EU anti-Semitism report called `misleading'

[Erikl]

An article regarding the new report on anti-Semitism commissioned by the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC).

EU anti-Semitism report called `misleading'

By Sharon Sadeh and Shlomo Shamir

A new report on anti-Semitism commissioned by the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), identifies most of the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts as "young white Europeans," influenced by extreme right-wing political ideas.

Other perpetrators were young Muslims and "people of North African origin," the report said; however, it noted that the press had exaggerated the role of young Muslim immigrants in the incidents.

The new report, made public yesterday in Strasbourg in the presence of European Parliament President Pat Cox and EUMC director Beate Winker, contrasted with controversial findings of last year's EUMC-sponsored study, which the body shelved, citing incomplete data and controversial methodology, after it was leaked to the press in December 2003.

Last year's report predominantly blamed young Arabs and Muslims for rising anti-Semitism. This year the report said: "Although it is not easy to generalize, the largest group of perpetrators ... appears to be young, disaffected white Europeans." The report, including data on anti-Semitism and hostility to Jews in Europe since 2002, concludes, "There were many incidents of Jews being assaulted and insulted, attacks against synagogues, cemeteries and other Jewish property, and arson at a Jewish school."

Jewish leaders in the U.S. and Europe blasted the report, accusing the authors of purposely avoiding identifying who was responsible for anti-Semitic incidents in Europe. Israel Singer, chairman of the World Jewish Congress, said that the report's authors were afraid to present the causes of the latest wave of anti-Semitism.

The 344-page report maintains that France had the most significant rise in instances of anti-Semitism, with 313 incidents, a six-fold increase since 2002. In Belgium the number of incidents doubled, while in Germany, the number of anti-Semitic incidents dropped, though increased in severity.

Jewish leaders said the report's defining the perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts as "young white Europeans," was mistaken and misleading, making it possible to keep

the real identity of those responsible hidden, and added the majority are Muslims and supporters of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

The president of the European Jewish Congress, Cobi Benatoff, said he noticed "a number of contradictions" between the shelved report and the new one, but that he welcomed the latter's publication. On the other hand, the general secretary of the European Jewish Congress, Serge Cwajgenbaum, said that the new report was "full of contradictions."

Blaming "young white Europeans" for anti-Semitic incidents, he said, directly contradicted police reports that specifically noted the perpetrators were Muslims. "How can you fight anti-Semitism without pointing to the identity of those responsible?" he asked.

The director-general of the U.S. Anti-Defamation League, Abraham Foxman, yesterday called the report "disappointing.

Jewish community leaders throughout Europe were interviewed anonymously in a 50-page appendix to the report, in which most pointed to "immigrants" or "young people with Arab appearance" as responsible for the incidents. Jewish leaders told Haaretz that having their opinions appear in an appendix rather than as an integral part of the report showed that the EUMC did not believe these opinions to have research significance.

The new report recommends that European leaders make clear that they oppose anti-Semitism and racism, and that EU states give teeth to laws designed to stamp out anti-Semitism. The new report also calls for an institutionalized framework to be set up for efficient documentation of anti-Semitic acts. It notes that teachers have a definitive role to play in eradicating anti-Semitism and racism.

Minister for Diaspora Affairs Natan Sharansky said yesterday that he welcomed the fact that after a long period of denial, the EU has decided to look squarely at the problem of anti-Semitism. "The report proves what we have been saying for a long time - collaboration between the extreme right and Muslim elements in Europe creates a dangerous synergy," Sharansky said. "I call upon Europe's leaders to adopt the conclusions of the report and work harder against this affliction."

This article was on Haaretz, and can be found Here.

Edited April 1, 2004 by Erikl

[KayEl]

If they were to say that most of the Anti-semitism acts were done by Muslims, they would be racist to say so, venn if it was the truth.

I didn't know that PC also rule Europe.

[wunarmdscissor]

You know what , in entire life i have never come accross any anti-smitism in my country.

Not even a single ounce of racism towards Jews.

So quit criticising europeans constantly , thats all you two ever seem to do.

