As Israel Defends Itself, Jews Come Under Attack

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Israel acts to defend its
citizens against Hamas rocket attacks and terrorism from Gaza, Jews around the
world have come under attack, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

Assaults against Jews in communities around the world are on the rise. In
Europe, Jews have been threatened and beaten on the street and synagogues
firebombed. "Jews to the gas chambers" has been chanted at anti-Israel
demonstrations in Europe and similar calls for death to Jews have been heard
across the Arab and Muslim world. Newspapers in the Arab world and in Latin
America have published pieces making blatant comparisons between Israel and
the Nazis' perpetration of the Holocaust. One newspaper in Qatar ran an
article noting that all Jews bear responsibility for what is happening in
Gaza. Caricatures that depict Israelis as Nazis are appearing daily in the
Arab press, in Latin American and even in some mainstream European newspapers.

"The manifestations of anti-Semitism are growing, fueled by the intense
anti-Israel rallies where Nazi comparisons and anti-Semitic beliefs combine in
an explosive mix," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director. "We have
not seen an outburst of this kind of imagery since the outbreak of the second
Palestinian Intifada, and this time, it could become worse. With only a few
notable exceptions, this latest outpouring of anti-Jewish hate has met with
little or no public condemnation."

On its Web site at www.adl.org, ADL is tracking international anti-Semitism in
the forms of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions and hate speech at
demonstrations and in the media in the wake of Israel's operation against
Hamas.

Some recent manifestations include:
-- January 11, 2009 - France - Molotov cocktails were thrown at a
synagogue
in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The fire-bombs bounced
off
the reinforced window and caused damage to an adjacent Jewish
restaurant.
-- January 9 - Norway - About 1,000 pro-Palestinian protestors attacked a
pro-Israel rally of about 500 people in Oslo, resulting in six
injuries
and 31 arrests.
-- January 7 - France - In Paris, a 15-year-old Jewish teenager was
beaten
by a gang of youths, including three schoolmates, who said they were
avenging the Palestinians.
-- January 6 - Belgium - Four Molotov cocktails were thrown at a
synagogue
in Schaerbeek.
-- January 6 - Turkey - An Israeli basketball team fled from the court
into
the dressing room after the crowd became threatening, calling them
"killers" and shouting "death to Jews."
-- January 5 - France - A burning car with a Molotov cocktail was rammed
into the door of a synagogue in Toulouse while the rabbi was giving a
class inside. Another car was prepared for a second attack, but was
abandoned after an alarm scared off the attackers.
-- January 5 - Sweden - A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a synagogue in
Helsingborg.
-- January 3 - United Kingdom - Assailants tried to burn a synagogue in
the
Brondesbury section of London.
-- December 31 - United Kingdom - A Jewish man was pulled from a car in
London and beaten by three men, reportedly of Arab descent. That same
day, Jewish shops were attacked by Arab youths who shouted anti-Israel
slogans.
-- December 31 - Denmark - A Dane of Palestinian descent shot two
Israelis
in a shopping mall in Odense where they worked.

According to ADL, violence against Jews and Jewish institutions has occurred
mostly in Western Europe. The violence often is incited by hate speech at
demonstrations after which individuals have sought out Jewish targets.

"The unsophisticated methods and materials used in the attacks to date,
particularly in Europe, indicate that the assailants are largely individuals
who are acting alone or in small groups, often at the spur of the moment,"
said Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair. "As Israel continues its operation in
Gaza, we are greatly concerned about the safety and security of Jewish
communities around the world. Governments must take action to ensure that
Jewish communities are protected and that the perpetrators of anti-Semitic
acts are brought to justice."

Among the most prevalent expressions of anti-Semitic hate speech is equating
Israel with the Nazi regime. The widespread Holocaust and Nazi analogies
employed at global demonstrations go well beyond legitimate criticism of
Israel into outright anti-Semitism.

"Particularly dangerous and disturbing is the use of Nazi imagery to depict
Israelis and comparisons of Israel's actions to the absolute evil perpetrated
by the Nazis," Mr. Foxman said. "Ironically, these comparisons and the
imagery are reminiscent of the Nazis' use of Der Sturmer to feed the age-old
myths of Jews as a satanic and conniving force that is endeavoring to take
over the world."

Editors Note: A chronology of global anti-Semitic incidents and information on
global anti-Israel rallies are available on the League's Web site at
www.adl.org/israelstrikesback

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading
organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that
counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.

SOURCE Anti-Defamation League

Myrna Shinbaum, +1-212-885-7747, or Todd Gutnick, +1-212-885-7755, both of
Anti-Defamation League, adlmedia@adl.org