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Anti-Semitism
New U.S. report says some criticism
of Israel is biased.
Ron Kampeas
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
In a town where tone often mat-
ters more than substance in assess-
ing a government's priorities, the
Washington
pronounced focus on anti-Semitism
stands out, especially when compared
he Bush administration has
to the State Department's separate,
taken the groundbreaking
relatively muted report on human
step of identifying some
rights worldwide.
virulent criticism of Israel as anti-
U.S. diplomats and other officials
Semitism, as it warns that anti-Jewish will be expected to take their cues
attitudes and incidents are on the rise
from this forceful language in how
worldwide.
they deal with political groups and
In a new study, the U.S. State
individuals overseas.
Department cites Tel Aviv University's
In its introductory overview —
Stephen Roth Institute in reporting an generally the part of any report that
increase of serious anti-Semitic inci-
is most closely read by U.S. officials
dents, encompassing physical attacks
seeking guidance on an issue — the
and vandalism, from 406 in 2005 to
report singles out governments that
593 in 2006.
have had particularly poor relations
The new study, "Contemporary
with the Bush administration, includ-
Global Anti-Semitism;' also cites a
ing Iran, Syria and Venezuela.
range of other nongovernmental orga-
The body of the report, however,
nizations to show dramatic increases
includes pronounced examples of
in Latin America, Australasia and
anti-Semitism among the elites of
Europe, including a 31 percent spike in nations that the United States has
incidents in Britain from 2005 to 2006 cultivated as allies, including Russia,
and a 35 percent jump in Argentina
Ukraine and Iraq.
during the same period.
Among other examples, it notes
The report goes quite far in warn-
cartoons in the Greek and Arab press
ing about the intensification of anti-
depicting Israelis as Nazis, as well as
Semitic rhetoric among governments
statements by Greek and British poli-
and international elites, and its policy
ticians to that effect. Some examples
recommendations are unusually
date as far back as 1991, and the
strong for State Department reports,
report also includes examples of graf-
which generally refrain from pro-
fiti without reporting whether it is
nounced language.
sanctioned or tolerated by the respon-
Its boldest venture is to name some
sible authorities.
attacks on Israel as anti-Semitism.
More could have been done to rate
In addition, the report marks the
how different nations tackle anti-
first time that the U.S. government
Semitism, said Paul LeGendre, the
has made it a policy to apply the label
senior associate for fighting discrimi-
of anti-Semitism to some criticism of nation and hate crimes at Human
Israel.
Rights First, the only major human
'Anti-Semitism has proven to be
rights watchdog that deals with hate
an adaptive phenomenon;' the report
crimes.
said. "New forms of anti-Semitism
"Ukraine is a country that we're
have evolved. They often incorporate
particularly concerned about at the
elements of traditional anti-Semitism. moment;' LeGendre said by way of
However, the distinguishing feature
example.
of the new anti-Semitism is criti-
LeGendre said Ukraine's govern-
cism of Zionism or Israeli policy that
ment has condemned outbreaks of
— whether intentionally or uninten-
anti-Semitism, but "it doesn't seem to
tionally — has the effect of promoting be translating into action at the police
prejudice against all Jews by demoniz- local levels, where crimes need to be
ing Israel and Israelis and attributing
prosecuted as hate crimes and not
Israel's perceived faults to its Jewish
hooliganism."
character:"
Still, he welcomed the report as an
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Anti-Semitism on page A34
April 10 • 2008
A33