I suppose your gonna call me an anti-semite now?

Edited April 3, 2004 by wunarmdscissor

[Erikl]

You know what , in entire life i have never come accross any anti-smitism in my country.

Not even a single ounce of racism towards Jews.

If you are refering to Scotland - I believe you. How many Scots are there? 4-5 million? and how many Jews? 100?

If you refer to the entire UK - then I'm sorry, you simply don't know what anti-semitism is.

Not only among the laymen of the streets, but in your Parliament(!). There were a number of incidents when British ministers or Parliament members remarked an anti-semitic remark.

And I'm not just talking about critisizing Israel - that is legitimate. I'm talking about equating it to Nazi state or showing understanding to suicide bombings of the Palestinians.

It has gone so far as to the UK deciding to enforce military ambargo on Israel.

And your TV network - BBC - is totally biased against Israel (I rarely watch it anymore because of this)!

And I didn't even started commenting on France, Belgium, Greece, and the new EU members (Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia.... the only new member which doesn't have a serious anti-semitism problem is the Czech republic).

You do have Anti-Semitism up there in Europe, and the fact is that it became mixed with criticism on Israel, causing your (EU) criticism to have anti-semitism notions.

Edited April 3, 2004 by Erikl

[wunarmdscissor]

How dare you comment on the brittish being anti-semitic?

I cannot beleive what i am reading.

You know my countrymen died 50 years ago to save the entire world from the type of scumbags that you are describing , they did it not only for christian, but jews , moslems, buddhists hindus . Every creed every race , EVERYONE !!!!!!!

WWhat an insult to the memory ouf the millions of people from MY country who died to protect you an everyone else.

Do not ever confuse you paranoia with anti-semitisim in my country.

Of course there will be some , but you talk as if we are all bigoted fools.

My country an my country alone stood up for everyone and for a while we stood alone against bigotry , racism and hatred.

Maybe the rest of the world should be a little more grateful.

(BTW i amnt discounting every other brave nation who lost millions fighting fascism , im just saying that without us the world would not even be close to being as free a place as it is now)

[wunarmdscissor]

And what exactly do u know about the "laymen" on the street here?

[Saru]

And I'm not just talking about critisizing Israel - that is legitimate. I'm talking about equating it to Nazi state or showing understanding to suicide bombings of the Palestinians.

I have to disagree strongly with this. The British government does not condone the Palestinian suicide bombings, we are completely opposed to terrorism, and in no way whatsoever support the killing of innocent civilians by suicide bombers.

[Erikl]

How dare you comment on the brittish being anti-semitic?

I cannot beleive what i am reading.

You know my countrymen died 50 years ago to save the entire world from the type of scumbags that you are describing , they did it not only for christian, but jews , moslems, buddhists hindus . Every creed every race , EVERYONE !!!!!!!

While i do not wish to insult the memory of those brave soldiers, you don't know what youre talking about.

In WW2 Jews that escaped Nazi concentration camps went to Palestine, only to be sent back to Europe by the British or to be locked in British concentration camps on Cyprus and Mauritious.

The British flied several times above Auschwitz and never bombed it (there is a new site showing millions of photographs taken from British planes, some of them show detailed photographs of death camps when the planes still had enough bombs to destroy those camps).

The only one to actually stop the death camps were the Russians, only to treat Jews bad when Israel was established.

Do not ever confuse you paranoia with anti-semitisim in my country.

Of course there will be some , but you talk as if we are all bigoted fools.

Paranoia? your EU just addmitted that there is a serious problem of anti-semitism in Europe!

My country an my country alone stood up for everyone and for a while we stood alone against bigotry , racism and hatred.

Maybe the rest of the world should be a little more grateful.

You stood alone against the Nazi tyrany (untill the US and the Soviets decided to fight against the Nazis), but the British as a all never felt what it is like to be hated and persecuted like Jews, Gypsies, Armenians etc. did.

Only half a year ago a cross European servey showed that most Europeans think that Jews talk too much about the Holocaust, that Israel is the greatest threat to the world (more then Iran ot N. Korea!) and that Jews control the media (good ol' Jewish conspiracy, ah?).

