Haaretz
Tevet 24, 5765
WASHINGTON - A rise in
the number of Muslims in Western Europe, many of them poor and uneducated,
is contributing to an increase in already deeply rooted anti-Semitism
there, the State Department is reporting to Congress.
However,
far-right groups still account for a significant proportion of attacks on
Jews and Jewish property, the report said.
In eastern Europe,
skinheads and other members of the radical political fringe are
responsible for most anti-Semitic incidents, according to the report,
obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.
In Russia, Belarus and
elsewhere in the former Soviet Union, anti-Semitism remained a serious
problem, with most incidents carried out by ultra-nationalists and other
far-right elements.
"The stereotype of Jews as manipulators of the
global economy continues to provide fertile grounds for anti-Semitic
aggression," the report said.
In the Middle East and North Africa,
with dwindling Jewish populations, except in Israel, there are few
incidents involving Jews who remain. But Syria condones and even supports
"a virulent domestic anti-Semitism" as government-supported media demonize
Israel and its leaders, the report said.
Beyond Europe and the
Middle East "there are also worrying expressions" of anti-Semitism, the
report said.
In Pakistan, where there is no Jewish community,
anti-Semitic sentiment fanned by anti-Semitic press articles, is
widespread, the report said.
Anti-Semitism even where there are
virtually no Jews is a recent phenomenon, the State Department told
Congress.
The report to the Senate and House foreign relations
committees covers the period from last July to
mid-December.
Criticism of both the United States and globalization
is spilling over to Israel and to Jews in general, the report
said.
In Europe, where millions of Jews died in the Holocaust,
anti-Semitic acts have increased both in frequency and severity since the
start of the 21st century, the report said.
The sense of safety and
security of Jewish communities has been disrupted, the report
said.
Contributing to the trend, the report said, is a rising
Muslim population with "long-standing antipathy toward both Israel and
Jews" as well as developments in Israel, the occupied territories and
Iraq.
In Europe and other regions of the world, many governments
have become increasingly aware of anti-Semitism, spoken out against it.
Some, such as France, Belgium and Germany, have taken effective measures
to combat anti-Semitism and have increased protection for Jewish
communities and Jewish properties, the report said.
Abraham H.
Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said "the U.S.
should be applauded for its leadership in recognizing the reality of the
problem, which is the old anti-Semitism and the newly Muslim
extremist-engendered anti-Semitism.
"It is forthright in
recognizing the changing nature and threat of anti-Semitism, its
connection, and its virulent demonization of Israel and Zionists," Foxman
said in a statement.