French Jewish leader compared Radical Islamism to Nazism

19. October 2012 – Richard Prasquier, president of the French Jewish community umbrella organization CRIF, has compared Radical Islamism to Nazism following the rise of anti-Semitism in France.  He stated that the views had two characteristics in common. Read more.

Jewish graves desecrated in New Zealand

19. October 2012 – About 20 graves in central Auckland, some dating back to the 1880s, were vandalized with spray-painted with Nazi symbols, including swastikas. Stephen Goodman, president of the New Zealand Jewish Council, said it was the first anti-Semitic vandalism at the cemetery. Read more.

Dutch town drops plan for joint memorial to Holocaust victims and German soldiers

19. October 2012 – Following protests in the Netherlands, the Dutch town of Geffen decided not to display the names of German Wehrmacht soldiers along with Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Geffen’s Mayor, Roel Augusteijn, said that the monument “was meant to promote reconciliation”. Read more.

Russia to save Israel from UNESCO condemnation

18. October 2012 – On Wednesday members of the UNESCO vote on five resolutions proposed by Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Syria. If passed, it would have led to strong criticism of the state of Israel. Russia’s envoy to the UN successfully suggested an alternative plan, delaying resolution for a six month period in which an independent UN fact-finding mission would be send to Jerusalem. Read more.

Germany’s parliament considering reviewing of education programs in school

18. October 2012 – After receiving a government commissioned report showing that anti-Semitism in Germany remains high the German parliament, the Bundestag, considered changing education programs at German schools. Currently the education on anti-Semitism in Germany focuses on the Holocaust only. Read more.

Twitter blocked access to a neo-Nazi account in Germany      

18. October 2012 – Twitter has blocked access to a neo-Nazi account in Germany but tweets are still visible around the world. It is the first time that Twitter has exercised its ability to block content on a country-by-country basis. Read more. 

Dutch Jews oppose joint monument to Holocaust victims and German soldiers

18. October 2012 – Chairman of the Hague-based Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, Onno Hoes, asked not to unveil the monuments, which he defined as dangerous – fearing the falsification of historical events. Read more. 

Hamas opposing Holocaust education in UN-run Gazan schools

18. October 2012 – The Hamas again rejects teaching about the Holocaust in schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip. Hamas stated that it is more important for children to learn about the “massacres perpetrated by the Zionist enemy”. Read more. 

American Congressman Pascrell supports renaming Park after Holocaust Denier

17. October 2012 – Congressman Bill Pascrell (NJ) offered his support for renaming a section of Clifton’s Richardson Scales Park in memory of Chester Grabowski.  Grabowski was a known anti-Semite and Holocaust denier. Read more. 

Rabbi Cooper’s open letter to Egyptian President Morsi

17. October 2012 – Rabbi Cooper, Associate Dean, and Yitzchok Adlerstein, Director of Interfaith Affairs of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, wrote an open letter to Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi. The authors accused the Egyptian state as being anti-Semitic and demanded change. Read more. 

Colombian President states the world must recognize Israel as a Jewish state

17. October 2012 – Colombia’s President, Juan Manuel Santos, states at a ceremony on Tuesday in Bogota, he was bestowed with the Shalom Prize of the World Jewish Congress, that the world has to recognize Israel as the state of Jewish people.  Read more.

Twitter may face legal actions over French anti-Semitic tweets

17. October 2012 – French anti-racism groups states they were looking at all legal options to target the authors of thousands of anti-Semitic and racist posts on social platform Twitter. Read more.

Italian Prime Minister attended for the first time the annual ceremony commemorating the roundup of Rome’s Jews in 1943

17. October 2012 – Mario Monti, Italians Prime Minister, attended as first Prime Minister in the history of Italy the annual ceremony commemorating the roundup up of Jewish people in Rome by Nazi troops on October 16^th, 1943. Read more.