Edited April 3, 2004 by Erikl

[wunarmdscissor]

The British flied several times above Auschwitz and never bombed it (there is a new site showing millions of photographs taken from British planes, some of them show detailed photographs of death camps when the planes still had enough bombs to destroy those camps).

Actually you dont know what your talking about.

The british military could not be sure if it were british sodliers in the camp.

How the hell could they bomb that? How the hell could the bomb a camp that has civilians in it also?? IT was not Britains doing.

You stood alone against the Nazi tyrany (untill the US and the Soviets decided to fight against the Nazis), but the British as a all never felt what it is like to be hated and persecuted like Jews, Gypsies, Armenians etc. did.

If you read correctly i did say alon for a while.

Russia only became involved when germany attacked them, and america when the japanese attacked them nearly 3 years after the war began so dont lecture me on the history of WW2

[Erikl]

I wish to make my self clear:

I do not think that all the Europeans are Anti-semitic.

I think that they just don't care and believe that there is no Anti-Semitism in Europe. This causes the governments to not put enough attention at this problem, which as a result grows to larger scales. For example, if the French government understood earlier that there is an anti-semitic problem in France, they were able to deal with it and stop that while it was small. They didn't. They let it happen in the name of so-called "freedom of speech".

As for the anti-semitic notion in EU decisions - this is happening because the European governments wish to be liked by their Arab and Muslim minority - this is so clear! look at the number of Muslims in every European state and see that as the number grows, the country's policies are more anti-Israel and there are more anti-semitic incidents. France has 7-6 million muslims. This is more than 10%. Britain too has a large muslim community. The same goes for Belgium.

Youre politicians need to stop leak Muslimss ass and start taking care of their other minorities and understand that their Muslim minority is taking the Middle-East problem into Europe by attacking Jews and alliancing them self with the radical right.

[Erikl]

Actually you dont know what your talking about.

The british military could not be sure if it were british sodliers in the camp.

How the hell could they bomb that? How the hell could the bomb a camp that has civilians in it also?? IT was not Britains doing.

Denial won't help you. It is known that the British intelligence knew exactly what was going on in those camps. Don't be so naive. There were people who escaped those camps and told what was going on. There were Germans that helped the British that told them what was going on.

The British government simply didn't care - you have to know how it was back then in oreder to understand that.

[wunarmdscissor]

So by default you are sayin the british took part in the holocaust?

This is such an insulting remark i dont know what to say to it.

[wunarmdscissor]

BTW erikl our country is far less zionistic country than yours, so maybe before you come out cirticising other countrys you should sort the massivvve absolutley massive amounts of disgusting racism that exists in you country

[<bleeding_heart>]

There's nothing to fear from Europe, which is paralyzed by the occasional outbursts of anti-Semitism, especially in those countries with Muslim immigrants. That is also a weapon in the overall struggle: Nobody is more expert than Israelis at emotional extortion. That's why every condemnation of the killing of Palestinian children, even by friends, is immediately interpreted as an expression of anti-Semitism. Therefore, the upper levels of the establishment believe that since the U.S. rules unchallenged in the region, there is no reason not to continue consolidating Israel's position of hegemony, by constantly and calculatedly raising the threshold of violence.

Source and Full Article Haaretz

[Gazz]

Sure there is anti-semitism all over this

world, same as racism in every form

it is one of the greatest flaws in all

of humanity.

it is not just in the UK and it is not

just against the jew.. if you look around

you long enough you will find someone

that hates someone from almost any culture,

race, religion ect.

The conflict in Israel between the Israelis

and Palistinians has indeed created more

anti-semitism but also the same can be

said that there is more racism against

the Palistinians, some I have heard call

them less than human, even named them

after some pathetic animal.

Can we ever have a day when humanity

wakes up and learns to have a little

respect for ALL fellow humans?

Sadly I think we are beyond that point

now.

Gazz

Edited April 3, 2004 by Gazz

[Erikl]

BTW erikl our country is far less zionistic country than yours, so maybe before you come out cirticising other countrys you should sort the massivvve absolutley massive amounts of disgusting racism that exists in you country

LOL.

