Struggle
08-10-2007 / United States
USA - Holocaust-denial film blocked in Aspen
A controversial Holocaust-denial film is raising questions about free speech at Grassroots Television, an Aspen community-access station.
Steve Campbell, founder of Citizens for 9/11 Truth, asked the station to air “Judea Declares War on Germany: A Critical Look at World War II” on Monday, but Grassroots board members stopped the screening.
The one-hour program features Dr. Frederick Toben, an Australian and member of the Adelaide Institute, an organization that denies that the Holocaust happened.
“This film is offensive not only to Jews in the world but to any sensible person,” said Grassroots Executive Director John Masters.
The question of airing the film has stirred a “healthy debate” at the community TV station.
In the film, Toben says “alleged” concentration camp gas chambers were used to save lives by disinfecting prisoners and that the Holocaust was a fabrication.
According to the Adelaide Institute website, Toben has faced litigation and is under a federal gag order in Australia.
In the past, Campbell has aired controversial films on Grassroots TV trying to debunk facts about the Sept. 11 attack. He said he has not run into this problem before.
Begun in 1971, Grassroots airs community programs twice for free and charges for additional screenings or special placement, Masters said.
Source: www.vaildaily.com
Date: October 8, 2007
By Charles Agar
08-10-2007 / United States
A Petition Calling on Google to Remove the "Jewwatch" Internet Site
An e-mail petition has recently been circulating calling on Google to remove the antisemitic "Jewwatch" Internet site, which appears among the first results for those searching the word "Jew". This scandal has been going on for quite some time: sine 2004.
In the wake of surfers' protests against the hate site, which has actually been run since 1997 by Frank Volunter (an act called "Google bombing"), the site's location suffered some damage, but it is still highly placed on the list of results. It first appears following requests for the headword "Jew" in Wikipedia and in the first page also includes Google's explanation of the results of this search.
The renewed protest being circulated by e-mail in Hebrew calling on Google to remove the site, a petition is attached containing 500,000 electronic signatures.
07-10-2007 / Portugal
Portugal - Two youths detained in first-ever desecration of Lisbon's Jewish cemetery
Police have detained two youths suspected of vandalizing the Jewish cemetery in the Lisbon, capital of Portugal.
The police said that they had arrested two youths, aged 16 and 24, after receiving a complaint from the Jewish Community of Lisbon that about 20 tombs had been vandalized and painted with Nazi swastikas at the community’s cemetery.
Source:
www.ejpress.org
Date: Oct 7, 2007
07-10-2007 / Netherlands
The Netherlands – The Holocaust and the European Parliamentary Assembly
In the course of a plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council, the Speaker of the Indonesian Parliament, Laksono, said in connection with the denial of the Holocaust by Iranian President Ahmadiejad, that as he understood it the Iranian President's intention was not to deny the Holocaust but rather to allow it to be studied and researched from a scientific point of view.
In reply, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council, Van der Lunden, declared: "Following World War II, an internationally recognized study was made that proved that there had been a Holocaust. Thus no one in this plenum has any doubts that it actually occurred. One must remember that the European Council was established on the destruction, the bloodshed, the misery and the pain of two World Wars, especially World War II. To this we say: 'Never again'. One must not forget what happened in Europe. We cannot allow anyone to cast doubts on what happened here. We must remember that we cannot agree to the return of racism, xenophobia and antisemitism – we cannot agree with that. It is a principle in our political lives and in our consciences.
Van der Lunden was roundly applauded for what he said.
Date: October 7, 2007
06-10-2007 / Portugal
Portugal– A Demonstration of Identification with the Jewish Community Following the Desecration of the Cemetery in Lisbon
On 6th October 2007, a demonstration of identification with the Jewish community was held in Lisbon following the desecration of the Jewish cemetery by neo-Nazis on 29th September. Among the participants and speakers at the demonstration were members of the Jewish community, Government Ministers and other Members of Parliament as were as Muslim, Christian and Bahai religious leaders. All of the speakers strongly denounced the incident at the cemetery and the general tenor of the speeches was "We're all Jews".
