jpr / European Jewish Digest Volume 2 Issue 12 December 2015 Institute for Jewish Policy Research jpr / European Jewish Digest Volume 2 Issue 12 December 2015 Looking at the headlines across Jewish Europe Institute for Jewish Policy Research 1 / Issues concerning the Jewish passengers, saying “you band of antisemitism motherf***er bastard Jews. You band of bitches; you dirty bastard race.” He added that “if only I Violence, vandalism and abuse had a grenade here…I would blow up this wagon with the f***ing Jewish bastards.” The outburst Incidents of violence, vandalism and abuse was caught on a cell phone. In a similar incident were reported in the media across Europe in in Hungary, several men shouted antisemitic December. In France, fourteen people were insults at visitors to the historic Jewish quarter of mildly poisoned by a toxic substance applied to Budapest, calling them “dirty Jews” and accusing the keypad of an electronic lock at a synagogue them of “killing Jesus.” Bonneuil-sur-Marne, south of Paris. The victims suffered from strong burning sensations in In Poland, vandals painted antisemitic and pro- their eyes and itchy rashes on their skin. Police ISIS graffiti at the Jewish cemetery in Sochaczew. believe the substance was deliberately placed The graffiti were painted on the Ohel Tzadikim there to cause harm. A few days earlier, a man memorial and included the slogans ‘Holocaust threatened and insulted a group of French Jews never happened,’ ‘Allah bless Hitler,’ ‘Islamic whilst travelling on a train in Paris. The man, State was here,’ ‘Islam will dominate,’ and ‘F**k who was of Algerian descent, verbally assaulted Jews.’ The Sochaczew Museum, which cares for the cemetery, appealed to residents of the / ABOUT EUROPEAN JEWISH DIGEST city for help in removing the damage. Pawel Rozdżestwieński, the museum director, said that Written by Richard items. Its purpose is to “we discovered this barbaric behaviour at the Goldstein, JPR’s Director provide the reader with cemetery with disbelief; it is not consistent with an overview of incidents of Operations, the human decency. As museum professionals and European Jewish Digest and activities that have is a monthly publication occurred across Europe at the same time residents of Sochaczew, we are that summarises some of each month. Note that all ashamed of such behaviour.” the key Jewish-interest details come exclusively stories in Europe, and from press reports, and In the UK, swastikas were daubed on Jubilee provides links to articles have not been verified Primary School in Stoke Newington, London. about various newsworthy by JPR researchers. The Jewish neighbourhood watch group, Shomrim, said its volunteers removed the graffiti from the entrance of the school before children / ABOUT JPR could see it on their way into school the following day. They added that swastikas have been painted The Institute for JPR’s research and on buildings on a number of other occasions this Jewish Policy analysis offer detailed year. Research (JPR) is a insights into a wide UK-based research unit, range of issues, including consultancy and think Jewish population size, In Greece, a senior bishop of the Greek- tank that specialises in geographical density, age Orthodox Church, said the “international contemporary Jewish and gender structure, Zionist monster” was behind a planned law that issues. Formerly the education, charitable would grant same-sex couples more rights, in Institute of Jewish giving, volunteering, line with EU requirements. Bishop Seraphim of Affairs, JPR has stood at antisemitism, Jewish Piraeus said the cohabitation bill is a result of the the forefront of Jewish practice, religious “constant war against the true faith” being waged community research for outlook and communal “by the international Zionist monster,” which several decades and is participation. controls the Greek government. The bishop has responsible for much Download JPR’s a long history of making antisemitic comments of the data and analysis publications free of that exist on Jews in the charge from our website: and in 2010 he told a Greek TV station that Jews UK and across Europe. www.jpr.org.uk. had orchestrated the Holocaust and were behind Greece’s financial crisis. 