Country Case Examples France
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Country Case Examples In order to give some sense of the overall response to the Copenhagen commitments within a country, JBI chose to present profiles of six country case examples out of the 32 responses that we received. The six profiled countries are France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. France Incidents Over the past two years there has been a dramatic increase of highly publicized antisemitic incidents in France. Antisemitic physical assaults and verbal threats increased dramatically from 2001 to 2002, and still further in April 2002, likely due to some degree to the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East.78 The Government's National Consultative Commission on Human Rights reported 216 antisemitic incidents in 2001 and 924 incidents in 2002.79 Several synagogues in major cities (Strasbourg, Lyon, Paris, and Marseilles) were vandalized in 2002. According to the Representative Council of ' Jewish Institutions in France, while there was a minor decrease in registered incidents from 2002 to 2003, there was an increase in reported violent antisemitic incidents during this time period.81 According to Education Minister Luc Ferry, there were approximately 455 antisemitic or racist acts in public schools during the school year of 2002-2003.82 Protective Measures Legislation Article 225 of France's criminal code defines discrimination based on origin or membership (either real or supposed) to an ethnic group, nation, race, or religion.83 To respond to the increasing number of attacks on members of the Jewish and Muslim 78 EUMC, Manifestations of Antisemitism in the EU 2002-2003. p. 98. 79 U.S. Department of State, "International Religious Freedom Report 2003", section on France, http://www.state.gOv/a/drl/rls/irf/2003/24357.htm. accessed March 29, 2004. 80 International Helsinki Federation, Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe. Central Asia, and North America: 2003. p. 159. 81 The Stephen Roth Institute, Antisemitism Worldwide 2002/3. http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti- Scmitism/anruial-report.html, accessed March 27, 2004 AFP, Chirac to chair anti-Semitism cabinet after school bombing, November 16, 2003. 83 European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Legal Measures to Combat Racism and Intolerance in the Member States of the Council of Europe. Strasbourg. 1998 communities and to strengthen legal protections, France adopted a new law on February 3, 2003 that increases criminal penalties when persons are assaulted or property is damaged based on race or religion. The new law created a new offence category, "destruction of property with respect to places of worship, schools and educational or leisure facilities, or vehicles for the transport of children".84 Additionally, the Ministry of Justice circulated two instructions (in early and mid-April, 2002) to prosecution offices re-asserting the need for a firm response to acts of discrimination when perpetrators of such crimes are identified and for information to be provided to victims on legal proceedings.85 Cases Three students were arrested in April 2003 for incitement to hatred for their actions during an anti-Iraq demonstration. The students had carried posters with the Star of David overlaid by a swastika and an American flag with swastikas on it. The students were released, but charges against them are still pending.86 In September 2003, the mayor of Seclin, Jean Claude Willem, was fined for directing a boycott of Israeli juice by school cafes. Willem was acquitted in March 2003, but the case is now currently on appeal.87 In 2000, Internet surfers in France were banned from auctions selling Nazi paraphernalia through the website of Yahoo!.88 Education The Government has initiated programs to combat anti-Semitism "through public awareness campaigns and through encouraging dialogue between local officials, police and citizens groups".89 In February 2002, French Minister of Education Jack Lang set up a commission to examine Holocaust denial at the University of Lyon III.90 In February 2003, a campaign against intolerance in the school system was launched, including specific steps to create a monitoring committee in Paris, appoint a team of mediators, and publish a booklet for distribution in schools.91 84 EUMC, Manifestations of Antisemitism in the EU 2002-2003. p. 96. 85 EUMC, Manifestations of Antisemitism in the EU 2002-2003. p. 96 86 The Stephen Roth Institute, Antisemitism Worldwide 2002/3. http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti- Semitism/annual-report.html, accessed March 27, 2004 87 The Stephen Roth Institute, Antisemitism Worldwide 2002/3, http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti- Semitism/annual-report.html, accessed March 27, 2004 88 AP Online, French Court Clears Yahoo! in Nazi Case. February 12, 2003. 89 U.S. Department of State, "International Religious Freedom Report 2003", section on France, http://www.state.aov/a/drl/rls/irf/2003/24357.htm, accessed March 29, 2004. 90 AP, Commission to Study Holocaust Denial, February 11, 2003. 