Greek Neo- Nazi party, Golden Dawn, on the rise

16. October 2012 – The Greek Golden Dawn party blames immigrants for high unemployment rates in Greece and Jews for the financial crisis. Golden Dawn denies the Holocaust, uses neo-Nazi signs and symbols, i.e. the swastika, and supports fascist ideology. Read more.

21-year-old man who attacked Jewish leader in Budapest sentences to prison

16. October 2012 – The 21 year-old man who attacked 62- year old Jewish leader, Andras Kerenyi, in Budapest was sentenced to two years in prison 11 days after the attack. He was convicted on charges of violence and causing light physical injury to Andras Kerenyi. Read more.

Vienna’s Jewish archives to remain in Israel

16. October 2012 – Austria’s Jewish community legally challenged the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish people in Jerusalem to transfer the archives of Vienna’s Jewry from Israel to Austria. Parts of the Austrian archives were transferred to Israel as a permanent loan in the past. Read more. 

New sanctions imposed on Iran by the EU

16. October 2012 - The European Union governments imposed new sanctions against major Iranian state companies in the oil and gas industry.  Furthermore restrictions on the central bank were strengthened. Read more.

19 Iranian state-controlled television and radio channels were barred from broadcasting in the EU

16. October 2012 – Eutelsat, one of Europe’s biggest satellite services, barred 19 Iranian state-controlled television and radio channels from broadcasting in the European Union.  Critics of Iranian state-controlled broadcasting in Europe have long argued about non-objective Iranian media. Read more.

EU praised by Netanyahu for tougher sanctions against Iran

16. October 2012 – Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised the European Union for its decision on toughening sanctions against Iran. Stating those measures were having a strong impact on the Iranian economy. Read more.

Fidel Castro recruited Nazis during the Cuban Missile Crisis

16. October 2012 - The German intelligence released papers revealing that Fidel Castro, former Cuban President, hired former Nazi officers from Germany to train his army during the Cuban Missile Crisis the 1960s. Read more.

Anti-Semitic picture posted on Occupy Wall Street Facebook Page

15. October 2012 – A highly anti-Semitic picture was posted on the official Occupy Wall Street Facebook Page.  The director of legislative affairs at B’nai Brith, Eric Fusfield, condemned the picture and asked for removal. Read more.

Israel’s Ambassador to Sweden was called to an emergency meeting at the Swedish foreign ministry

15. October 2012 – Isaac Bachman, Israel’s Ambassador to Sweden, was called to the Swedish foreign ministry to explain media reports published on Sunday October 14^th, claiming Sweden was to object to proposed further sanctions on Iran at a meeting of the EU’s Foreign Ministers. Read more.

Jewish groups requested the EU repeatedly to place Hezbollah on terror list

15. October 2012 – The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) repeatedly asked the European Commission to classify the Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.  The ADL noted that the Hezbollah’s terrorist activities have been well documented for the past thirty years. Read more.

World’s largest Jewish community center to open in the Ukraine

15. October 2012 – Financed by two Ukrainian businessmen,  Hennadiy Boholiubov and Ihor Kolomoisky, thr world’s largest Jewish community center will open tomorrow in Dnipropetrovsk. The Center compromises of a synagogue, a Holocaust museum, a banquet hall, a hotel, kosher restaurants and a library. Read more.  

Jewish man attacked on a subway in Paris

14. October 2012 – A Jewish man was attacked and rendered unconscious in on a subway in Paris. He stepped onto the subway in front of his synagogue but wasn’t wearing anything that would identify him as Jewish. Read more.

Sweden opposes new sanctions against Iran

14. October 2012 – The Swedish government is trying to prevent the EU from imposing future sanctions on Iran fearing the loss of a lucrative deal for the Swedish communications company Ericsson. Readmore.

Germany’s new neo-Nazis: More dangerous and reckless than ever

12. October 2012 – Germany’s neo-Nazis nowadays blend in well into their communities, making it harder to detect them. Experts say that Germany’s neo-Nazis are more dangerous than ever. Not just their appearance and behaviour but also their tactics changed over the years. A neo-Nazi can eat a Turkish kebab for lunch, but still beat up Turkish immigrants in the evenings. Read more. 

