Incidents and Controversies

This list of antisemitic incidents in Europe provides readers with an overview of incidents and controversies all over Europe. It is definitely not complete and to some extent unbalanced, i.e., some countries are better represented than others. However, that does not mean antisemitism is more virulent in countries that are more present in this list; it is simply better monitored there. You can help improve monitoring by reporting incidents that have occurred in your country to the Forum.

Frankfurt (Hesse), Germany: Antisemitic Books at Frankfurt Book Fair

October 16, 2008.

Books with clearly antisemitic content have been spotted in several displays at the Frankfurt book fair, including the displays of this year’s honored guest Turkey. A report by the Simon Wiesenthal center, which was submitted to the book fair’s director Jürgen Boos, cites several volumes of books containing typical antisemitic conspiracy theories. Such theories include allegations of excessive political and financial influence on the part of Jews. The report calls on the book fair to confiscate the concerned volumes and blacklist the respective exhibitors for next year’s fair.

Source: Jpost.com; 10-16-2008

Berlin, Germany: Memorial Site Vandalized

October 15, 2008.

Unknown perpetrators burned newspapers between the stones of a memorial site for the deported Jews of Berlin-Moabit. The police are investigating the incident.

Source: Berliner Zeitung, 10-16-2008

Kaliningrad, Russia: Holocaust Memorial Vandalized

October 10, 2008.

Unknown suspects have vandalized a Holocaust memorial in Kaliningrad with antisemitic death threats and a swastika. The memorial commemorates local victims of the Holocaust and is in the same area as the old Jewish cemetery, which has been vandalized twice in the last two years.

Source: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, 10-10-2008

Germany: Nationwide Razzia Against Right-Wing Extremist Organisation “Homeland-Loyal German Youth”

October 09, 2008.

The federal ministry of the Interior executed a nationwide razzia against the “Homeland-Loyal German Youth” (“Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend”). According to the ministry of the Interior there are indicators that the activities of the organization are targeted at the constitutional order in Germany. The “Homeland-Loyal German Youth” is known to arrange tent camps and other leisure activities in order to indoctrinate children and adolescents with Nazi-ideology.

During the razzia approximately 100 objects were searched, which include facilities belonging to the far-right National Democratic Party.

Sources: Spiegel.de, 10-09-2008; Focus.de, 10-09-2008; Tagesspiegel.de, 10-09-2008

Potsdam (Brandenburg), Germany: Right-wing Extremist Accused of Holocaust Denial

October 08, 2008.

Horst Mahler, a notorious German right-wing extremist, will face charges at the Potsdam County Court due to Holocaust denial. In several articles published on the internet between September 2001 and October 2004, Mahler denied the Holocaust.

Source: Märkische Allgemeine 10-08-2008

Kirovograd, Ukraine: Extremists Planned Bomb Attack on Synagogue

October 08, 2008.

Right-wing extremists allegedly planned a bomb attack against the local synagogue in Kirovograd. According to local authorities, a 38-year old former police officer had gathered a group of 14 youths around him in order to study Nazi literature and to plan crimes against Jews and other minorities. The group was spotted in early 2008, though no charges have been made public yet.

Source: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, 10-08-2008

Budapest, Hungary: Right-Wing Extremism and Antisemitism in Hungary

October 07, 2008.

According to a representative study by Pal Tamas, a sociologist from Budapest, right-wing attitudes are widespread in Hungary. Approximately 16% of the interviewees responded that they have extreme right wing views. 29% described their political opinion as to the right of the middle. Hatred expressed toward Roma and Jews is virulent. According to Pal Tamas 69% of the interviewees described the Roma as antisocial and anti-Hungarian. One third of responders indicated antisemitic opinions.

Source: Handelsblatt, 10-16-2008

Budapest, Hungary: Jewish Theater Attacked by Neo-Nazis

October 07, 2008.

After the second performance of the new play “Gecy” at the Budapest Jewish Theater just before Rosh Hashana, the director of the play and several bystanders were brutally attacked. Six or seven masked Neo-Nazis shot acid from a water pistol, spilled a bucket of pigs’ feces over the director and severely beat a bystander trying to help him. Despite the request for police protection by the theater, no police officers were in the area and therefore no arrests could be made. Local authorities say that they are now investigating the incident.

Source: Jta.org, 10-07-2008

St. Veit, Austria: Nazi Slogans at Folk Festival

October 01, 2008.

A group of adolescents shouted Nazi slogans like “Sig Heil” during a traditional folk festival in St. Veit, Austria. The group wore apparel and signs which are typical in the neo-Nazi scene.