Exactly my point. Equating Israel to Nazism, Zionism to Nazism etc..

Not only you don't know what anti-semitism is, you don't know what Zionism is.

So by default you are sayin the british took part in the holocaust?

This is such an insulting remark i dont know what to say to it.

The entire world took part in the Holocaust. They turned their heads and closed their eyes. Exactly like the entire world is blamed for the genocide in Ruwanda and the current genocide of the N. Koreans in gas chambers. The writting was on the wall, but nobody wanted to read it.

By not acting hard enough to stop it, the entire world is to blamed (exept for the Danish people that saved their entire Jewish community and made sure that they will live in degnity).

[Erikl]

Gazz, I totally agree with you.

But I have just one little remark:

but also the same can be

said that there is more racism against

the Palistinians, some I have heard call

them less than human, even named them

after some pathetic animal.

You are forgetting that the entire base for the Arab-Israeli conflict (which also includes Palestinian-Israeli conflict) is the anti-semitism that the totaliterian regimes in the Arab states fuel to their people in order for them to ignore the problems that the regime himself is causing, blaming it all on Israel.

[<bleeding_heart>]

Gazz, I totally agree with you.

But I have just one little remark:

but also the same can be

said that there is more racism against

the Palistinians, some I have heard call

them less than human, even named them

after some pathetic animal.

You are forgetting that the entire base for the Arab-Israeli conflict (which also includes Palestinian-Israeli conflict) is the anti-semitism that the totaliterian regimes in the Arab states fuel to their people in order for them to ignore the problems that the regime himself is causing, blaming it all on Israel.

Are we to assume from your last comments that racism towards Palestinians is acceptalbe, due to historical factors?

[Gazz]

You are forgetting that the entire base for the Arab-Israeli conflict (which also includes Palestinian-Israeli conflict) is the anti-semitism that the totaliterian regimes in the Arab states fuel to their people in order for them to ignore the problems that the regime himself is causing, blaming it all on Israel.

If you believe that the Israeli Jews

are the only victims in this conflict

that has taken thousands of years to

evolve then all debate with you is lost.

There are always two sides to any conflict

and in any conflict anger and hatred

will grow the same on both sides.

You cannot take a higher ground just because

you are Jew, nor can the palistinian

claim that they are right, both sides

are victems of a conflict that is older

than anyone is yet willing to either

understand or believe.

Bottom line we are all HUMAN.. the sooner

we come to terms with that the sooner

we can become a peacful race of beings.

When I see a suicide bombing, I feel pain

for humanity, not anger or hatred anymore

and when I see palistinians killed for

nothing more than being in the wrong place

at the wrong time I feel the same pain.

We have to be able to see both sides, and

the pain it has caused so many for so long

on both sides.

Life is too short for us all, why can't we

find a path to peace and understanding?

Do you think the palistinian mother

feels less pain for the death of her

child in this conflict, than the jewish

mother does for her child killed in a

suicide bombing?

Bottom line, I have a hard time believing

this insanity on all sides will ever end.

and in time this conflict will in some

way consume the entire world, dividing

all into Us or Them.

Only I have no idea who Us or Them is

anymore.

and I think we are losing sight of who

is right or wrong.

Of course in a perfect world we could

say neither.. and move on to a peaceful

world ... but there is no chance of that

now.

Gazz

Edited April 3, 2004 by Gazz

[Erikl]

Gazz and <bleeding_heart>, you didn't understand me:

All racism is wrong, ofcourse. I just mentioned that the Arab-Israeli conflict started because of anti-semtism. Arab countries fought eachother, but they all hated Israel as a strategic descision to destroy it.

[Erikl]

Do you think the palistinian mother

feels less pain for the death of her

child in this conflict, than the jewish

mother does for her child killed in a

suicide bombing?

Bottom line, I have a hard time believing

this insanity on all sides will ever end.

As a matter of fact, most of the families of the suicide bombers are actually happy that their child killed Israelis, as they are fed with hatred to everything Israeli or Jewish.

