:30  |  Brian 29/01/07
  24.   HELP! 06:35  |  Harry D 29/01/07
  25.   Zionist Israel is responsible for this. 06:36  |  Progressive Jew 29/01/07
  26.   # 1 Ian @ Toronto / Canada / go see a psycho , you need help 06:36  |  Joseph E . 29/01/07
  27.   I do not believe it 06:37  |  Marilyn 29/01/07
  28.   Response to Mark Lincoln #13 06:37  |  Harry D 29/01/07
  29.   Dr Dave the prat in NYC 06:41  |  Marilyn 29/01/07
  30.   To The Complete Idiot #8 06:45  |  Harry D 29/01/07
  31.   The new anti-semitism is a leftist phenomenon 06:50  |  Marwan مروان خوري 29/01/07
  32.   Re# 16- I AM OFFENDED THAT YOU ARE `OFFENDED` 07:12  |  Meir Weinstein 29/01/07
  33.   Progressive Jew - Finally We Found One 07:53  |  Progressive Arab 29/01/07
  34.   JDL or Israel; 07:56  |  Victor 29/01/07
  35.   Nadav, I didn`t say those, but described Paletinian Atrocities 08:00  |  The Samras 29/01/07
  36.   to number 25 08:07  |  FERSHEJA 29/01/07
  37.   AUSTRIA LEADS THE LIST 08:10  |  nacl 29/01/07
  38.   # 25 "Progressive" Jew 08:54  |  Sarah 29/01/07
  39.   So, Abu Samra, you are in good company, with Montreal`s Mayor ... 09:00  |  Nadav 29/01/07
  40.   Stefane Gendron is not the Mayor of Montreal 09:03  |  Montreal Jew 29/01/07
  41.   FERSHEJA # 36 - You Got it Wrong 09:09  |  Phinias Whoppy 29/01/07
  42.   more antisemitic attacks in europe means 09:55  |  dontusee? 29/01/07
  43.   It does not help. 09:56  |  David Nigel Braham 29/01/07
  44.   #25 Regressive Arab, not "Progressive Jew" 10:02  |  Yonatan 29/01/07
  45.   that is endless hopeless subject 10:07  |  Atilla Karagozoglu 29/01/07
  46.   anti semetic eurabia rears its ugly face 60yr later!!!! 10:17  |  yossi 29/01/07
  47.   have there been any attacks in sussex england? 10:18  |  harzion 29/01/07
  48.   Dialogue with religions is THE ONLY WAY OUT ! 10:24  |  Atilla Karagozoglu 29/01/07
  49.   Europe will never be rid of its anti semitism!!! 10:24  |  James 29/01/07
  50.   Progressive Arab #33, may I comment about your spelling? 10:32  |  Reactionary Jew 29/01/07
  51.   # 39 Nadav, I have nothing to do with anti-semitizm 10:45  |  Abu Samra 29/01/07
  52.   Live by the Jewish State......... 10:56  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  53.   Zio-Freaks 10:58  |  hmmmmmm 29/01/07
  54.   true 11:01  |  christoph 29/01/07
  55.   Progressive Jew a shamefulsham 11:01  |  Star of David 29/01/07
  56.   # 40 Ofcourse Stefabe Gendron will be fired as he spoke the truth 11:02  |  Semone 29/01/07
  57.   APARTHEID How many Israelis did the Pals try to kill. 11:03  |  PETER SM 29/01/07
  58.   Radical 11:12  |  Star of David 29/01/07
  59.   18. Mark: the real shame 11:17  |  ajewinfrance 29/01/07
  60.   Anti semitic incidents have gone down 11:22  |  Tarek 29/01/07
  61.   Rectification 11:32  |  Rami 29/01/07
  62.   to 51 #christoph 11:36  |  Marcelo 29/01/07
  63.   52: Tony shows antisemitism isn`t limited to Europe 11:38  |  David Teich 29/01/07
  64.   Storyteller Moses 11:41  |  Dav 29/01/07
  65.   #10 Yankelovitz 11:54  |  Itsik 29/01/07
  66.   Anti Zionism = Anti semitism... The new mutation of jew hating!!! 11:55  |  phillip 29/01/07
  67.   #11 Apartheid 12:00  |  Itsik 29/01/07
  68.   The pure numbers don’t tell the truth 12:02  |  Jonathan S 29/01/07
  69.   these stats are a waste of time - do the math 12:05  |  joshua 29/01/07
  70.   Beware of friends like these. 12:09  |  Najdt 29/01/07
  71.   Marilyn: stone age 12:33  |  Yaron 29/01/07
  72.   anti-Europeanism 12:34  |  whoopwhoop 29/01/07
  73.   #70 Najdt 12:41  |  Itsik 29/01/07
  74.   Worrisome position of Livni 12:44  |  Itzik 29/01/07
  75.   Dav #64 - Chosen People 12:47  |  Chanah 29/01/07
  76.   Marcelo, hallo 12:53  |  christoph 29/01/07
  77.   Response to David Teich, No. 63 13:20  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  78.   To the moderator 13:27  |  Edith 29/01/07