Source: Kleine Zeitung, 10-02-2008

London, England: Holocaust Denier Detained at London’s Heathrow Airport

October 01, 2008.

According to a report by Haaretz, the German born Australian national Dr. Gerald Fredrick Toben, 64, was detained at London's Heathrow Airport by the London police extradition unit using an EU arrest warrant issued by German authorities, the United Kingdom's Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

The founder of the Adelaide Institute, a publication that questions the facticity of the Holocaust, Toben is accused of publishing material on the internet "of an anti-Semitic and/or revisionist nature" that "denies, approves of or plays down the mass murder of Jews by the Nazis".

The arrest warrant alleges that Dr. Toben committed the offence in Australia, Germany and other countries.

Source: Haaretz.com, 10-01-2008

Linz, Austria: Muslim Cemetery Besmirched With Stars of David

September 30, 2008.

Unknown suspects, presumably right-wing extremists, have vandalized the Muslim cemetery of Linz and besmirched the gravestones with stars of David and menorahs. About 90 graves were desecrated. The Muslim community and the police suspect that the perpetrators are right-wing extremists and that they used the Jewish symbols to cover up their identity.

Source: Nachrichten.at, 09-30-2008

Berlin, Germany: Jewish Cemetery Besmirched

September 29, 2008.

Unknown suspects have vandalized an information board belonging to the Jewish Cemetery at the Große Hamburger Straße in Berlin with antisemitic drawings. The cemetery had just been reopened after being closed for construction work for over two years.

Sources: Tagesspiegel.de, 09-29-2008; Morgenpost.de, 09-29-2008

Berlin, Germany: 19-Year-Old Performs “Hitler Salute”

September 28, 2008.

A 19-year-old man verbally offended a bus driver in Berlin. He said that, due to the darker complexion of the bus driver’s skin, he wasn’t entitled to the job. He then performed the “Hitler Salute”. The police are investigating the incident.

Source: 09-28-2008

Klaipeda, Lithuania: Israeli Flag Burned

September 25, 2008.

Unknown suspects have burned an Israeli flag outside the Jewish Community Center of Klaipeda. Police are investigating the incident.

Source: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, 09-30-2008

Rome, Italy: Antisemitic Banners Target President of the Italian Senate

September 24, 2008.

According to a report by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency Skinheads have hung a large banner targeting Renato Schifani, the president of the Italian senate, with the slogan "Schifani the Jew will be you." A similar banner was found the next night. The banners, which were hung near a major city highway, were signed with the symbol of an extreme right-wing group.

Schifani, who is not Jewish, had declared on a visit to Auschwitz earlier this month that "we are all

Israelis."

Source: Jta.org, 10-01-2008

Gadebusch (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Germany: Antisemitic Vandalism

September 24, 2008.

Unknown suspects, presumably right-wing extremists, have vandalized the office windows of the political party “Die Linke” (“The Left”) with antisemitic slogans such as “Judenrepublik” (“Republic of Jews”).

Source: Schweriner Volkszeitung, 09-24-2008

Dessau-Roßlau (Saxony-Anhalt), Germany: Right Wing Extremist Demonstrate Unhindered

September 20, 2008.

Approximately 270 right-wing extremist marched through the city of Dessau-Roßlau without being hindered. The counter-demonstration was canceled, but it remains unclear for which reason. Police collected several forbidden flags.

Source: De.news.yahoo.com, 09-20-2008

Bucharest, Romania: More Than 10 Percent of OSCE Population is Antisemitic

September 19, 2008.

“Across the whole OSCE area, from Canada to Russia, a constant 10-15 percent of the population have an antisemitic attitude”, says Gert Weisskirchen, the Personal Representative on Combating Antisemitism for the OSCE’s chairman in office at a conference in Bucharest looking at legislative, educational and communication measures to combat antisemitism. He went on to say that “Education is a key in combating such prejudice.” The one-day conference was attended by delegates from 26 states, as well as representatives of international Jewish organizations.

Source: Ejpress.org, 09-19-2008

Kherson, Ukraine: Politician Accused of Antisemitic Agitation

September 18, 2008.

A member of the Kherson city council, Sergey Kirichenko, was accused by local Jewish leaders of spreading antisemitic propaganda. He is reported to have referred to Jews as robbing the Ukrainian people, to have uploaded antisemitic material to his website and to have praised the Nazi occupation of Kherson during World War II.

Source: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, 09-18-2008

Ulyanovsk, Russia: Ulyanovsk Court Sentences Antisemitic Vandals