Volume 4 No 1 - Journal for the Study of Antisemitism

12 JOURNAL FOR THE STUDY OF ANTISEMITISM [ VOL. 4:9
the copyright holder—by exploiting what it thinks is a loophole in German copyright
law.
Vilnius, Lithuania, January 17: The Lietuvos rytas Web site (Lrytas.lt) published an
article by veteran Holocaust denier Petras Stankeras—who was forced out of his
Interior Ministry post in November 2010—which was a republication of an article
by Stankeras that had appeared earlier in Kultûros barai, considered to be an elitist
magazine. Geoff Vasil, a senior analyst for the Holocaust watchdog Web site
DefendingHistory.com, reported December 27, 2011, on a similar sequence where
a fascism-friendly article by Stankeras was reprinted in the mainstream daily on
December 26, 2011, after being premiered earlier in Kultûros barai. After the turn
of the year, on January 12, an antisemitic article written by another author, also
published in Lietuvos rytas, drew the rapid attention of a Facebook thread and was
pulled.
New York, January 19: Vandals slapped swastikas and the words “Die Jews” on
four Midwood properties in a new wave of antisemitic attacks over the weekend—
but, in a bizarre twist, cops say the perpetrator may be Jewish! Police arrested
David Haddad of Manhattan on Monday on tips from neighbors and family that he
had made threatening, antisemitic phone calls and scribbled racist symbols on
doors in both Brooklyn and Manhattan between December 11 and January 12. The
police say he’s a suspect in last weekend’s Midwood hate spree, but have yet to
arrest him for the crime. Multiple properties in the quiet neighborhood were disfigured
by the repulsive messages, sending waves of agitation through a community
all too familiar with bias attacks: according to the FBI’s latest hate crime statistics
of the 922 bias attacks committed across the country in 2011, 887—or more than
two thirds—were directed at Jews. “It’s just the latest in a series of ongoing
antisemitic occurrences in Brooklyn,” said Assemblyman Dov Hikind (D-Borough
Park). “People are justifiably very concerned and upset.”
Berlin, January 23: A group of experts commissioned by the German parliament
concluded that antisemitism could be found “right at the heart of society.”
“Antisemitism in our society is based on widespread prejudices, deeply rooted
clichés, and sheer ignorance about Jews and Judaism,” one of the experts, historian
Peter Longerich, said at the launch of the report in Berlin. One of the places where
antisemitic utterances are most frequently heard is on the football field. Chants
such as “Jews belong in the gas chambers,” “Auschwitz is here again,” and “Synagogues
must burn,” are often heard during lower league games. And in many
schools “You Jew!” is used as a general insult. Overall, the report found, latent
antisemitism is to be found in around 20 percent of the population. . . . 90 percent
of antisemitic crimes are carried out by far-right members. . . . there are about
26,000 neo-Nazis in Germany. Hatred of Jews is also found among different
Islamist groups. The domestic intelligence agency estimates that there are 29
Islamist groups in Germany, with around 37,400 members. And antisemitism is
also a “constituent element of their ideology.”