Following the demonstration, a number of resolutions were adopted in Parliament, the main ones being: a strong condemnation of the act at the Jewish cemetery in Lisbon, and the expression of sincere identification with the families hurt by the incident. The Portuguese Parliament also expressed the strong desire of the Republic of Portugal to grant full and unequivocal rights, freedoms and guarantees to the Jews as ensured by the Portuguese Constitution.
Date: October 6, 2007
05-10-2007 / Spain
Spain - Convicted Holocaust denier extradited to Austria
"Honsik, 65, was convicted in 1992 under Austria’s strict laws against denying the Holocaust for his book "Acquittal for Hitler" and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
But he fled to Spain, where he spent the next 15 years.
In the book, Honsik denied the murder of Jews by the Nazis during World War II and described the concept of gas chambers as absurd.
Source:
www.ejpress.org
Date: Oct 5, 2007
03-10-2007 / Spain
Spain– The Arrest of a Man for Nazi Incitement over the Internet
On 3rd October 2007, a court in Pontevedra sentenced Cesar Fernandez Barroso to two one-year terms and a 1,400 euro fine for crimes of denying the Holocaust and for incitement to hatred and violence against a racist and antisemitic background. Five years ago, Barroso, 33, launched an Internet site in which he praised Nazi ideology and presented the page as a portal for National Socialism with racist claims. The site also connected "the Jewish People" with global conspiracy, with the 9/11 attacks in New York, with the war in Iraq and with drug trafficking and organized crime.
Source:
http://www.radiojai.co.ar/
Date: October 3, 2007
01-10-2007 / Argentina
Argentina – A Holocaust Memorial Dedicated in the Town of Coronel Pringles
On Monday, 1st October 2007, the Israeli Ambassador to Argentina and senior national and regional government figures participated in the dedication of a memorial to the Holocaust in the town of Coronel Pringles in southwestern Buenos Aires Department. This is the second memorial to the Holocaust to be erected in Argentina. The idea for the memorial originated in the local Jewish community and enjoys the support of the Coronel Pringles Town Council.
Source: DAIA
Date: October 1, 2007
30-09-2007 / Britain
Britain - Chelsea Warn Fans Over Anti-Semitic Abuse
Some of the taunts that were made by home supporters in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Fulham crossed the line with.
"We welcome constructive points of view but we've had a few which could be seen as racist and anti-Semitic," said Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck.
"This is one thing we will not tolerate whether written, on banners, or through singing and it must stop immediately."
Buck continued: "It unfairly smears the reputation of the vast majority of the Chelsea fans who rightly do not want to be associated with such activity."
Source:
www.goal.com
Date: Sep 30. 2007
30-09-2007 / Spain
Spain– An International Conference on the Holocaust
On 26th September 2007, the Conference in Madrid on "The Holocaust and its Meaning Today" closed. The Conference, organized by the Yad VaShem Research Institute, was held in the Spanish High Academy of Sciences and was attended by researchers and lecturers from Israel, Spain and all over Europe. In the course of the Conference, the General Director of the Ministry of Education announced that the subject of the Holocaust would soon be introduced into the history studies in the schools in Spain.
Source: Haaretz
Date: September 30, 2007
29-09-2007 / Britain
Britain – The Boycott of Israel by British Academic is Declared Illegal
The resulution by the largest union of academic lecturers in Britain to mount an academic boycott of Israel because of its policies in the Territories was declared illegal and unenforceable in a legal decision requested by the union's General Secretary. In practical terms this means that the boycott must be lifted.
According to this decision, the call, directly or indirectly, for a boycott of this kind or its implementation are illegal. The General Director of the Union of University and College Lecturers (UCU), Sally Hunt, reported that in keeping with this decision the planned discussions by lecturers on the campuses on the subject of the boycott must be cancelled. The members of the Union are free to discuss and argue about Israel's policies, but the Union "Cannot invest resources in order to adhere to a thing that is impossible to implement and illegal", said Sally Hunt. The Union's Strategic and Financial Committee adopted the decision.