  79.   anti semitism in the USA 13:30  |  doesn`t matter 29/01/07
  80.   Semone He was fired but not because of his racist comments 14:06  |  Steven 29/01/07
  81.   #77 TONY YOURE 90 YEARS TOO LATE !! 14:06  |  paul harris 29/01/07
  82.   response to Paul Harris No. 81 14:27  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  83.   #18 Mark Lincoln - one of the best letters you`ve written 14:46  |  Yonatan 29/01/07
  84.   Racism in Europe 14:50  |  M 29/01/07
  85.   jonathan s(pews) 14:58  |  joshua 29/01/07
  86.   Europeans hate arabs and muslims more 14:59  |  M 29/01/07
  87.   # 80 Steven, U forgot to tell us why he was fired 15:03  |  Semone 29/01/07
  88.   pseudo progressive jew 15:03  |  Ben Uziel 29/01/07
  89.   The official statement of ADL 2 years ago 15:21  |  Persona non grata 29/01/07
  90.   Unbelievable 15:28  |  Katia Protsenko 29/01/07
  91.   #82 TONY SAYS THE EGG CAME FIRST OR MAYBE THE CHICKEN 15:52  |  paul harris 29/01/07
  92.   M regarding Racism in Europe 15:54  |  Nadav 29/01/07
  93.   Anti-Europeanisme 16:12  |  Noek 29/01/07
  94.   Progressive Jew # 25 16:21  |  Avrum 29/01/07
  95.   84M Feelings is one thing, Acts another. 16:21  |  Michigan 29/01/07
  96.   The Ongoing Occupation As Fuel 16:22  |  Yaakoiv Sullivan 29/01/07
  97.   # 77 Tony Fisher 16:23  |  ChanahS 29/01/07
  98.   Response to Ben Uziel No. 86 16:28  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  99.   #88 16:31  |  curious 29/01/07
  100.   "progressive" jew 16:35  |  SHIMON 29/01/07
  101.   # 88 Nadav 16:46  |  Edith 29/01/07
  102.   Nadav and Criticism of Israel #88 16:55  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/07
  103.   Nadav why you ran away, it is pitty 17:03  |  Abu Samra 29/01/07
  104.   #89 FISHER FAILS IN EVERY TEST AND ESPECIALLY HISTORY 17:10  |  paul harris 29/01/07
  105.   "...lies, damn lies and statistics." 17:12  |  Stephen Connor 29/01/07
  106.   tony fisher need to stop al-jazeera 17:29  |  Ben Uziel 29/01/07
  107.   to #14 Dr Dave - good point 17:37  |  Bimmer 29/01/07
  108.   doesn`t matter?? 17:44  |  Stephen Connor 29/01/07
  109.   Only a food would link it to israeli politics 18:35  |  SHIMON 29/01/07
  110.   The new anti-Semitism 18:41  |  Tosefta 29/01/07
  111.   106 Ben Uziel 19:03  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  112.   Semone how did word war I start? You are ignorant 19:04  |  Steven 29/01/07
  113.   no. 104 Paul Harris 19:08  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  114.   No. 90 Katia 19:09  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  115.   No. 97 ChanahS 19:11  |  tony fisher 29/01/07
  116.   Only a food would link it to israeli politics (part 2) 19:17  |  SHIMON 29/01/07
  117.   Thank you Ha`aretz for helping to increase Antisemitism 19:19  |  Nannette 29/01/07
  118.   simple fact... 19:23  |  ben 29/01/07
  119.   more on Gendron 19:33  |  Steven 29/01/07
  120.   Edith 101 regarding Europe`s bond with Israel 19:45  |  Nadav 29/01/07
  121.   Yaakov Sullivan regarding criticism of Israel 19:57  |  Nadav 29/01/07
  122.   "Christian" anti-Semitism? 20:10  |  US Christian 29/01/07
  123.   To Reactionary Jew re Progressive Arab 20:22  |  Phinias Whoppy 29/01/07
  124.   Rise in AntiSemitism 20:26  |  Nathan 29/01/07
  125.   # 115 I am sticking to the point 20:32  |  ChanahS 29/01/07
  126.   Response to #119 20:33  |  Daniel 29/01/07
  127.   The reason is the European lack of racism (muslim immigration) 20:33  |  Gentile 29/01/07
  128.   It`s all our (Jews) fault!! 20:47  |  Yacov 29/01/07
  129.   I MADE A MISTAKE........ 20:56  |  Daniel 29/01/07
  130.   # 120 Nadav I had a dream... 21:02  |  Edith 29/01/07
  131.   Nadav, complete avoidance #121 21:04  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/07
