Anti-Semitism on the rise worldwide

This page is the Ezra website centralized location for presenting articles relating to the worldwide rise of anti-Semitic thought, behavior, and actions. . .

Global Anti-Semitism: Recent Incidents Around the World in 2010

See also the page of incidents for 2009

Source Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

Poland. May 8, 2010 – Rzeszow – During a soccer match fans of a local team displayed a large banner showing a caricature of a hook-nosed stereotypical Jew with a blue and white yarmulke -- the colors of the opposing team -- and the phrase, “Death to the Crooked Noses.”

Argentina: April 1, 2010 - Santa Teresita – Swastikas and anti-Semitic phrases, such as “Morten Juden” (Death to Jews), were spray painted near a hotel where more than 200 people were celebrating Passover. Unknown vandals in motorcycle also shouted similar anti-Semitic slogans when passing by the hotel in the night of March 31.

January 13, 2010 - Mar del Plata – Vandals spray-painted a swastika near the entrance of the Miramar Synagogue, and a rock was thrown at one of its windows, shattering the glass pane.

Austria: March 5, 2010 – Upper Austria – Vandals defaced the walls of the former Nazi concentration camp Mauthausen with anti-Jewish and anti-Turkish slurs.

Belgium: April 13, 2010 – Brussels – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a synagogue in the Anderlecht neighborhood. Neighbors put out the fire, resulting in only superficial damage.

April 5, 2010 – Antwerp – According to a complaint to the police, three women around 20 years old and of Arab descent yelled insults at Jewish pedestrians from a car. One woman reportedly got out of the car, grabbed a young Jewish girl by the throat, and threatened to kill her. When a young man tried to separate them, the other two women got out of the car, shouting anti-Semitic insults, and one hit the young man. The police arrived and restored order.

April 1, 2010 – Antwerp – A visibly identifiable Jew was accosted as he approached his car, parked on a street near a mosque, and told "If we see you again, we’ll kill you."

January 15, 2010 – Antwerp – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at the main entrance of the Bouwmeester synagogue. Some burn marks were left on the wall near the door, but no other damage was reported. Police are investigating.

Bulgaria: May 14, 2010 - Sofia – A memorial to Soviet World War II soldiers was spray-painted with Stars of David and the phrase "Occupiers from distant lands."

Canada: April 5, 2010 -- Gatineau, Quebec -- Two students at Carleton University, including the vice-president of the Carleton University Students’ Association, were allegedly harassed and chased by a group of men brandishing a machete and screaming anti-Semitic remarks in English and Arabic. The victims said they were assaulted outside of a bar by a group of ten men, who threatened and hit them. After running to a nearby parking lot, the assailants allegedly reappeared in a car, calling the students F***ing Jews” and wielding a machete. As the students ran from the parking lot, one of the attackers threw the machete, narrowly missing them.

Denmark: June 15, 2010 - Copenhagen - Tombstones were broken in the Jewish cemetery.

Egypt: February 21, 2010 – Cairo – A man claiming to be angry at Israel threw a suitcase containing a homemade bomb at the city’s last active synagogue, Shaar Hashamyim. A 49-year-old man was arrested and charged in the incident.

France: June 13, 2010 – Nice – A group of young men of North African descent threw rocks at a Chabad rabbi while shouting, “Jew murderers.”

June 7, 2010 – Paris – A man of North African origin walked up the aisle of a train, shouting, “Are you a Jew? Are you a Jew?” When he came upon a man whom he took for a Jew, he shouted, “I don’t like Jews! I’m going to beat you. Did you see what your cousins did in Gaza?” He punched him in the face and threw him to the ground. The victim was hospitalized.

June 4, 2010 – Paris – Five students, ages 14 to 21, were subjected to anti-Semitic taunts and threats at a subway station in the Paris suburb of Brunoy. Two men reportedly insulted them, yelled “Death to you,” “Jews, we’ll kill you all,” and “Fofana, Fofana” (the name of the leader of the Gang of Barbarians who tortured and murdered Ilan Halimi in 2006). One reportedly showed a knife and made a sign of throat-cutting. After a student called the police, the men were arrested in a nearby supermarket.

June 7, 2010 – Metz – A Molotov cocktail was thrown at a Jewish elder care home; no damage was reported.

June 6, 2010 – Nice – A rabbi was insulted on the street and rocks were thrown at him, injuring his leg.

April 30, 2010 – Nimes – Three men, described as being of Arab descent, assaulted an 80-year-old Jewish man with tear gas in front of the town’s synagogue and spray-painted “F--- the Jews” on the wall. As of May 5, police have one suspect in custody and are searching for the two others. The attack was widely condemned, including by the Muslim Council of France.

March 18, 2010 – Marseille – “Jews are whores” was spray-painted on the Ohel Yaacov synagogue.

January 26, 2010 - Strasbourg – Swastikas and anti-Semitic phrases such as "Juden Raus" (Jews out) were painted on more than 30 headstones in a local Jewish cemetery. Some of the headstones were also damaged or overturned.

Germany: June 22, 2010 – Sahlkamp, Hanover – Members of a Jewish dance troupe were forced off stage during a neighborhood street festival, after a group of children and teenagers pelted the dancers with stones and used a bullhorn to scream anti-Semitic remarks. One of the dancers was injured. The dance group of the Liberal Jewish Congregation in Hanover ended their performance. The assailants were reportedly of Lebanese, Palestinian, Iraqi, Iranian and Turkish origin. Politicians and local associations responded in outrage and disbelief to the incident.

