RESPONSE (2) OCTOBER 2001 - Simon Wiesenthal Center

from the editor

T wo years ago, Yasir The Jewish
Arafat spurned a cemetery of
U.S.-brokered deal Strasbourg-
that would have established a Cronenbourg
Palestinian state alongside Is- in Strasbourg, was
rael. Instead, he lit the fuse on desecrated with
a new war that has maimed swastikas.
and killed thousands of innocent Israelis, made
suicide bombers a household name and brought (AP/Wide World Photo)
his own people to the brink of total despair.
Europe:
Last summer, a parallel war of words against

An Intolerable Climate of HATEIsrael and the Jewish people was launched at

the United Nations World Conference Against

Racism (see Response, Fall 2001). There, the After nearly two years of stonewalling and official indifference, the
international community stood by as many
2RE-European NGOs joined Arab and Muslim gov- new French right-of-center government, led by President Jacques

ernments in resurrecting the ghost of Zionism Chirac, has signaled that it will take steps to stem the tide of antisemitic
SPONSEI2as racism. The moral power failure of Euro- hate crimes that has raged through France and much of Europe.

pean nations encouraged Arab regimes to ratchet n a meeting with Wiesenthal Center offi- witnessed since Nazi Germany. The virulent,
up anti-Jewish invective in official publica- cials in Paris, the new Minister of Interior mostly Islamic-inspired antisemitism, fueled
tions, on satellite TV and online. Not even the and Security, Nicolas Sarkozy, publicly also by a relentless diet of propaganda and lies
horrors of September 11 did much to stem the
tide of hate. As the European Union contin-
ued to write Arafat a financial and moral and unequivocally acknowledged his country’s disseminated by the media (such as the Jenin

blank check, the shorthand of Europe’s me- crisis: “Yes, we have a problem with antisemitic “massacre”) and the widespread indifference

dia, political and social elite read: Israelis are attacks against the Jewish community,” he told of authorities, reached a climax this year with

today’s Nazis, the Palestinians, today’s the Center’s Associate Dean, Rabbi Abraham some 300 antisemitic incidents reported in

‘Jews’... The demonization of Israel and her Cooper, and Director of International Liaison, France in a two-week period alone from the

supporters was nearly complete. Add to the Dr. Shimon Samuels. “When a synagogue is end of March to April 15 – far more than the

mix historic antisemitic feelings, Middle East firebombed on Yom Kippur, it is absurd to claim 200 incidents reported for the entire year 2001.

oil and Europe’s Muslim demographic vol- thatitdoesnotconstituteahatecrimebecausethe In all, the Wiesenthal Center has recorded a

cano, and the anti-Jewish invective extend- attackers failed to spray paint the words, ‘Death total of 1,000 antisemitic attacks in France

ing from academic journals to the streets of to the Jews’ on the temple’s wall,” he asserted. over the past two years.

Marseilles and Brussels all come into focus.

The ripple effect of the hate and the terror,

fueled by terrorists, domestic as well as

international, and amplified by the Internet

has now reached America’s shores.

This Jewish New Year coincides with the first French Minister of Interior, Nicolas Sarkozy, vowed to Minister Sarkozy viewed the site of repeated arson and
anniversary of 9/11. We extend our condo- Wiesenthal Center officials during their meeting in Paris other attacks at the Clichy-sous-Bois synagogue, with
lences to all the victims and reiterate our that he would do everything necessary to stop criminal synagogue vice president Marcel Nabet (right) and
support for President George W. Bush’s call attacks against the Jewish community. He acknowl- Rabbi Yoel Elbilia. (AFP).
to arms against international terrorism. The edged that most of the antisemitic attacks were perpe-
defeat of the al-Qaedas of the world will be the trated by Muslims and Arabs, and pledged to get tough on The incidents included destruction of a syna-
most fitting memorial to the nearly 3,000 crime in the neighborhoods where most of the attacks gogue in Marseilles, a horrific attack in Lyons
innocents whose lives were brutally snuffed have taken place. Minister Sarkozy also has instructed where 15 masked assailants smashed two cars
out on that terrible day. French police to deal with the attacks as hate crimes, and into a synagogue and set it on fire, youths
he plans to release monthly statistics on all criminal acts stoning a Jewish school bus and setting fire to
Rabbi Abraham Cooper in France. Center officials welcomed Mr. Sarkozy’s two others in Paris, and a gang beating a team of
Editor-in-Chief commitment to visit the Wiesenthal Center later this year Jewish soccer players with iron bars. Most
and to send a high-level police delegation to the MOT’s attacks were met with indifference or silence by
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Tools for Tolerance program (see p. 24). local authorities – perhaps best characterized by
the incident where Arab thugs shot at and burst
7 International Community & the Mideast Indeed, the campaign of Jew-hatred and into a school bus terrorizing Jewish children
12 Tragedy of Palestinian Children vilification of the State of Israel had escalated and smashing the windshield that was logged by
16 The Real Obstacles to Peace since the outbreak of the latest Palestinian- police simply as a “broken window.”
18 Global Terror Update Israeli conflict in October 2000, to an intensity
20 Internet Used by Terrorists, Racists – in the words of European Jewish leaders – not
24 Museum of Tolerance