Nevertheless, Union's members are examining ways in which to implement the parts of their resolution that does not have to do with the boycott such as the suspension of joint projects involving British and Israeli researchers. In late September it was still impossible to obtain the reactions of members of the Union who had initiated the original resolution. Moreover, it is not clear whether the decision will prevent members of the Union from independently boycotting ties with Israel and whether in the future there will be further attempts by the Union to obtain permission to enforce other sanctions.
The UCU comprises 120 thousand lecturers. The resolution against Israel was adopted by a 60% majority in May 2007 at the Union's annual meeting and the rationale presented was the "cooperation" by Israeli academics in the occupation of the territories. The resolution stated that the Union would distribute a position paper among its members on behalf of the Palestinian organizations calling for an academic boycott of Israel, and that at the Union's branches on the campuses public discussions would be held on the subject of the boycott. The Union's General Secretary, Sally Hunt, had opposed the resolution and since its passages sought various legal opinions on the legality of the boycott.
Israeli Minister of Education, Prof. Yuli Tamir, welcomed the cancellation of the boycott and said: "There was no justification for the use of the instrument of boycott in the academic arena.
Source:
http://www.haaretz.com/
Date: September 29,2007
By: Tamara Traubman
28-09-2007 / Argentina
Argentina– A Person who Threatened his Jewish Neighbors Must now Pay Restitution and Do Community Service
A person who threatened his Jewish neighbors over the Internet say that he would "make soap" out of them has been sentenced to do community service at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Buenos Aires and must also pay the family restitution. The decision was handed down by Federal Judge Norberto Oyarbide at the request of the General Procecutor and with the agreement of the victims.
Source: DAIA
Date: September 28, 2007
26-09-2007 / United States
USA - Organizations offer reward for information on synagogue defamation
Several Jewish organizations banded together to announce a reward to help find the person behind several anti-Semitic messages found in Brooklyn Heights earlier this week.
The American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Community Relations Council are offering $10,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
Police say a total of 19 locations were plastered with swastikas, some were spray-painted on cars, others were found on sidewalks and houses.
Despite an increased police presence, there have yet to be any arrests
Source:
www.ny1.com
Date: September 26, 2007
25-09-2007 / Germany
Germany - Egyptian convicted of anti-Semitic crime in Germany
A German court sentenced an Egyptian man to 18 months' probation after convicting him of incitement to racial hatred against Jews.
The 50-year-old was also ordered to do 200 hours of community service for possession of 10,000 CDs and DVDs containing anti-Jewish chants and slogans.
The compact discs, found during a search of the man's home in October 2006, also contained calls to Muslim children to become martyrs for Islam.
The man, who has lived in Germany for 20 years, admitted to being in possession of the offending material, but denied any knowledge of the content.
Source:
www.eux.tv
Date: September 25, 2007
25-09-2007 / United States
USA - Men accused of anti-Semitism near synagogue
Scott Nibbling, 20, and Michael Holly, 18, both of Clifton, and Christopher Bogart, 21, of Lincoln Park, were charged with three counts of harassment, two counts of biased intimidation, one count of posting signs of violence and one count of conspiracy. Police do not believe they are affiliated with a specific hate group.
Source:
www.northjersey.com
Dare: September 25, 2007
By Meredith Mandell
21-09-2007 / Britain
Britain - Holocaust denier denied entry to UK
Veteran German Holocaust denier Manfred Roeder was sent back to Germany when he tried to enter Britain on Sunday.
Roeder, 78, arrived at Heathrow on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt and was questioned for several hours by two plain-clothes detectives before being put on a plane and sent back to Germany. Reports said he was intending to visit old comrades in Britain.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told the JC: “A 78-year-old German man was detained by police at Heathrow under the Terrorism Act. Subsequently, he was refused entry and returned to Germany.”
