Antisemitism Report 2009 - World Jewish Congress

were portrayed a backward race ―as sub humans‖, made incapable by their Talmud or
Torah based religion of normal human sentiments and feelings ,unlike of course the
superior Christian Euro- Aryan Race.‖ and ―It‘s election season in I$rael, so it was time
for the ruling Kadima party to kill 400 Palestinians this past week (1) to prove to I$raelis
the proper bloodlust qualifications to rule. Polls show the political maneuver is working
wonders with the I$raeli public—as is typical in settler-dominated countries. 81% of
I$raelis support the sickening massacres in Gaza.(2)‖.
5.4 Electronic Mail, Newsgroups, Lists and Clubs
Individuals and Jewish organisations reported that they had been in receipt of (anonymous)
antisemitic electronic mail and email newsletters sent, unsolicited, by antisemitic groups, at
a rate of more than four times per week during the period in review. This means of
harassment is closest in effect to anonymous telephone calls than hate mail, given the
physical processes involved in its receipt.
Antisemitic individuals, groups and organisations continue to maintain high visibility on
Australian-based newsgroups during period in review. Whenever the possibility arose, one
or more individuals made interventions on public affairs issues with an anti-Jewish slant.
Amongst the postings which went to newsgroups which have as their charter consideration
of issues of concern to Australians, were a number which were not only clearly antisemitic
but also well outside the charter of those newsgroups. Given the nature of newsgroups,
individuals with time on their hands are able to reach a variety of audiences quickly and
inexpensively. Also, due to the way in which discussions are grouped in "threads", it is
possible for individuals to dominate discussion on particular "subjects". As with internet
sites, there is no process by which individuals who are attempting to provide information
can be simply separated from those who are motivated by malevolence or mischief to place
false and distorted material before readers of the newsgroups.
Some discussion forums cater specifically to the agendas of racist, but the lack of any
reasonable form of control over postings in many other groups made them particularly
useful to individuals and groups who represented extreme and eccentric viewpoints or who
engage in racism and anti-Jewish defamation.
online antisemitism Crikey et al
By Michael Danby
The impact of the internet is perhaps the most far-reaching of any communications
technology developed in my lifetime. We are now irrevocably in the Information Age, a fact
recognised by the Federal Government in its drive to deliver a national broadband network at
speeds 100 times faster than those now available to most of us, certainly the largest nationbuilding
infrastructure project in Australia’s history.
The internet is also a powerful agent of social change that has created a fresh marketplace of ideas. It
is no exaggeration to say that today we all have a soapbox to publicly express our opinion about
anything. And as a member of a political party with a long social democratic tradition, there is surely
something thrilling about a collaborative tool for democratic expression that cannot be easily
subverted by entrenched interests.
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