1 jpr / European Jewish Digest Volume 2 Issue 12 December 2015 Institute for Jewish Policy Research In the UK, a caller was allowed to stay on air filled view toward Jews as a population group for nearly thirteen minutes during a BBC radio in Germany.” Also in Germany, Marcel Zech, a programme denouncing Jews and their “rule” over far-right German politician, was charged with British society. ‘Andy from St. Margaret’s’ called incitement for publicly displaying a large tattoo up Radio London’s Simon Lederman programme of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp on his and started by saying that the world is “not free” back. Prosecutors announced that he is accused and “they are trying to control us more and of violating Germany’s ban on the public display more and more. They want to put a chip up our of Nazi symbols. Zech’s tattoo was visible when backsides… the elites… A ring through our noses, he visited a swimming pool in Oranienburg in and a visor for our horizons… the Rothschilds… November and another visitor took a photo of it. It’s about the Zionists.” He further claimed that “the Rothschilds, the people who own the Bank In the Netherlands, a court acquitted Ismael of England, the people who own the Federal Houllich, a Muslim rapper, who insulted Jews Reserve, they’re all Zionist Jews. The people who and gays in his first single, singing “I hate those own the corporate America, the media, you’ll f***ing Jews more than the Nazis,” “don’t find if you just do a little bit of research, they’re shake hands with faggots” and “don’t believe in all Zionist Jews. We are ruled by Zionist Jews.” anything but the Quran.” In a joint statement, Marie Van Der Zyl, Vice President of the Board the Centre for Information and Documentation of Deputies of British Jews, said “it is disgraceful on Israel and the COC umbrella group of gay that an obviously antisemitic caller was able to organisations said that the judge determined that speak for thirteen minutes on air in a way which while the rapper’s statements “are of an offensive was likely to incite racial hatred against Jews. We nature,” it was protected under freedoms ensuring call on the BBC to hand his details to the police “artistic expression.” The two groups called so that action can be brought against him and also on the prosecution to appeal the “disquieting explain why they did not cut the caller off when it sentence, which appears to be a carte blanche for was clear that his views were virulently racist.” A discriminative statements as long as they are made BBC spokesperson defended the decision to allow in a rap song.” the caller to go on speaking, saying that “the aim of the programme is to discuss and debate issues In the UK, the Southwark Crown Court raised by our listeners. This was a live phone- sentenced neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine to in and the caller was challenged on his views more than three years in prison after posting throughout the conversation.” “vile” antisemitic material online. Bonehill- Paine posted the messages ahead of a far-right Across Europe, a series of court cases were heard “anti-Jewification” protest he planned in Golders involving antisemitic incidents previously reported Green. Detective Chief Inspector Andy Barnes, in the media. In France, Farid Haddouche, who who led the investigation described the material stabbed a Jewish man and assaulted a rabbi and Bonehill-Paine posted as “illegal” and “damaging his son in Marseille in October, was sentenced to to communities.” four years in prison. Haddouche’s victims were returning from the synagogue when they were In Italy, Rome prosecutors have opened an assaulted. In addition to the four-year sentence, investigation into a posting on an extremist Haddouche was given a suspended sentence of website of a list of people identified as prominent eighteen months. Italian Jews. The list of ‘influential Jews in Italy,’ was posted on the Italian section of Radio Islam, In Germany, a Berlin court fined Danish Imam, an antisemitic, anti-Zionist website founded in Sheikh Abu Bilal Ismail, €1,300 for incitement Sweden in the 1990s. The investigation is looking to hatred, after convicting him of calling for the into pressing possible charges of threats and extermination of Jews during Israel’s Operation defamation, aggravated by racial hatred. Renzo Protective Edge. In a July 2014 sermon, Ismail Gattegna, President of the Union of Italian said it was necessary to “destroy the Zionist Jewish Communities, called the investigation “an Jews...,” and to “count them and kill them to important step.” He added that such lists recall the very last one. Don’t spare a single one of a time “not so long ago when to be indicated as them... Make them suffer terribly.” The verdict a Jew signified exclusion for the world of school stated that he had delivered a “hostile and hate- and work.” 2 jpr / European Jewish Digest Volume 2 Issue 12 December 2015 Institute for Jewish Policy Research In the Netherlands, the Anne Frank Foundation Violence, vandalism and abuse links revealed that 4,092 cases of racism, extremism / Paris synagogue goers / Berlin court convicts and antisemitism were reported to the police in mildly poisoned by Danish imam for seeking 2014, an overall decrease from 2013 of over four irritant smeared on lock murder of ‘Zionist Jews’ percent. Though the total number of incidents (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, (The Jerusalem Post, dropped, abuse against Muslims in particular was December 17, 2015) December 12, 2015) up by over fifty percent, as part of an overall 26 / Antisemitic Vitriol / German politician percent rise in racial abuse cases to 2,764.