  132.   europe`s twisted view 21:22  |  mike 29/01/07
  133.   Progressive Jew - Zionism is the cause of this? 21:29  |  natan 29/01/07
  134.   # 101 Nadav - Israel in Europe 21:40  |  Paul Henzen 29/01/07
  135.   An answer for Nannette in London 21:58  |  Jonathan S 29/01/07
  136.   christian antiSemitism 21:59  |  Rachel 29/01/07
  137.   tosefta :smile meekly to defeat anti-semitism 22:29  |  flashman 29/01/07
  138.   tosefta the hatred is not the results of israel`s actions 22:32  |  flashman 29/01/07
  139.   Rachel, on Christian anti-semitism #136 22:39  |  Yaakov Sullivan 29/01/07
  140.   Xenophobia 23:00  |  Arik 29/01/07
  141.   The hate for Europe is fear 23:29  |  Mark B. 29/01/07
  142.   To Nathan #124 23:59  |  Daniel 29/01/07
  143.   Anti-Semitian 00:21  |  zelliejf 30/01/07
  144.   @ 24 Harry, fear we both got the same mental dis-ease and.. 00:26  |  Karl 30/01/07
  145.   To RACHEL who has never heard of antiChristianity 01:17  |  RAT out of woodwork 30/01/07
  146.   rachel 01:22  |  EC 30/01/07
  147.   It is because of the OCCUPATION. 02:07  |  Mireille 30/01/07
  148.   All this talk about "anti-semitism" 02:52  |  Marlene 30/01/07
  149.   #127 Flawed swedish argument 02:56  |  Bob 30/01/07
  150.   #147 Mireille from the best friend of the worlds` dictatorships 03:08  |  Bob 30/01/07
  151.   The Most Hated People... 03:15  |  Daniel 30/01/07
  152.   #93 anti Eiropeanism 03:38  |  Daniel 30/01/07
  153.   Attacks on Jews? - Wonder why? 04:55  |  Gershon Sepora 30/01/07
  154.   JDL 05:24  |  John 30/01/07
  155.   Anti-semite 05:33  |  John 30/01/07
  156.   152 Daniel 05:34  |  Labhras 30/01/07
  157.   DemocracyRules 05:41  |  2 state solution (2) 30/01/07
  158.   2 state solution (3) 05:42  |  DemocracyRules 30/01/07
  159.   #155 John 06:24  |  Labhras 30/01/07
  160.   149. You didn`t get my point and your argument is the flawed one. 06:50  |  Gentile 30/01/07
  161.   The golden path is between mass immigration and xenophobia. 07:06  |  Gentile 30/01/07
  162.   #157 Jews victims? 07:39  |  keith 30/01/07
  163.   A new face of Nazism.Important to watch www.obsessionthemovie.com 07:53  |  Marwan مروان خوري 30/01/07
  164.   Yaakov Sullivan, as a non-Jew, why would you care about a Jewish 08:41  |  Nadav 30/01/07
  165.   You`re somewhat misguided Mark Lincoln 09:11  |  Marlene 30/01/07
  166.   Gentile 09:20  |  Sarah 30/01/07
  167.   I think the question that should be asked No. 127 09:22  |  Marlene 30/01/07
  168.   #165 MARLENE ITS SIMPLE SETTLING IN YOUR OWN LAND IS LEGAL 09:23  |  paul harris 30/01/07
  169.   #155 EXCEPT JOHN YOU ONLY RENTED THE FARM 09:25  |  paul harris 30/01/07
  170.   And what about Jews No. 164?? 09:27  |  Marlene 30/01/07
  171.   Marlene of New York regarding the "carving of Israel out of ..... 09:48  |  Nadav 30/01/07
  172.   Marwan - You are something 09:50  |  Skandar 30/01/07
  173.   Sarah`s Budhists 09:52  |  Skandar 30/01/07
  174.   77: Truly funny Tony! 09:52  |  David Teich 30/01/07
  175.   Rachel & Yaakov: Rachel`s right 09:56  |  David Teich 30/01/07
  176.   Marlene, regarding what I would say to people who are Jews, well, 09:57  |  Nadav 30/01/07
  177.   167: No, Marlene, the real question is 10:00  |  David Teich 30/01/07
  178.   77- David Teich - typical intellectually weak response 10:04  |  skandar 30/01/07
  179.   #150 - Bob, you`ll like this one 10:12  |  Skandar 30/01/07
  180.   Haaretz is to blame 12:23  |  Peter Levy 30/01/07
  181.   179: More Skandar ignorance 13:51  |  David Teich 30/01/07
  182.   US Christian 00:47  |  US Buddhist 31/01/07
  183.   Antisemitism is a disease... 03:37  |  Runka Balle 30/04/07
  184.   Thanks 21:30  |  Marie 11/02/08
  185.   canucklehead 21:38  |  commonsense 06/01/09
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