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A desecrated Jewish cemetery in Aldershot, southern England. (AP)
Last update - 17:01 06/02/2007
Study: Anti-Semitic attacks hit record level in Britain in 2006
By Reuters

LONDON - Anti-Semitic attacks reached record levels in Britain last year and peaked during the conflict in Lebanon, a study showed Thursday.

Race hate incidents - ranging from death threats to physical assault - rose by more than 30 percent to almost 600.

"These are the worst figures we have had in the 23 years since we have been monitoring it," said Mark Gardner of the Community Security Trust, which advises Britain's estimated 300,000 Jews on safety issues.
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"British Jews are stupidly blamed and randomly attacked over international tensions for which they bear no responsibility," Gardner said.

British Jewish leaders say attacks have risen steadily since 2000, with British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks warning that "a tsunami of anti-Semitism" was sweeping across Europe.

Gardner said last year's incidents peaked during the month-long war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, adding the spike then was specifically anti-Semitic and not just anger with Israel.

He said the trend was mirrored across Europe. "It happens in diaspora communities throughout Europe with any trigger like the Lebanon conflict," he told Reuters.

"But it is quite difficult to compare with other countries as the sizes of the Jewish communities are quite different. The situation in France has improved slightly from the days when synagogues were being fire-bombed," he added.

Gardner said four of the incidents last year were potentially life-threatening. A Jewish man was stabbed in London, others were beaten with metal bars and broken bottles.

"I want to kill all Jews and my name is Hitler," one Arab shouted before punching an Orthodox Jew in the face at a London underground railway station and trying to push him off the platform.

Gravestones were desecrated, synagogues daubed with slogans and hate mail sent to a Jewish member of parliament.

Gardner said: "This is certainly not comparable with the 1930s or anything remotely like that. But anti-Semitism should be judged by the same standards as any other standards that British citizens enjoy."

He said anti-Semitism rose when society faced underlying problems.

"Britain is an excellent place to be a Jew but questions are being asked about what the future holds for future generations."