The conflict is not that old - it's only 80 yeats old, not hundreds of years.

The problem is that the Palestinians are not willing to compromise on anything. We offered them 97% of the terretories they claim to want, including filling the other 3% with Israeli land, and deviding our capital city. Arafat refused.

The problem is that the world think the two sides are equally blaimed for the conflict. Forget it. Political correctness might sound nice, but it usually doesn't work in the real world, especially in conflicts. There is the agressor and there is the one who is in the defence. Israel that is in the defence is being shown as the main agressor - ignoring all facts.

Don't get me wrong - I don't think that the Palestinians as a people are evil or primitive - they are human beings. Most of them want to live their life and raise their kids, just as we Israeli wants.

But the fact is that their leaders have other agendas. They are inciting those people against Israel, promising them things that are not rational, feeling them with dreams that has no grounds in reality (such as that they will destory Israel and rule all the area from the Jordan river to the Sea, and that millions of Paletinians will enter Israel making the Jews a minority and thus destroying Israel).

Most Israelis agree to territorial compromise. Most Palestinians do not, and the ones that do are being killed in the streets by angry mob or are being persecuted by the PA. When there will be a majority among Palestinians that will agree to the existance of Israel and to compromise on wanting only Judea Samaria and Gaza, then there will be peace.

Anyway, when reviewing the Israel-Palestinian conflict, one has to remember the follwing facts:

The problem with words like "occupied" is that they have different meanings in different contexts, but expert propagandists like the PLO are very good at manipulating those meanings.

Legally, under pre-existing international law governing war, the WB and Gaza should be classified as "disputed" and not occupied.

FACT - Israel conquered the WB and Gaza in a defensive war in 1967 - Egypt committed acts of war before Israel fired the first shot at it, and Jordan, which owned the WB, fired the first shot at Israel.

FACT - There was never a state of Palestine, and in fact the idea of a Palestinian people was born in the 1950s & 60's as an way in which to help destroy Israel - but, digressing, the fact that the land was taken from Jordan, and never from the non-existant state of Palestine, means that the territories are for certain not one thing - they are not "Palestinian land", and since Jordan renounced claim, they are not Jordanian land. The only way they can be considered "Palestinian land" is by going back to the 47 partition - which is weak since the Arabs, including the "Palestinians", who didn't exist as a group at the time, rejected it, or under Western democratic principles - the right of the residents of the land to have sovereignty over it.

FACT - The WB played an important role in the survival of Israel in the Arab states cowardly sneak attack on Yom Kippur in 1973.

FACT - Post 1993 98% of the Pals lived under Pal Arab rule - there was no "occupation" in the democratic sense for them during those years, but terrorism continued.

FACT - the Al Aqsa intifadah was admittedly preplanned after a rejection of 97% of the WB and Gaza including half of Jerusalem at Taba, and slightly less land at Camp David, with no counter offer.

FACT - the destruction of police buildings has not destroyed the Pal Arab police force - as they are very effective at policing and killing "collaborators" and those who threaten the PA.

FACT - The PA is the PLO is Fatah, which has funded terror (with American, Arab and European money) and, with the al-aqsa brigades, committed terror.

FACT - the PA renounced not terrorism, but ALL VIOLENCE under Oslo, but terror never stopped, or even slowed down - it escalated at the hands of Arafat and his thugs.

FACT - the PA controlls media, schools, symbols, and religion all promote the killing of Jews and destruction of Israel.

FACT - Israel has removed settlements for peace, and much of the settlement building post Oslo was actually the strategy that in response to every terror attack, Israel would expand settlements - which might have been effective if the PA was interested only in the WB and Gaza, and not in the destruction of Israel proper. Settlements are not the problem, they are an excuse, a pre-text, just as was Sharon, a Jew, visit to the temple mount, for a preplanned war.

Anyway -- I think this thread has really gone off-topic, so let's get back on the main topic, shall we?

[wunarmdscissor]

Exactly my point. Equating Israel to Nazism, Zionism to Nazism etc..

