Kulmbach (Bavaria), Germany: Elementary School Principal Allegedly Makes Pupils Draw Swastikas

September 16, 2008.

According to German media reports stemming from mid September 2008, an elementary school principal and teacher in the city of Kulmbach (in the Franconian region of the German state of Bavaria), Ingrid K., was accused of dispensing disproportional punishments and making pupils draw Swastikas along with ”non-Aryan” children. After a number of parents filed complaints and local media in the region of Franconia filed a report concerning the incidents, the state prosecutor of Bayreuth launched an investigation based on a law prohibiting the “use of signs of forbidden organizations.” In addition, the district government of Upper Franconia has begun legal investigations based on civil service law against the woman.

Sources: Spiegel.de, 09-16-2008; Süddeutsche Zeitung, 09-17-2008; AP, 09-17-2008

Berlin, Germany: Man Arrested for Nazi-Slogans and Vandalism

September 16, 2008.

A 35-year-old man was arrested at a Berlin hospital after he had insulted a Doctor with Nazi-Slogans and besmirched the walls of two floors of the hospital with swastikas.

Source: Berlin.de, 09-17-2008

Vinnytsia, Ukraine: Chief Rabbi and Family Attacked By Youngsters

September 11, 2008.

The Chief Rabbi of Vinnytsia, Rabbi Shaul Horovitz and his three-year-old son were attacked on September 11 by a group of five youngsters. The suspects yelled hateful chants such as “Heil Hitler” and “We’ll kill the Jews”. They then began pushing, punshing the son in the face and kicking a Canadian friend of the Rabbi. They were eventually helped by a motorist who happened to be in the area and picked them up in his Jeep. Horovitz filed a complaint with the local police and suspects were arrested.

Source: Ynetnews.com, 09-12-2008

Vaduz, Liechtenstein: Prince Calls Contemporary Germany “Fourth Reich”

September 11, 2008.

The Prince of Lichtenstein, Hans-Adam II, has refused to lend a painting by Frans Hals to the Jewish Museum Berlin for the planned exhibition on the robbery and restitution of cultural assets of Jewish ownership. The painting had been part of the Louis von Rothschlid collection in Vienna and was later purchased by Prince Hans-Adam II at an auction.

In a letter to the Jewish Museum Berlin the Prince justified his boycott of Germany referring to a legal controversy between him and the German government regarding another work of art. He closed with the remark: “Regarding the relations between Germany and Liechtensein, we are waiting for better times, of which I am confident that they will come, since in the last two hundred years we already survived three German Reichs, and I hope we will also survive a forth.”

These remarks were heavily criticized by Michael Blumenthal, the director of the Jewish Museum Berlin, and Salomon Korn, the Vice-President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, who expects an apology from Hans Adam II, which so far he has not offered.

Source: Spiegel.de, 09-11-2008

Nordhausen (Thuringia), Germany: Antisemitic Letter Received by Jewish Community

September 10, 2008.

For the second time the Jewish community of Nordhausen has received an antisemitic letter. The police are investigating the incident.

Source: nnz-online.de, 09-11-2008

Munich (Bavaria), Germany: Taxi Driver Sends Letters with Right-Wing Extremist Content to Jewish Communities

September 09, 2008.

A Munich taxi driver allegedly sent around 180 letters with right-wing extremist content to Jewish communities all over Germany. According to the police corresponding evidence was found in the 36-year-old’s apartment. The man was arrested and will be charged with incitement of the people.

Source: linie1-magazin.de, 09-09-2008

Gießen (Hesse), Germany: Sexton Victim of Antisemitic Writings

September 09, 2008.

A Jewish employee of a Protestant church in Gießen has become a victim of antisemitic writings that were attached to the doors of the church. In the writings the sender expressed his disgust that a Jew is employed by the church and his hate for Jews in general. The police are investigating the incident and have promising leads to the identity of the suspect.

Source: Giessener-anzeiger.de, 09-09-2008

Brussels, Belgium: Rabbinical Centre of Europe Asks EU to Keep in Mind Antisemitism in Ukraine

September 08, 2008.

According to a report by the EJPress ,The Rabbinical Centre of Europe (RCE), a Brussels based organization assisting more than 600 Rabbis across Europe, has alerted the leaders of the European Union to the persistence of antisemitism in Ukraine. It has also called for Ukrainian government’s willingness to combat such antisemitism to serve as a pre-requisite for the country’s inclusion into the European Union.» Read more.

Rome, Italy: Mayor of Rome Makes Problematic Remarks on Fascism

September 08, 2008.

During a trip to Israel Rome’s Mayor Gianni Alemanno was asked by an Italian reporter whether or not he regarded facism as the absolute evil. His answer has shocked both leftist politicians and the Jewish community of Italy: “I don’t think so and I never thought so. Fascism was a more complex phenomenon.” Alemanno, a former member of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement, repeatedly complained that the left tried to label him as a fascist.

The fascist movement under the leadership of Mussolini ruled Italy for over two decades, allied with Nazi Germany and implemented antisemitic laws that led to the murder of nearly 6,000 Italian Jews.

Source: Ejpress.org, 09-08-2008; diepresse.com, 09-08-2008

Paris, France: Gang of Five Seriously Injures 3 Jewish Youths

September 06, 2008.

