1. The year 2002 was a difficult year for everything that has to do
with worldwide antisemitism. Even though the number of incidents recorded
was smaller than that of the previous year, it appears that this year
new severe standards, that developed into a routine, were established.
2. In 2002, there were serious incidents involving attacks on Jews
and Jewish facilities, virulent incitement to antisemitsim and Anti-Zionism,
and perhaps most serious of all – the generation of an atmosphere
of hatred towards both Israel and the Jews as a single, vilified, defamed
entity responsible for all the evils in the world. During this year,
attempts were made to physically attack Jews in Europe, North America,
Oceania and the CIS, alongside a constant barrage of propaganda that
did not exclude any country in the world. The most blatant propaganda
effort was made by Egypt where anti-Jewish propaganda became a first-rate
tool in its campaign against Israel.
3. Above all of this lurks the threatening shadow of worldwide terrorism
in the form of the Al-Qaeda Organization. While that organization does
threaten the entire Western world, it has made the Jewish world its
primary target in both word and deed. For instance, in April it perpetrated
an attack in the ancient synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia where 20 civilians
were killed.
4. In the course of 2002, a number of trends in anti-Jewish activities
emerged:
a. The Worldwide Jihad organization made the Jewish
world its preferred target for terrorist attacks.
b. Most of the attacks on Jews and Jewish facilities
were carried out by Islamic elements.
c. Violent attacks against Jewish targets became appreciably more daring.
d. A clear affinity has developed between events connected with the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the number and severity of anti-Jewish
attacks all over the world.
e. Elements hostile to Israel and the Jewish world took measures to
increase the hostile attitude towards them on university campuses and
in the media.
f. Many of the activities described as criticism of Israel, had in
fact antisemitic undertones.
g. In many instances criticism of Israel turned into unbridled attacks
against Zionism and the Zionists, and implicitly against the Jews.
h. Antisemitic propaganda in the Arab world moved a further rung up
the ladder making frequent use of classic antisemitic stereotypes.
i. The radical left and the radical right grant unqualified support
to the Palestinian cause in its conflict with Israel.
j. There is evidence of an ideological connection between elements
in both the radical right and the radical left and Islamic elements.
This ideological connection has led to cooperation in the organizing
of joint demonstrations and protests.
Europe
5. In Europe there has been a relatively high level of antisemitic
activity including attacks on and harassment of Jews as well as physical
damage to Jewish community facilities. These activities reached their
peak in the months of April and May of 2002, parallel to the Defensive
Shield Campaign.
6. In the past year, as in the year preceding it, France stood out
as the country in which the greatest number and most serious incidents
occurred in comparison with other countries in the world. These incidents
included: the physical attack and harassment of Jews all over the country,
the torching of synagogues, the desecration of cemeteries, threats and
dissemination of radical antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda. The
perpetrators of the attacks came from the Islamic arena, mainly from
among young North African immigrants. It should be noted that in a number
of instances it was clear that the attacks were better organized, thus
reference is not to a grass-roots reaction but to organized and establishment-based
acts. These were designed to denounce and attack Jews in reaction to
events in Israel and served as attacks on the Zionist idea. These ideas
were joined this year by blatant antisemitic motives manifest in incitement
to attack Jews everywhere (incitement in the mosques and in other concentrations
of Muslims) "because they are responsible for everything 'evil'
in the world". It should, however, be noted that one decisive action
was taken by the French Government (after the elections there) there
was a perceptible decrease in the number and severity of the incidents.
7. In other European countries, especially those with large Muslim
populations, there have been serious incidents of physical attacks,
harassment and the like. Belgium has been the venue of severe physical
attacks against individual Jews and facilities of the Jewish communities.
In addition, the universities have figured as centers of antisemitic
and anti-Israel propaganda and threats. In Britain, which has a tradition
of considerable antisemitic activity, Jews have been attacked and synagogues
and other facilities of the Jewish community have been severely desecrated.
8. There have been numerous antisemitic incidents in the Scandinavian
countries (especially Denmark and Sweden). This situation is partially
explained by the attitude of the authorities in those countries to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is extremely critical of Israel.
9. The year 2002 saw a relatively large number of antisemitic incidents
in Germany, including physical attacks on Jews and the desecration of
cemeteries. These were carried out by neo-Nazi and Islamic elements,
despite the fact that the authorities there have for years made numerous
efforts to protect the Jewish community and its facilities.
