US state department claims anti-Semitism rising globally
Violence against Jewish property and people has increased the report claims
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Friday, 14, Mar 2008 01:04
The US state department has claimed that anti-Semitism has risen worldwide over the last decade.
In a report yesterday the department claimed that a new form of anti-Semitism had developed which promoted prejudice against Jewish people and Israel's policies.
"Today, more than 60 years after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is not just a fact of history, it a current event," it said.
The report claimed there had been an increase in attacks on Jewish people, property, institutions and religious facilities over the last ten years.
Entitled Contemporary Global Anti-Semitism, the state department publication claimed that unremitting criticism of Israel was rising worldwide and that the United Nations received frequent calls for investigations into alleged human rights violations by the country.
Those who criticise Israel "have to consider the effect their actions may have in promoting hatred of Jews", the report claimed.
"All too often, legitimate criticism of the state of Israel can veer into naked anti-Semitism characterised by bile hate speech," Howard Berman, chairman of the US House of Representatives' foreign affairs committee added.
Criticism was levelled against particular world leaders who have allegedly stoked up anti-Semitism feelings.
These included Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez, the latter being accused of "publicly demonising" Israel.
The report follows up a previous document on anti-Semitism published in 2005 and was dedicated to Mr Berman's predecessor, Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the US' Congress.