Not only you don't know what anti-semitism is, you don't know what Zionism is.

LOL ok i meant to say xenophobic not zionistic lol i dont know why i typed that.

And when the hell did I equate israel to nazi germany??????????????? lol

No-ione is saying its all israel's fault , we never have, but your point of view is so utterly biased an unable to comprehend that there are two sides to this story its impossible to talk to you.

You seem to think that if i disagree with you or attempt to say that both parties could be equally at fault that i am then being anti-semitic.

You seem to think that the israelis have a divine right to never be questioned.

BTW I dont see isreal sending thousands of troops around the wold on humanitarian missions, you talk about the rest of the world turning a blind eye, what exactly have you done to aid countries in need?????

Edited April 3, 2004 by wunarmdscissor

[wunarmdscissor]

Retracted

Sorry erikl i was merley demomnstrating how frustrating it is to be blindly called a racist

Edited April 3, 2004 by wunarmdscissor

[Erikl]

LOL ok i meant to say xenophobic not zionistic lol i dont know why i typed that.

And when the hell did I equate israel to nazi germany??????????????? lol

I dubt you didn't mean that, but if you didn't it's just shows you how deep anti-Israel propaganda is.

You did not equate Israel to Nazi Germany, but this is all packed together into the same "Israel is evil, Israel is racist, and Israel is Nazi" theme song I keep hearing from Europeans and Arabs.

No-ione is saying its all israel's fault , we never have, but your point of view is so utterly biased an unable to comprehend that there are two sides to this story its impossible to talk to you.

You seem to think that if i disagree with you or attempt to say that both parties could be equally at fault that i am then being anti-semitic.

Not at all! look how I disscussed with Gazz - I didn't say anywhere that he is anti-semitic. His criticism however misguided by his lack of knowledge is legitimate. He didn't equate Israel or Zionism to racism/Nazism etc.. He admitted that there is anti-semitism in Europe as well as other forms of racism which are found everywhere in the world. Israel is a democracy and as such not only one can criticise it but also it's own citizens are obligated to do so (which believe me, we do). But one should not demonize Israel and put it as the main problem of this region - this is simply playing into Arab propaganda which unfurtunately succeeded in winning European minds.

You seem to think that the israelis have a divine right to never be questioned.

I never said that and I countinuosly said that Israel can, like any other country in the world, be criticised.

But when Israel is the only one being criticised daily when in other parts of the world human rights are being broken all the time including among Israel's neighbors (Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) and new EU members (Latvia, where there is an Apartheid against the Russian residents there), and when an EU servey shows that most of EU's citizens think that Israel is the world's greatest risk when N. Korea and Iran are developing nukes and when there is a constant risk of nuclear war between India and Pakistan, something IS wrong, don't you think?!?!

And when Jack Straw says that the killing of Yassin was a crime when British soldiers are after Al-Qaeda's leaders inorder to kill them, something with the world's standards is not right, do you agree?

BTW I dont see isreal sending thousands of troops around the wold on humanitarian missions, you talk about the rest of the world turning a blind eye, what exactly have you done to aid countries in need?????

Again you don't know very much about Israel - Israel was among the first to send humanitarian mission to Africa after the explosions of American ambassies by Al-Qaeda. Israel agreed to house Albanian (muslim) refugees in the time of the Kosovo war. Israel sent humanitarian mission to Madrid after the attacks. Israel sent humanitarian mission to Ground Zero after 9/11. Israel was among the first to send humanitarian mission to turkey after the earth quake, and it sent the largest team. Israel offered humanitarian aid to Iran(!), Israel's greatest foe, after the earth quake there (Iran rejected the aid, so Israel used alternative ways to send help through Jewish communities around the world).

These are just the first things that came to my head. There are many more examples such as these, if I'll remember more I'll add later, if those are not enough.

Edited April 4, 2004 by Erikl

[Erikl]

Im no-longer gonna respond to you errikl because i think you are actually a racist and a bigot , you try to disguise it but your hatred shines through.

Very mature... when you are out of things to say, you run to the "you are a racist" excuse, without any real facts to support this.