6. Right-Wing Antisemitism: An Overview
A. Introduction
B. European Countries 
C. Cyber Nazis
A. Introduction
A British journalist, Chris McGreal, writing from Jerusalem in the Guardian
(a British newspaper) in November 2003, entitles his article: “The
‘new’ anti-Semitism: is Europe in grip of worst bout of hatred
since the Holocaust?”
60 years after the Holocaust, European Jews and Israelis are increasingly
wondering if Europe is being sucked into the worst wave of anti-Semitism
since the Second World War.
What prompted this question?
Following are some of the political trends and antisemitic incidents recorded
over the last year or so in Europe. It is worthwhile noting that these
are not isolated incidents in one or two countries, but increasingly frequent
occurrences across the entire continent. While Eastern Europe has also
seen an increase in anti-Semitic activity, it is in Western Europe that
the trend has become really inflammatory.
Recommended report: http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/annual-report.html
B. European Countries
Britain
Two synagogue desecrations in 2002, including destruction of Sifrei
Torah (Torah Scrolls), one in Swansea, including arson, (Wales) and one
in Finsbury Park (E. London), have been attributed by some to right-wing,
neo-Nazi groups, and were quite similar. Both included the daubing of
Swastikas, the "T4" Nazi "euthanasia" program, and
the leaving of excrement, as well as damage to the property.
Assaults on individual Jews by neo-Nazis now take second place to serious
assault by "Muslims or Palestinian sympathisers". Discourse
incidents were not addressed in detail.
Right-wing groups in the UK have a traditional xenophobic and antisemitic
power base and are taking off primarily on the Internet, promoting focused
incitement. The Guardian newspaper viewed documents from a secure
email network, showing that hardline fascists were planning a campaign
of "violence and intimidation" and swapping information on bomb-making
and details of possible targets, deliberately inciting to vengeance. The
group was linked to the Redwatch website, which carries hundreds
of pictures and details of anti-fascists - many taken during protests
against the British National Party - alongside the slogan: "Remember
places, traitors' faces, they'll all pay for their crimes."
(See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/farright/story/0,11981,1108643,00.html)
The Home Secretary, David Blunkett, was pressured to shut down "an
extreme right-wing website", presumably Redwatch, following the discovery
of a "secret hit-list" of targets - including social workers,
journalists and politicians.
Switzerland
Since its first Jewish (woman) Interior Minister and President, Ruth
Dreyfuss, left the government, Switzerland appears to be consolidating
towards the right-wing. The far right made a dangerous gain after Christoph
Blocher, the controversial anti-immigrant populist, won a seat in the
country's cabinet.
See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/farright/story/0,11981,1104570,00.html
Today, the Swiss right-wing openly denounces "Zionist imperialism"
and "the Jewish lobby" in the same voice, alongside the left-wing.
Antisemitism exists within this political far right and its fringe circles
((both francophone and german-speaking), but some prosecutions on counts
of racism, for Holocaust denial, have succeeded and one organization was
disbanded. There are a number of very active Holocaust denial figures
and circles in Switzerland, but private gatherings are permitted. The
neo-Nazi Party is legal and attracts skinheads.
One of the main focuses of right-wing Antisemitism was the lifting of
the 100-year long ban on Jewish and Muslim ritual slaughter, which generated
massive and violent popular and animal rights' opposition in the media,
including vilification and threats, with little or no comment from official
circles.
France
Nearly one in four French people back the ideas of the anti-immigrant
National Front and its leader, Jean-Marie Le Pen, according to a poll
released yesterday, while only 42% believe the party's policies are unacceptable.
The survey by the TNS/Sofres organisation, published in Le Monde, showed
22% of those polled were "wholly or partially" in agreement
with the Front. Three months before regional elections, 28% said they
"would not mind" their region being run by Mr Le Pen's party.
See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/farright/story/0,11981,1103512,00.html
Sweden
With relatively few Jews and a large immigrant population, Swedish right-wing
groups are traditionally xenophobic and antisemiticm, but their focus
is on the Swedish political arena. The prime suspect in the Anna Lindh
murder case is alleged to have links with "some of Sweden's most
notorious neo-Nazi figures".
See: http://www.guardian.co.uk/farright/story/0,11981,1044274,00.html
Most of the ongoing antisemitic activity is in discourse, print media,
and over the Internet. The anchor town of Nazi and politically acceptable
groups is Karlskrona; the NSF Party is openly antisemitic. Salt magazine
carried Holocaust denial and Jewish conspiracy articles; a company-owner
was prosecuted for releasing antisemitic and racist CDs; four Nazis were
sentenced for the republication of an antisemitic book dating from 1930
(two from Karlskrona). The data for 2002 show the right-wing as responsible
for 17.6% of antisemitic incidents that year.
A significant EU finding on right-wing Antisemitism in Sweden is that
the traditionally strong, fringe Nazi and neo-Nazi groups applaud Islamic
Antisemitism and terror, including that of Al-Qaida.