10. In Eastern Europe and Russia antisemitic activities have taken
the form of propaganda and demonstrations. In Russia there were a number
of violent incidents in which individual Jews were injured and synagogues
and other Jewish facilities were damaged. In the course of the year
there were incidents of booby-trapped "signs" placed in such
a manner that any attempt to take them down set them off. These "signs",
some of which carried various kinds of antisemitic slogans, caused one
fatality and a number of injuries. Incidents similar to those in Russia
also occurred in Ukraine.
America
11. In the North American countries, the United States and Canada,
a relatively large number of attacks on and harassment of Jews was recorded,
mainly parallel to the Defensive Shield Campaign in Israel. The incidents
included The torching and attempted torching of synagogues and attacks
on and harassment of Jews in various places.
12. More than anything else, an atmosphere of hostility against Israel
and the Jews was created on college campuses and among a considerable
number of academic personnel. Both in Canada and in the United States,
there was a highly visible exacerbation of antisemitic and anti-Israel
rhetoric, the most serious of which was the call for divestment from
Israel in which academic institutions were urged to withdraw their investments
in companies maintaining trade with Israel. Although in many of the
cases this initiative proved unsuccessful, its instigators did create
an atmosphere of hostility towards Israel and the Jews and of course
anyone identified with supporting Israel. In addition to all this, there
were also incidents of violence in various universities against Israeli
and pro-Israel elements.
13. In Latin America the situation is completely different from that
in other regions of the world. Despite a rather large Islamic presence
in quite a number of countries on that continent, the number of anti-Jewish
incidents was relatively low as was the severity of the acts. Exceptions
to this were Brazil and Chile, where there were a number of attacks
on Jews and Jewish community facilities, albeit lesser in severity and
number than those recorded in Europe.
14. In Argentina there were numerous anti-Israel demonstrations but
they concentrated mainly on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and in
general did not deviate from that into antisemitic expressions or acts.
One such exception to this was in the city of La Plata where an anti-tank
grenade was placed at the front of the Jewish Community Sports Center
accompanied by a note reading "Jews get out"! Nothing is known
of who planted the grenade.
Africa
15. In the North African countries in which there are rather large
Jewish communities, the most significant incident was the attack in
April by an Al-Qaeda terrorist on the ancient synagogue on the Tunisian
island of Djerba in which 20 German tourists and a number of local residents
were killed. There were additional serious attacks on Jews in other
cities of Tunisia as well as in several cities in Morocco.
Oceania
16. In 2002, there was an increase in antisemitic activities in Australia.
These included harassment of Jews and Jewish institutions as well as
the dissemination of anti-Jewish propaganda, including support for the
Palestinian cause.
17. This past year was characterized by an increase in antisemitic
incidents including both violence and propaganda. 2002 will be remembered
as the year in which these incidents moved another rung up the ladder,
and when acts that had earlier been considered extraordinarily violent
became routine. As had been the case in previous years since the outbreak
of the Al-Aqsa Intifadeh, the incidents in Europe, especially in France
and Belgium, occupied a central place.
18. 2002 was marked by attacks of terrorism all over the world, and
Jews did not escape being their main target. Alongside the attack on
the ancient synagogue in Djerba, there were reports of preparations
and intentions to attack other Jewish targets in various countries in
the world.
19. In addition to that, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict occupied
a focal point in the hostile propaganda and demonstrations against Israel,
the Jewish world and the Zionist Movement. This was expressed in mass
demonstrations and other severe protest measures. The campaign against
the American attack on Iraq also provided a venue for many anti-Jewish
and Anti-Zionist manifestations.
20. In our assessment, the trend which began in 2002 will continue
and even exacerbate as the possibility of the American attack in the
Gulf becomes more palpable. We assess that when the American attack
begins, those opposed to it will resort to demonstrations as well as
other means against American targets as well as against Jewish and Israeli
targets all over the world. Moreover, terrorist organizations connected
with worldwide terrorism and others including those with connections
to Iraq are liable to increase their attempts to attack Jewish targets.
21. In addition to everything mentioned above, all
of those organizations who have joined forces with the Arab and Muslim
organizations, for example the radical organizations from the left and
from the right, will continue their efforts to attack and harass everything
that has to do with the Jews and Israel and in certain cases the Americans.