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  1.   Thanks to news organizations such as the Guardian, 13:06  |  Pninah Davidov 01/02/07
  2.   British Muslims are victims, too! 13:14  |  Academic 01/02/07
  3.   thank the bbc guardian and independent FOR ANTI SEMITISM 13:27  |  paul harris 01/02/07
  4.   ACCADEMIC.British Jews are attacked by Moslems any BritishMoslems 13:36  |  PETER SM 01/02/07
  5.   #2 Academic 13:42  |  Itsik 01/02/07
  6.   Reply to "academic" 13:42  |  Hindanow 01/02/07
  7.   Study: Anti-Semitic attacks hit record level in Britain in 2006 13:48  |  Roberta 01/02/07
  8.   antisemitism ans ISRAEL 2007. 14:00  |  clod 01/02/07
  9.   Academic I think the british police are showing restraint 14:02  |  British academic 01/02/07
  10.   These figures are not to be thrusted 14:10  |  Jeroen 01/02/07
  11.   As long as critizing Israel is ... 14:31  |  Noek Keijzer 01/02/07
  12.   Lead from the top. 14:32  |  Ian 01/02/07
  13.   Why are Jews blamed? 14:37  |  David James Vickery 01/02/07
  14.   Roberta-The result of media 14:37  |  Sarah 01/02/07
  15.   It is time for British aliyah 14:38  |  Herbert Kaine 01/02/07
  16.   Why blame the media? 14:40  |  tony fisher 01/02/07
  17.   To Pninah 14:45  |  Stefan 01/02/07
  18.   Academic 14:48  |  rich 01/02/07
  19.   What is the reason 14:52  |  Dav 01/02/07
  20.   For Pninah Davidov # 1 14:54  |  Clickfool 01/02/07
  21.   Thank Israel, not the British Press 14:59  |  John from Canada 01/02/07
  22.   England be damned 15:07  |  Dror 01/02/07
  23.   response to #1 15:08  |  Danalogue 01/02/07
  24.   Jews are being forced 15:14  |  Dror 01/02/07
  25.   Clickfoll who justifies anti-Semitism in the media 15:25  |  John Everett 01/02/07
  26.   to Academic 15:25  |  Sol 01/02/07
  27.   to dav 15:28  |  serious 01/02/07
  28.   Reply to Noek Keijzer (Could you provide a phonetic spelling?) 15:29  |  Hindanow 01/02/07
  29.   50 cent would say: watch the hater pile up 15:32  |  topanga 01/02/07
  30.   Reply to Tony Fisher 15:32  |  Hindanow 01/02/07
  31.   To clickfoul. 15:33  |  David Nigel Braham 01/02/07
  32.   to Jeroen 15:38  |  Sol 01/02/07
  33.   Clickfool, John and Co. 15:41  |  Anita 01/02/07
  34.   re: Pninah #1 15:43  |  Paulo 01/02/07
  35.   David Jigel vs. Clickfool 15:46  |  Anat 01/02/07
  36.   Get a sense of proportion 15:47  |  Dan 01/02/07
  37.   Paulo 15:49  |  David 01/02/07
  38.   To Sol 15:49  |  Jeroen 01/02/07
  39.   to tony fisher 15:51  |  Sol 01/02/07
  40.   to John from Canada 15:59  |  Sol 01/02/07
  41.   to James Vickary 16:00  |  gilbert miles 01/02/07
  42.   to Sol 16:07  |  Jeroen 01/02/07
  43.   to tony fisher 16:09  |  gil 01/02/07
  44.   reply to Jeroen 16:10  |  Sol 01/02/07
  45.   The media is not at fault for this rise 16:10  |  Stephen Murray 01/02/07
  46.   Blaming the Guardian? Personally I blame daffodils in the park.. 16:15  |  tuairimiocht 01/02/07
  47.   to paulo 16:16  |  GILBERTO MILANO 01/02/07
  48.   to Jeroen 16:17  |  Sol 01/02/07
  49.   Anti-Semitic attacks hit record level in Britain in 2006 16:24  |  SJ 01/02/07
  50.   to john from canada 16:24  |  gilberto 01/02/07
  51.   Sol, we are not killing civilians and children 16:28  |  Jeroen 01/02/07
  52.   Britain`s Jewish community. 16:31  |  David Nigel Braham 01/02/07
  53.   Jeroen and anti-Semitism 16:35  |  Anita 01/02/07
  54.   to Jeroen 16:45  |  Sol 01/02/07
  55.   to Sol, No. 39 16:46  |  tony fisher 01/02/07
  56.   Reply to Jackass-sorry, Jeroen 16:48  |  Hindanow 01/02/07
  57.   to gil, no. 43 16:48  |  tony fisher 01/02/07
  58.   #21 - York? 16:50  |  natan 01/02/07
  59.   To Anita and Sol 16:56  |  Jeroen 01/02/07
  60.   hypocrites 17:02  |  hassan mokdad 01/02/07
  61.   #53: Anita: A Question 17:06  |  Stephen Murray 01/02/07
  62.   No Sol, I am going to the roadblock where 17:08  |  Jeroen 01/02/07
  63.   "...a tsunami of anti-Semitism" was sweeping across Europe." 17:09  |  curious 01/02/07
  64.   You know 17:14  |  Leah 01/02/07
  65.   Eventually, Moslems will make their inevitable final push to... 17:15  |  curious 01/02/07
  66.   There are probably more anti-Palestinian acts in the tiny 17:17  |  Apartheid 01/02/07
  67.   Israel could make a big present to the Jewish Diaspora in Europe 17:18  |  Swiss (Dino) 01/02/07
  68.   For David Nigel Braham # 31 17:19  |  Clickfool 01/02/07
  69.   Where are Jews persecuted like the Muslims in Hebron? 17:22  |  Apartheid 01/02/07
  70.   hassan mokdad and who he likes 17:25  |  natan 01/02/07
  71.   to fisher, jeroen, and the like of them 17:27  |  gilbert 01/02/07
  72.   For those who question Anita, they should also 17:27  |  John Everett 01/02/07
  73.   jerome in Amsterdam