Austria
The EU report states: "Anti-Semitism is a main ideological component
of most extreme right-wing groups and their publications in Austria."
(p.84). This includes Holocaust denial, traditional xenophobia, while
public debate generally accepted that statements about the "worldwide
Jewish conspiracy" were acceptable. There is a plethora of right
wing print media, clearly demonstrating the link between traditional antisemitic
stereotyping and anti-Israel sentiment. Antisemitic attitudes were on
the increase among the public; Holocaust education was being engaged.
Four months after bringing down the Austrian government and forcing early
elections, the extreme right leader Jörg Haider is making a strong
come back. The Freedom Party members currently hold six posts in the Austrian
cabinet, making it unlikely that their platform will be challenged by
democratic measures.
For Extensive coverage of Austria’s Far Right see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/austria/0,2759,184722,00.html
Germany
The arrests of 10 people accused of planning bombing at inauguration
of Munich synagogue alerted Germany to the rise of far-right terrorism,
rather than simply discourse, media, or covert Antisemitism.
See article: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?
itemNo=340567&contrassID=1&subContrassID=9&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y
There is extensive use of antisemitic Internet and print/imprintation
media, especially for export. Right-wing German public opinion has, overall,
become more antisemitic, under the influence of reporting about Israel
and the Middle East.
Belgium
The far-right Vlaams Blok became the biggest political force in its
Flemish stronghold city, Antwerp, in October 2000, taking 20 out of 50
seats on the city council. In the 1999 parliamentary elections it took
9.9% of the vote, translating under the PR system to 15 seats in the lower
house. VB is fiercely anti-immigrant, openly antisemitic and advocates
Flemish self-rule.
Denmark
The ultra-right DPP swept into parliament as the country's third-largest
party following the 2001 elections, taking 12% of the vote and 22 seats
under Denmark's partial PR system. Now underpinning a centre-right government
coalition, it has drafted tough new asylum policies and cut aid to the
developing world.
While the neo-Nazi Party and National Front are on the political fringe,
there are active "White Pride" groups, some of whose members
were arrested for armed assault on members of a pro-Israel demonstration
in 2002 – alongside numerous Palestinian co-protesters.
Italy
The xenophobic Northern League and the post-fascist National Alliance
entered a rightwing coalition with Silvio Berlusconi's governing party,
following general elections in 2001. Its leader, Gianfranco Fini, has
attempted to put the Mussolini fascist origins of the party in the past,
but its membership remains largely right-wing in its ideas. There are
also National Front and Holocaust Denial groups on the right-wing. The
Italian right is notoriously networked to and influenced by international
right-wing and its antisemitic prejudices, from which it imports much
of the increased expression of Antisemitism today.
Racist and antisemitic remarks are increasingly present in public discourse.
Websites and the print media do post and publish right-wing, antisemitic
propaganda; there are some right-wing journals which also publish Holocaust
denial; also prominent is the visibility of graffiti against Jewish politicians
(a rarity, in Italy).
The major change is that there have been occasional right-wing assaults
on members of the Jewish community, and some right-wing circles were found
to be actively involved in planning attacks on Jewish targets. There are
increasing signs of reversion to earlier religious antisemitic stereotypes:
public references to "killing Christ" by some Catholics (usually
on the political right), as well as in the media – including the
moderate press. These are not unconnected to the presentation of Israel
in the media (Church of the Nativity stalemate, etc.).
Ukraine
Skinheads attacked Jewish worshippers and smashed the windows of Kiev’s
main synagogue. Ukrainian police denied that the attack was anti-Jewish.
Greece
Jewish graves were desecrated in Ionnina and vandals hurled paint at
the Holocaust memorial in Salonica. The popular Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis
commented that “Jews are at the root of all evil.”
C. Cyber Nazis
Racist and xenophobic groups utilize the Net for three definable purposes,
namely;
propaganda,
recruitment
and marketing.
The emergence of the information superhighway has transformed the rules
of engagement in the market place of ideas. It provides immediate and
universal access to densely packaged, illustrated and textual information,
together with virtually infinite production and marketing capacity, for
groups and their members. Where there is no working legislation on hate
and xenophobia (unlike the situation in France and Germany), the world
is their oyster.
On the Internet, uncensored Neo Nazi groups openly explain and expound
the ideology of Natural Socialism. The 'Storm Front' Website, for example,
provides the user with a twenty page explanation of Nazism in a question
and answer style format. The site answers such questions, as" "What
is National Socialist?", "Why do you call yourself Aryan?",
"Why do you use the Swastika?", "Why do you give that Hitler
Salute?" Its answers are racist and supremacist.
These, and other groups engage in Holocaust denial.
While the delivery method of propaganda is new, its
messages have long been repeated in history as a justification for genocide.
The freedom of the Internet enables Net Nazis to incite racial hatred
without restraint. In Cyberspace, anybody is allowed to scream.
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