Anti-Semitism study was made ‘politically palatable’

By Karen Carstens

Date: 01/04/04

A SENIOR Jewish leader has said that a new report about an EU-wide increase in anti-Semitism is an example of "intellectual dishonesty".

Elan Steinberg, New York-based executive vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, called the study "unprofessional" for avoiding "an honest and truthful assessment of the causes" behind a surge in anti-Semitic attacks in recent years.

Conducted by the Vienna-based European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) and released yesterday (31 March), it singles out Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK as the countries with the greatest increase in anti-Semitic incidents, ranging from hate mail to arson. Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal and Finland had the fewest.

The 344-page study lays most of the blame on "angry young white men" under the spell of right-wing groups, as well as young Muslims. But Steinberg claimed the report fails to make cause-and-effect correlations.

The EUMC was recently at the centre of controversy when it was accused by Jewish leaders of trying to shelve an original report, which pointed to young Muslims and pro-Palestinian groups as the main perpetrators of the attacks.

But the centre rejected the allegations, stating it did not release the information as it was based on insufficient research.

Now, Steinberg said: "They [EUMC] redid it in such a way as to make it politically palatable - and that is moral cowardice." The report ignores, "except for a few passing remarks", he said, how "the violence and the politics of the Middle East has been imported into Europe".

Meanwhile, EUMC director Beate Winkler yesterday told the European Parliament that a lack of adequate monitoring of race and xenophobic incidents must be overcome.

A report, 'Manifestations of anti-Semitism in the EU 2002-3003', published by the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC) on 31 March 2004 has been greeted with both praise and criticism by Jewish leaders.

• Primary Source

FRA: Research and analysis: Publications: Rapid responses: Manifestations of antisemitism in the EU 2002 – 2003 http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/research/publications/rapid_responses/pub_cr_antisemitism02-03_en.htm

FRA: Research and analysis: Publications: Rapid responses: Manifestations of antisemitism in the EU 2002 – 2003 http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/AS-Main-report.pdf

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