In 1982 Roeder was jailed for 13 years — but released after eight — in Germany for involvement in the firebombing of refugee hostels two years before, in which two Vietnamese refugees died.
In 1997, the BBC programme Panorama caused a major scandal in Germany when it revealed that Roeder had addressed the German military’s officer academy in Hamburg. The exposé led to the sacking of the academy’s commanding officer.
Roeder served 21 months of a two-year sentence imposed in 1999 for denying the Holocaust during a speech when standing as a National Party candidate in an election. He also appeared in court in Frankfurt in 2000, charged with having sent a letter to all German MPs accusing them of having committed “genocide against their own flesh and blood”, and calling for the re-establishment of the Third Reich.
CST spokesman Mark Gardner congratulated the authorities for their prompt action, saying: “This man is a real veteran Nazi with a track record of organised violence and Holocaust denial. He should not be welcome here.”
Source:
www.thejc.com
Date: Sep 21, 2007
By Leon Symons
21-09-2007 / Britain
Britain– The Scottish Parliament Rejected an Anti-Israel Petition
On 21st September 2007, the Scottish Parliament rejected a petition by an organization called "The Office for Muslim Affairs" claiming that the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are victims of genocide. The aim of the petition was to receive recognition from Parliament thus ensuring that the Scottish People would be free to speak out against these alleged practices and denounce them. The Parliament refused to recognize the petition and the Department for Public Petitions blocked it.
Date: September 21, 2007
21-09-2007 / Argentina
Argentina– A Seminar on the Holocaust for Police Cadets
More than 200 cadets at the Buenos Aires District Police Academy underwent a seminar on the Holocaust organized by the Holocaust Memorial Foundation (Fundacion Memoria Del Holocausto) and the Holocaust Museum in Buenos Aires. The objectives of the seminar were to strengthen the awareness of human rights and promote tolerance towards various populations in Argentine society.
Date: September 21, 2007
19-09-2007 / Portugal
Portugal – 36 Neo-Nazis are Arrested
On 19th September 2007, it was officially reported that following a lengthy investigation, the Portuguese Police arrested 36 neo-Nazis active in the violent radical right-wing Hammerskin Nation organization. The arrests had actually been made in April 2007, but were reported only now after the Prosecution had issued indictments against all 36 of them. As mentioned, the group is known for its violent behavior and forms the Portuguese branch of the international Hammerskin Nation. The Police also confiscated 15 weapons, explosives, one thousand rounds of ammunition, dozens of pieces of cold arms, poison gas and publications and manifestos inciting to racism in general and antisemitism in particular.
Among those arrested were Mario Machado, Vasco Leitao and Rui Verissimo, all of them well-known neo-Nazi leaders.
The 36 indictments include charges of threats, harassment, physical attacks, kidnapping, incitement to crime and illegal possession of weapons.
Date: 19th September 2007
Source: http://www.correidamanha.pt/
18-09-2007 / France
Europe - European cities to host Jewish events in campaign against anti-Semitism
Across Europe, Jewish communities are opening their doors to the public to fight anti-Semitism.
In Paris, Kiev and Warsaw, international Jewish organizations will band together to represent the Jewish People as part of the European Council's "All Different, All Equal" campaign, which aims to fight intolerance in 42 European nations.
The participating cities have been set up tents in the center of town for Jewish cultural events - interfaith dialogues, storytelling, Jewish rap and Klezmer concerts - aimed primarily at the local youth population.
"We are making a very strong case that anti-Semitism is alive and that we need to eradicate it ... It affects everyone: the people, the countries. [Anti-Semitism] is one component of a racist trend in Europe," said Peleg Reshef, chief organizer for the project and director of the Future Generations Division for the World Jewish.
"The tent symbolizes the community ... there is a feeling, at times, that the Jewish community is closed or clustered," explained Reshef. "This is not a ghetto - this is a tent where we are under one roof, but we are opening it up to the outside."
Source: www.jpost.com
Date: Sep 18, 2007
By Rory Kress