June 15, 2010 - Babenhausen - Swastikas were spray-painted on tombstones in the town’s Jewish cemetery.

June 1, 2010 – Hessen – "Free Gaza - long live global intifada" and "Stop the offense against the Gaza-flotilla" were spray-painted on the door of the Jewish Council.

May 16, 2010 – Worms – A synagogue was doused with flammable liquid and set on fire during the night, resulting in a blackened exterior but no major damage. Police found eight copies of a note that stated, “So long as you do not give the Palestinians peace, we are not going to give you peace.” Kurt Beck, premier of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, said, "The perpetrator should know that such an act against a Jewish house of God is a travesty that we will pursue with all legal means."

March 26, 2010 - Berlin – A man and two women, all in their 20’s, were beaten on a subway station platform. The three were approached by a man who asked if they were Jewish. He reportedly returned some time later with a group of youths who attacked the three, physically beating and kicking them and hitting them over the head with beer bottles.

Greece: June 13, 2010 – Kavala – "Jews Murderers" was spray-painted on a wall of the local Jewish cemetery.

June 6, 2010 – Komotini - A man was arrested after he allegedly spray-painted a swastika on a Holocaust Memorial.

May 17, 2010 – Rhodes – The Holocaust monument on the island of Rhodes was vandalized. A heavy object was used to damage the granite façade in several places.

May 13, 2010 – Thessaloniki – Gasoline-soaked rags and were used to set fire to a tomb in the Jewish cemetery. Swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti reading “Fire to the Jews” and “Juden raus” appeared on a number of tombstones and on the wall of the cemetery. Three Greek neo-Nazi activists were arrested on suspicion of writing Nazi slogans on the cemetery walls. The Greek Government strongly condemned the vandalisms.

January 6, 2010 – Crete -- Unknown vandals broke into the island’s only synagogue and set fire to the building using an improvised firebomb. The perpetrators also threw a bar of soap at the building, to illustrate the common Greek anti-Semitic expression “I'll make you into a bar of soap.” The building sustained significant water and smoke damage.

India: January 5, 2010 - Mumbai – The local Chabad house received a letter threatening another attack. The letter read, "Israel is dogs. We will strike again -- heil, Hitler," and was accompanied by a photo of Hitler. The letter was received at the site of a terrorist attack more than a year ago that killed six Jews, including the rabbis who ran the center.

Italy: May 13, 2010 – Rome - Graffiti mocking Anne Frank and a swastika were spray-painted on a wall near an old fort where Nazis shot anti-fascists during World War II and which in 2009 was dedicated to victims of Nazism and fascism. The graffiti used a play on words in Italian to read, "Anne Frank didn't get away with it." Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno denounced the incident as "obscene and shameful."

Lithuania: January 20, 2010 – Vilnius – A statue commemorating Dr. Tsemakh Shabad, a near-legendary figure in Vilna Jewish lore, was defaced with paint.

Poland: May 8, 2010 – Rzeszow – During a soccer match fans of a local team displayed a large banner showing a caricature of a hook-nosed stereotypical Jew with a blue and white yarmulke -- the colors of the opposing team -- and the phrase, “Death to the Crooked Noses.”

March 13, 2010 – Krakow – A former concentration camp, Plaszow, was defaced with anti-Semitic slogans such as “Juden Raus” (Jews out) and “Hitler Good.” The vandalism was discovered on the 67th anniversary of the Nazi liquidation of the Krakow ghetto.

Russia: June 21, 2010 – Tver – A homemade bomb exploded outside a Russian synagogue, causing property damage. Police officials have characterized the incident as “malicious hooliganism,” and believe it was motivated by anti-Semitism. Terrorism experts from the Moscow office of the Federal Security Service have begun a criminal investigation.

March 17, 2010 – March 17, 2010 – Tver – Leaflets with photos of Russia’s Chief Rabbi Berl Lazar were hung on lampposts with the phrases: “Remember, our main enemy is the Jew. If you see him, beat him!”

Spain: June 16, 2010 – Torremolinos - A swastika was spray-painted near the local synagogue.

February 1, 2010 - Madrid – A young Hasidic Jew was stopped on the street by an unidentified woman who yelled anti-Semitic comments at him, including “You Jews are responsible for all the evil in the world.” Bystanders called the police, who arrived while the woman was still there and are investigating.

Sweden: June 2, 2010 – Stockholm – A bomb threat was made when someone called the Jewish community center in and said, “the Jewish center will blow up today."

March 14, 2010 – Stockholm – Rocks were thrown at the Jewish community center, breaking a window.

Turkey: June 25, 2010 – Istanbul – Police arrested a man on suspicion of planning to murder rabbis in Istanbul. According to media reports, the 20-year old had sent an anonymous threat to a synagogue in Istanbul.

Ukraine: April 21, 2010 – Kyiv – "Death to the Jews" and "The Holocaust Continues" were painted on walls of a Jewish school.

April 19, 2010 – Ternopil – Twenty-six graves in the town’s old Jewish cemetery were vandalized with anti-Semitic and other graffiti.