This week’s anti-semitism round-up

Jew hating actions on the increase in UK

There was a 7% increase in 2003 (vs 2002) in the total number of anti-semitic incidents in Britain reported to the Community Security Trust (CST). Incidents of extreme violence, assault, damage/desecration of property (eg. synagogues and cemeteries), threats, abusive behaviour and hate literature were 375 in 2003 vs 350 in 2002.

In addition, incidents of information collection, criminal and suspicious behaviour more than doubled to 234 from 113 in 2002.

Variations within categories include:

• 28% increase in the number of assaults
  
• 31% increase in damage and desecration of Jewish property
  
• 223% increase in threats
  
• 2% decrease in abusive behaviour
  
• No incidents of extreme violence last year compared with 5 in 2002

EU anti-semitism conference

The EU makes one small step forward from the suppressed report on European anti-semitism and biased presentation of a survey to show Israel to be the biggest threat to world peace: The first EU-sponsored conference on combating anti-semitism in Europe took place this week.

Talking shop it may have been but at least it’s better then heads in sand pretending that the increasing levels of Jew-hating in Europe (especially by otherwise mainstream politicians and people, and muslims) is not happening. The extent that this mirrors what happened in Europe in the 1930s (and the 1840s!) was openly debated. Let’s hope any further descent can be avoided.

I haven’t yet found any indication of whether the conference examined the institutional anti-semitism in the EU itself and what steps would be taken to combat it…

Hold your Tonge, the BBC director’s cut

The good ol’ beeb was at it again following on from Tonge’s wish to become a suicide bomber. In the interests no doubt of Fairness and Objectivity, Tonge was given the R4 Today challenge: go to Israel and PA, Learn Something and Report Back. She got paid for this. Sadly, all that came across was the worst aspects of controlling-class anglo-saxon arrogance (as if the empire still existed, you know what I mean) and thinly-disguised deep-seated anti-semitism. Yes, she-really-did-say-that-on-air quips included: “…I don’t think I would be brave enough” to become a suicide bomber, and some Israeli “rantings had truth in them, but it is all so negative…”

He’s not the messiah he’s a very naughty boy (2)

New York Jewish groups are preparing for the opening of Mel Gibson's film with sermons, forums and press conferences. Their aim is to fight any suggestion that Jews were/are responsible for Jesus’ death. Talk about preaching only to the converted…