Struggle against antisemitism
24-11-2009 / Germany
Germany - Germans restore 1936 high jump record to Jewish woman
Germany has restored the 1936 high jump record to a New York City woman who was stripped of the mark because she was Jewish.
Gretel Bergmann, of Queens, also had been banned from that year's Berlin Olympics by the Nazis because of her religion.
Germany's track and field association says the act of restoring Bergmann's record jump of 5 feet, 3 inches, "can in no way make up" for the...23-11-2009 / France
France – Punishments for Assailants of Jewish Youth
On September 27th a Jewish youngster was assaulted by two youths in Paris’s 12th Quarter. A court in Paris convicted one of the assailants and decreed the following punishments on him: 6 months conditional imprisonment 100 Euros compensation 350 Euros fine in accordance with the Penal Law 1-475 160 hours community service Source: http://www.spcj.org/ ...23-11-2009 / Germany
Germany - Police locate synagogue vandal suspect in Dresden
Dresden police announced on Monday that they have found a suspect in the defacement of a synagogue that took place two days ahead of the 71st anniversary of the Nazi Kristallnacht pogrom this month.
The 39-year-old Algerian man is accused of daubing swastikas and anti-Jewish statements along several metres of a wall outside the synagogue on November 7, the Saxony state office of criminal...22-11-2009 / Brazil
Brazil - Thousands of Brazilians rally against Ahmadinejad
Thousands of demonstrators from different religions took part in a march for peace and against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro.
Faced with mounting pressure over his country's atomic ambitions, Ahmadinejad left on a five nation tour Sunday, in a bid to boost ties with Latin America's biggest economy and a rare backer of Tehran's nuclear program....
21-11-2009 / Austria
Austria – 2009 Federal Decoration of Honor awarded to Elisabeth Orth
The Minister of Education, Dr. Claudia Schmied, awarded the Federal Decoration of Honor for 2009 to the President of the Campaign against Antisemitism in Austria – actress Elisabeth Orth-Obonya. The Decoration was awarded for her voluntary activities for promoting tolerance and human rights.
In addition to her appearances in the Austrian National Theater and on many other stages,...20-11-2009 / Russia
Russia - Court gives suspended sentence to man who called for murder of Jews, government officials
A resident of Kovrov, Russia was given a suspended sentence on incitement charges. Vladimir Sofronov posted calls to murder Jews, local government officials and their children, on the Internet. The suspended sentence is for 10 months in prison if he is convicted of another crime during that time period. Source:... ...20-11-2009 / Russia
Russia - Tver far-right activist faces hate crime charges
Prosecutors in Tver brought incitement charges against a 50 year old member of an unspecified local far-right group. The suspect allegedly painted the word "evil" on Jewish, Armenian and Gypsy gravestones. He signed a written pledge not to leave the city until his trial, the date of which has not yet been set.
Source:...20-11-2009 / Britain
Britain - Antisemitism institute to be opened at Birkbeck
The first academic institute in Britain to deal solely with antisemitism, only the second in Europe, is to be set up in London, funded by £1.5 million from the Pears Foundation.
The new institute will occupy a building on the campus at Birkbeck College, part of the University of London, and will be next to the proposed new home of the Wiener Library, the world’s oldest Holocaust...18-11-2009 / Russia
Russia – Censure for publication of antisemitic article
The Federal Authority for Supervision of the Media, Information Technology and Mass Communications issued a warning to the editorial staff of the “К барьеру!" (“To the barrier”) newspaper, (which replaced the "Дуэль” “Duel” newspaper),following their publication of an article titled: “Will Medvedev turn to the Liberals?” which included antisemitic comments and...18-11-2009 / Canada
Canada - Police release photos in Calgary antisemitic graffiti case
Police have released several images of a man who may have information on a vandalism case that may have been a hate crime, officials say.
The released surveillance photos were taken at the Chabad Lubavitch Centre. It shows a man approaching the wall of the building and a pickup truck at the scene.