Three Jewish youths have been seriously injured by a group of five other youths of similar age. The suspects had attacked the Jewish youths with stones and blast without provocation. They were on their way to synagogue in the 19th Arrondissement of Paris and wearing kippot. The injured were hospitalized and were treated for a broken nose and other injuries to the face. President Nicolas Sarkozy, Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie, the Union of Jewish Students in France (UEJF) and the Bureau National de Vigilance Contre l'Antisémitisme (BNVCA) condemned the attack and said that they considered it antisemitic. No arrests have been reported.

Sources: Pr-inside.com, 09-07-2008; Ejpress.org, 09-07-2008; Lemonde.fr, 09-07-2008

Agde, France: Antisemitic Vandalism at School

September 03, 2008.

Antisemitic, racist and xenophobic graffiti was spotted at the Collège René Cassin in Agde, France.

Source: Emploi-stage-environnement.com, 09-04-2008; Ejpress.org, 09-05-2008

Stockholm, Sweden: Sharp Rise in Nazi Groups

September 02, 2008.

In the last two years seventeen new groups have been formed, according to a survey carried out by the anti-racism foundation Expo. Currently there are about 30 active groups in Sweden, especially in the middle and southern part. They call themselves “free” or “independent” and recruit new members through schools, which has also increased noticeably.

Source: Thelocal.se, 09-02-2008

Nizhny Novgorod, Russia: Parole for Antisemitic Vandals

September 02, 2008.

A court in Nizhny Novgorod sentenced Evgeny Alyoshin, who was found responsible for the recent vandalism of Jewish graves in the Krasnaya Etna cemetery, to 2,5 years on parole. He was convicted of “Mockery of the dead motivated by ethnic hatred” rather than just “Hooliganism”. The defendant had singled out Jewish graves for his vandalism and admitted to friends that he “doesn’t like Jews”.

Source: Union of Council for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, 09-02-2008

Mainz (Rhineland-Palatinate), Germany: Star of David Stolen from Jewish Cemetery

September 01, 2008.

Unknown suspects have stolen the gold plated star of David of the New Jewish Cemetery (Neuer jüdischer Friedhof) in Mainz. The police do not assume an antisemitic or political motivation, since there were no further destructions or smearings detected. None the less, religious feelings were hurt and the image-damage for Mainz is considerable. The material damage is estimated at 6.500 Euro.

Source: Rhein-zeitung.de, 09-01-2008

Serbia: Serbia to Seek Extradition of Alleged Ex-Nazi

August 29, 2008.

According to reports by the Jerusalem Post, Serbia’s war crimes prosecutors plan to seek the extradition of an American who allegedly served in a Nazi unit that killed 17,000 civilians during World War II.

Peter Egner, 86, a native Yugoslavian currently living in a retirement community in the Seattle area, can only be extradited to Serbia if he is stripped of his US citizenship, which was requested by the US Justice Department last month.

Source: Jpost.com, 08-29-2008

Kamenets-Podolsky, Ukraine: Orthodox Church Spreads Antisemitic Propaganda

August 28, 2008.

Antisemitic leaflets were spotted inside a Russian Orthodox cathedral affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate in Kamenets-Podolsky claiming that “kikes don’t like the words Russia and Russians” and that they therefore created the artificial state of Ukraine to divide and weaken the Russian Empire. Outside the cathedral a poster was found that called for the boycott of kosher products.

Source: Union of Council for Jews in the Former Soviet Union, 09-02-2008

Rhodes, Greece: Greek Police to Investigate Antisemitic Video

August 27, 2008.

According to reports of EJPress.org, Greece’s internet police unit has been called to investigate after a video showing a young man urinating on the Holocaust Memorial in Rhodes was posted on YouTube. The Jewish community of Greece has expressed disappointment in the absence of an official reaction and has requested extra security for the High Holidays in September and October.

Source: Ejpress.org, 08-27-2008

Berlin, Germany: German Journalist Receives Antisemitic Letter

August 26, 2008.

Henryk M. Broder, a well known German Journalist, received an antisemitic letter, which he then published on the website “Axis of Good” (“Achse des Guten”). In the letter, the composer criticizes Broder for “what the Jews do to the Palestinians”. He goes on to compare the living situation of Palestinians to concentration camps and Jews to terrorists. He concludes that he is, and will remain, an antisemite and that he will “strictly boycott everything Jewish”.

Source: Achgut.com, 08-26-2008

Lübeck (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), Germany: Jewish Cemetery Desecrated

August 26, 2008.

On August 26th, unknown suspects defaced five tombstones at the Jewish Cemetery in Moisling. The tombstones, which were up to two meters high, were apparently knocked over randomly. One of the stones broke in half. The material damage is estimated at 1.000 Euros. The police are investigating the incident but claim that they could not detect any antisemitic or political motivation.

Source: Polizieipresse.de, 08-26-2008

Budapest, Hungary: Israeli Ambassador Sees Antisemitism on the Rise in Hungary

August 25, 2008.

According to the English language website of the Hungarian News Agency Corp., the Israeli Ambassador to Hungary Aliza Bin-Noun has expressed concerns about rising antisemitism in Hungary. Present opposition to antisemitism is insufficient, says the Ambassador, it should be clearly condemned. Bin-Noun was particularly worried about the Hungarian Guard, a paramilitary arm of the radical right-wing Jobbik party, and about far-right statements published in certain dailies, on websites and voiced by TV channels.

Source: English.mti.hu, 08-25-2008