July 19, 1999
6 Av 5759
JerusalemRise of Antisemitic Threats in the World
The Jewish Agency Issues Directives to Tighten Security for its Emissaries
The Director-General of JAFI, Aharon Abramovich, has called for increased security measures in several countries around the world in light of a rise in antisemitic threats. The head of security in JAFI has accordingly issued directives for tighter cautionary measures for emissaries, and in several places security checks have been carried out by local security forces in coordination with security officers of the Jewish Agency.
Last Thursday night, a telephone call was received at the building of the Jewish Agency in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the call, made from a public phone, a local employee of Keren Hayesod/United Israel Appeal was told: "Five years ago you survived, but this time it won’t end as well". The employee that took the call this was one of the survivors of the attack on the AMIA Jewish Community building in Buenos Aires five years ago. The caller knew the name of the local employee.
Security personnel stressed the seriousness of this threat since it comes close to the date of the memorial ceremony for those killed in the bombing of the Jewish community’s building in the Argentinean capital, held on Sunday July 18th in Buenos Aires.
A Jewish school is housed in the Jewish Agency building in Buenos Aires, and therefore the local police and security forces made security checks there in the early morning hours.
Another incident occurred in Novosibirsk. A letter was received in the Jewish Agency office there with the following message written in Russian: "Jewish Agency people, throw the Jews to Israel. They should all get out. Leave us here with cleaner air. All the Jews should dry up and strangle." At the bottom of the letter a Star of David with a cross on top appears. In the beginning of March of this year, the synagogue in Novosibirsk was torched.
In parallel, tight security directives have been issued in Moscow following the stabbing of Leopold Kaimovsky last week and threats made on the lives of various figures in the Jewish community.
For further information contact:
Michael Jankelowitz
Liaison to Foreign Press and Media, JAFI
Tel: 972-2-6202780
Fax: 972-2-6202708
Mobile: 972-51-601706