Source: http://www.calgaryherald.com/...
15-11-2009 / Britain
Britain - British Jews use ‘buycott’ to combat Palestinian boycott threat
British Jews organized a "buycott" of Israeli products to combat a Palestinian boycott campaign against two major supermarket chains.
The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Fair Play Campaign Group urged shoppers to buy as many Israeli products as possible this week in response to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's targeting of Waitrose and Morrisons.
Pro-Israel groups said a...12-11-2009 / Norway
Norway - University rebuffs motion for Israel boycott
An academic boycott of Israel in Norway was averted, when the executive board of the University of Trondheim unanimously decided to reject the controversial move.
"The vote resulted in total victory," said Professor Bjorn Alsberg, a member of the board of the Trondheim-based Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Alsberg, a chemistry professor, led a campaigned at the...12-11-2009 / United States
USA - Obama to name envoy to combat antisemitism
The US administration is slated to name a new special envoy for combating global antisemitism (SEAS). White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was expected to announce the appointment at the Jewish Federations of North America's annual General Assembly this week, but assessments are that the announcement will come later in the week.
The top candidate for the position is Attorney Hannah...10-11-2009 / Czech
Czech Republic –2 Czech soldiers fired for wearing Nazi symbols in Afghanistan
The Czech Republic's defence minister says he has fired two servicemen for wearing Nazi insignia on their helmets while serving with the NATO-led force in Afghanistan.
Martin Bartak announced his decision a day after he suspended the two, together with their commander.
It followed a newspaper report that the two soldiers were wearing symbols of World War II Nazi SS divisions on their...10-11-2009 / Germany
Germany - German court tells holocaust denier he must face trial
The British bishop, Richard Williamson, has denied the charges brought against him and has refused to pay the 12,000 euro ($18,000) fine imposed by the court in the German city of Regensburg.
As a consequence, the court has now summoned the bishop to stand trial, although a spokesman for the court said no date had yet been set.
Williamson, however, will not have to appear in person. He...09-11-2009 / Germany
Germany - Germany marks anniversary of Kristallnacht
As Germany celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on Monday, more subdued tributes were held to mark the 71st anniversary of the Nazi's Kristallnacht antisemitic pogrom. On Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, at least 91 German Jews were killed, more than 200 synagogues were destroyed, and thousands of Jewish businesses vandalized and looted in state...09-11-2009 / Serbia
Serbia - International day against fascism and antisemitism to be marked
The Ministry of Labor and Social Policy will organize a concert entitled "Gifts of Love" on November 9 at 8 pm in the National Theatre, Belgrade, to mark the International Day against Fascism and Antisemitism, as well as the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht.
Serbian and foreign officials will be present. Foreign minister Vuk Jeremic will address the gathering.
Source:...
...06-11-2009 / Germany
Germany - Germany’s Jews honor national soccer head for his stance against antisemitism
Germany's Jewish community gave its top annual honor to the president of the German Football Association for his stance against antisemitism.
The Central Council of Jews in Germany recognized Theo Zwanziger, 64, with the Leo Baeck Prize for his "unwavering commitment" to fighting antisemitism, including the "alarming and dangerous tendencies" among soccer fans today, German Finance...05-11-2009 / Czech
Czech Republic - Czech neo-Nazis were planning terror acts
The Czech daily newspaper Mlada fronta Dnes informed about a Neo-Nazi group White Justice which prepared its members for a terror acts against public targets (Power plant) and highly positioned Jews. The information come from a police investigation of few recently arrested neo-Nazi. Based on their testimony they trained themselves in shooting, self-defense and other skills in special training...03-11-2009 / Germany
Germany - Merkel: Iranian nukes - unacceptable
In a speech to US Congress marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that allowing Iran to have nuclear weapons, especially with a leader that denies the Holocaust, is "non-negotiable."
"A nuclear bomb in the hands of an Iranian president who denies the Holocaust, threatens Israel and denies Israel the right to exist is not...