President of the WJC welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the EU

12. October 2012 – Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), welcomed the Nobel Peace Prize, being awarded by the Nobel Prize Committee in Norway, to the EU for reconciliation, democracy and advancement of Human Rights. Read more. 

Auschwitz Sonderkommando survivor, Shlomo Venezia, passed away

11. October 2012 – Shlomo Venezia, a survivor of the Auschwitz Sonderkommando, passed away on October 1^st, aged 88. He was one of the few survivors of the Sonderkommando who came forward decades after the Holocaust with a rare eyewitness account. Read more. 

Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn on EU equality committee

11. October 2012 – Eleni Zaroulia, wife of Golden Dawn’s party chairman, has been appointed to represent Greece on the Council of Europe’s committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination. US based anti-racism watchdog, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), condemned the move.Read more. 

Chief of New York City’s police department warned of possible Iranian terror attacks in New York

11. October 2012 – NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly warned of possible Iranian-sponsored terror attacks against Jewish targets in New York City due to the conflict between Israel and Iran. New York is home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel. Read more. 

Czech Bar Association (CAK) punished lawyer over anti-Semitism

11. October 2012 – Yesterday, October 10^th,  the Czech Bar Association (CAK) gave a one-year professional ban to lawyer Petr Koci. Petr Koci has raised a bias objection to a court expert because of his Jewish origin. At that time Koci was representing a member of the far – right Workers’ Party of Social Justice (DSSS), Lucie Slegrova. Read more. 

Over the past year anti-Semitic attacks in France increased 45%

11. October 2012 – In 2012 France is faced with 45% more anti-Semitic attacks than the year before. French statistics show that the incidents increased after the Otzar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse got attacked by Mohammed Merah half a year ago. He murdered a rabbi and three children. Read more.

Security increased at French Jewish sites

10. October 2012 – After blank bullets were fired at a synagogue near Paris the government decided to increase security at Jewish sites such as synagogues and Jewish centers. The Chairman of the Board of Jewish Communities in Vald’Oise said in an interview with Le Parisien, that the increase of anti-Semitic attacks are worrisome. Readmore. 

French Jew Serge Haroche is co-recipient of 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics

9. October 2012 – Morroccan-born Serge Haroche, a French – Jewish physicist, is the co-recipient of 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics jointly with US-American scientist David Wineland. The 2012 prize went to the scientists “for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems”. Read more. 

EU criticizing Turkey for intolerance against non-Muslims

10. October 2012 – The EU has expressed serious concerns about Turkey’s progress in meeting political criteria for full membership in the Union. Non-Muslim religious communities have reported several hate crimes in the past which weren’t punished by the authorities. Read more.

German law will allow practice of circumcision

10. October 2012 – The German cabinet has announced its support for proposals that would allow the practice of circumcision as long as it is carried out by trained experts, and parents are informed about medical risks. Read more.

Slovenia to vote on proposed ban on ritual slaughter

10. October 2012 – Slovenia’s National Assembly is set to vote on a proposed ban on ritual slaughter this week. It wouldn’t be the first country within the EU to restrict/ ban ritual slaughter. Slovenia has a population of two million inhabitants. According to the European Jewish Congress 400 people in Slovenia are Jewish. Read more.

Growing Radicalization of France’s Muslim Youth

9. October 2012 – One man was shot and 12 arrested by the French police over the past weekend in countrywide anti-terrorist raids. Jewish communities in France have been warning the authorities for years about the threat of rising anti-Semitism and radical Islam. Read more.

Hungarian radio station praised attack on Jewish leader

8. October 2012 – A Hungarian nationalist online radio called a recent attack on the leader of the Jewish community in Budapest a “response to general Jewish terrorism”. Read more.