91 The New York Times, French Jews Tell of New and Threatening Wave of Anti-Semitism, March 22, 2003. 35 In March 2004, Luc Ferry, the French Minister of Education, recommended including more films about the Holocaust in the school curriculum, stating "For the first time since World War II, antisemitism is now more widespread than racism that is not directed against Jews...".92 International Commitments France acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political (ICCPR) in February 1981, and its First Optional Protocol in May 1984. France acceded to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in August 1971, and made the declaration under article 14 of the CERD in 1982. Other The Prime Minister announced the assignment of increased security measures for the Jewish community, after the dramatic increase of antisemitic incidents in April 2002.9' 3 "More that 13 mobile units, totaling more than 1,200 police officers" were assigned to areas with large Jewish communities.94 On December 9, 2003, Prime Minister Jean Raffarin chaired the inaugural session of the Interministerial Committee to Fight Racism and Antisemitism.95 The bombing in Turkey occurred around the same time as an antisemitic attack on a school in a French suburb in mid-November 2003. The Government established a new ambassadorial position for Jewish affairs, (including Holocaust restitution).96 Also in reaction to the Turkey bombing, the Government cautioned French citizens to postpone non-essential travel to Turkey. The French Embassy in Washington has recently created a website with information on antisemitism and racism in France.98 n Reuters in the LA Times, France may add 'Schindler's List' to civics curriculum. March 12, 2004. 93 EUMC, Manifestations of Antisemitism in the EU 2002-2003. p. 106. 94 U.S. Department of State, "International Religious Freedom Report 2003", section on France, httD://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/ir£'2003/24357.htm. accessed March 29, 2004 and International Helsinki Federation, Human Rights in the OSCE Region: Europe, Central Asia, and North America: 2003. p. 159. 95 French Prime Ministers Office Release, First Meeting of Interministerial Committee to Fight Racism and Anti-Semitism, http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/p imp^diTi?refz£1738&tltre; Headlines accessed April 15,2004. 96 Jewish Week, France Reaching Out to Jewish Groups: New ambassador to deal with Jewish organizations on antisemitism, restitution. December 5, 2003. 97 AFX European Focus, France calls on citizens to postpone travel to Turkey. November 21, 2003 98 http://www.info-france-usa.org/news/statmnts/2002/antisem.asp. Germany Incidents Between 1999 and 2001, the number of antisemitic acts in Germany rose substantially. In 2002, while the number of all incidents decreased, the number of violent acts rose during that period. According to the Federal Office for Internal Security, in terms of overall incidents, there were 1,378 in 1999, 1,406 in 2001, and 1,334 in 2002. There were 29 violent incidents in 2000, 18 in 2001, and 28 in 2002. Comprehensive statistical data was still not available for 2003 at the time of this writing." According to the Stephan Roth Institute "desecrations of cemeteries, synagogues, and Holocaust memorials occurred in 2002/3 throughout Germany...".' ° There have been a number of antisemitic incidents over the past year involving Arab youths attacking or harassing Jews in Germany.101 In December 2003, the German Parliament held a debate on anti-Semitism. One member of the parliament, Jiirgen Mollemann, reportedly made antisemitic remarks during the debate, including making a statement that supported Palestinian suicide attacks in Israel. He also made personal attacks on one of the leaders of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.102 Many public leaders distanced themselves from Mollemann's statements, and the Liberal Democratic Party and the Social Democratic/Greens Party both submitted applications to the lower house of parliament "demanding that antisemitic tendencies be eradicated and that anti-Semitism may not be exploited for election campaigns".103 Protective Measures Legislation The German Civil Code includes an anti-discrimination bill that makes it illegal to discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, ethnic origin, sex, religion or belief, handicap, age, or sexual identity. The Penal Code includes articles on propaganda offences, incitement to hatred, and contains provisions "aimed at hate speech and the approval, denial, or playing down of the genocide committed under the National Socialist regime".10 The Basic Law makes parties that disrupt the public order illegal, stating: 99 EUMC, Manifestations of Antisemitism in the EU 2002-2003, p. 60. 100 The Stephen Roth Institute, Antisemitism Worldwide 2002/3, http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti- Semitism/annual-reporthtml, accessed March 27, 2004. 101 U.S. Department of State, "International Religious Freedom Report 2003", section on Germany, http://www.state.gOv/g/drl/rls/irf/2003/24410.htm, accessed March 29, 2004.