Jewish and Christian groups respond to anti-Muslim NYC subway ads

5. October 2012 – Three groups, including Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, are planning to place their own posters next to the American Freedom Defense Initiative’s, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” on New York’s subways. Read more.

Jews in Argentina urged their government not to negotiate with Iran

5. October 2012 – Jewish foreign minister of Argentina, Hector Timerman, recently met Ali Akbar Salehi, his Iranian counterpart. The ministers focused on the deadly bombing of the AMIA Jewish Center in 1994. Iran is accused of directing the attack. Read more.

Istanbul to celebrate Jewish culture on October 7^th

5. October 2012 – Istanbul’s vibrant Jewish community invites its city’s residents and visitors to learn about Jewish culture and traditions on October 7th. Istanbul is only one of the many cities in Europe embracing the European Day of Jewish Culture. Read more.

US sanctioned two Lebanese charities with Hamas ties

4. October 2012 – The US sanctioned two Lebanese charities, Al-Waqfiya and Al-Quds International Foundation, that fund-raised for Hamas. Read more.

Birobidzhan– Capital of Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region

3. October 2012 – Established by Stalin in 1934 and 5000 miles away of Moscow the Jewish Autonomous Region, Birobidzhan, was part of the Kremlin’s effort to create an alternative to Palestine.  Today Jewish life can still be found there. Read more.

“We do not want infidels in this area”

4. October 2012 – The Gatestone Institute, an international policy council and think tank, is publishing monthly reports about the persecution of Christians in Muslim countries. The August 2012 report was published today. Read more.

The Jews of Europe before the Second World War

4. October 2012 - Bernard Wasserstein sheds in his book The Jews of Europe before the Second World War light on Jewish life in Europe in the years leading up to World War II. Read more. 

Jean – Marie Le Pen defends his daughter’s comments about a potential “kippa ban”

4. October 2012 – Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder and former leader of the French Party “Front National”, stated in an interview with French daily newspaper Le Monde that his daughter simply answered the interviewer’s question. Furthermore, he added that a ban on yarmulkes would make it easier to enforce a ban on burkas. Read more. 

German court seeks fine against British bishop for Holocaust denial

3. October 2012 – A court in the German city of Regensburg seeks fining British Bishop Williamson. Ultraconservative catholic Bishop Williamson is denying the Holocaust ones again. In 2008 Bishop Williamson stated on Swedish TV that he doesn’t believe Jewish people were killed in gas chambers during WW2. Read more.

International Human Rights group accused Hamas security forces in Gaza of abusing prisoners

3. October 2012 – Human Rights Watch accuses Hamas security forces in a 43-page report of systematic abuse. Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007, denies the allegations made by the Human Rights organisation. Read more. 

Japanese diplomat, Chiune Sugihara, who saved Jewish families inspires Australian WWII play 

3. October 2012 – Chiune Sugihara, known as the Japanese Oskar Schindler, was stationed in Lithuania as vice-consul during WWII. The diplomat defied orders from the foreign ministry in Japan and issued visas for 10,000 Jews to flee the country. Read more.

Jewish Leader Ronald Lauder interviewed by “Der Spiegel”

3. October 2012 – Interviewed by German news magazine “Der Spiegel”, president of the Jewish World Congress, Ronald Lauder, talked about the West’s conflict with Iran and possible unilateral actions of Israel. Read more. 

“True Finns”, Finland’s third largest party, plans new bill to ban ritual circumcision 

2. October 2012 – Finland’s third largest political party, “True Finns”, demanded again a legal ban on ritual circumcision of boys under the age of 15. The first suggestion was made by the party’s lawmaker, Vesa-Matti Saarakkala, earlier this year in March. Read more. 

Jewish gravestones found at the bottom of the Vistula River in Poland 

2. October 2012 – 17 Gravestone pieces from a Jewish cemetery in the Polish Brodno district were found at the bottom of the Vistula River. Further discoveries were a fountain, vases and marble steps, fittings of the Royal Palace in Warsaw. Read more.