(Cover photo courtesy AFP)

2 RESPONSE

Members of the Jewish community survey the arson to empower victims of hate crimes in France and “We reject the ancient evil of
damage after an attack on a synagogue in Marseilles. elsewhere in Europe. These efforts include antisemitism, whether it is
launching an intensive on-line campaign pro- practiced by the killers of Daniel
(AP/Wide World Photo) testing the European policy of treating the hate Pearl or by those who burn
crimes as mere “vandalism” or the acts of hoo- synagogues in France.”
ligans; through the Center’s Paris office, a ma-
jor campaign for public statements of support - President George W. Bush
from members of the French Senate and Na-
tional Assembly, mayors of municipalities and cause led to the virtual demonization of Israel
leaders of all religious denominations; co-orga- by leading newspapers, television stations,
nizing the massive Paris demonstration which politicians and NGOs. The spillover effect on
drew over 100,000 participants; financing and the Belgian Jewish community and Jews in
co-sponsoring the grassroots network “SOS general has been devastating. Hate letters sent
Truth and Security,” which, established by a by the brother of the previous President of the
former police commissioner along with 19 Jew- Belgian Parliament were published in the main
ish suburban communities of Paris, provides a daily, LeSoir. Hate literature declaring that the
toll-free hotline and lawyers to assist victims of Jews were the problem in Nazi Germany, but
antisemitism in Greater Paris. ignoring the Holocaust, was distributed in the
Flemish school system among children as
The Center also attempted to awaken public
awareness and action elsewhere in western

Jewish leaders worldwide have expressed Neo-Nazi Maxime Brunerie, 25, was The Anderlecht Synagogue in Brus- On May 29, 5,000 European Jews
outrage and many gathered in Europe’s major arrested after he attempted to assassi- sels was attacked with Molotov cock- marched through Brussels to the
cities to rally against antisemitism and in sup- nate French President Jacques Chirac tails in April and another in Charleroi European parliament building wav-
port of Israel. President George W. Bush spoke during a Bastille Day parade in Paris. was sprayed with gunfire; Jewish ing Israeli flags. “We will never
out publicly and forcefully, and special hearings On the website of British extremists, bookshops, butchers and above all, accept synagogues being set on fire
were convened on Capitol Hill (see p.5). The Brunerie had boasted that there would cemeteries, have been routinely van- in Europe, 55 years after
violence was so shocking – hate mail, verbal be news the following Monday. dalized. (AFP) Auschwitz,” said Michael Fried-
assaults, graffiti, stonings, beatings, shotgun Brunerie was a longtime member of man, the German Vice President of
blasts, gasoline bombs, synagogue bombings, far-right and neo-Nazi movements in the European Jewish Congress.
attacks on schools and Jewish children – that the France. (AFP) Pictured, a man at the rally holds a
Wiesenthal Center even issued a travel advisory poster with the portraits of 415 vic-
urging Jews to use “extreme caution” while in tims of Palestinian terrorism. (AFP)
France and Belgium. This cautionary measure
was later downgraded for France to “caution,” Europe through protests to Belgium’s Minister young as 8-years old. In a pro-Palestinian
noted Rabbi Cooper in large measure due to the of Interior Antoine Duquesne, to Dutch Inte- demonstration in Antwerp, the effigy of an
positive,get-toughtoneset byMinisterSarkozy, rior Minister, Klaas de Vreas, and to German Orthodox Jew was burned in public. These
France’s new top cop. “However, our visits to President Johannes Rau. Rabbi Cooper and Dr. incidents were met with silence and indiffer-
synagogues in the suburbs of Paris confirm that Samuels also briefed Austrian President Klestil ence by the church and government; even
an atmosphere of fear still hangs over many and Foreign Minister Bettina Ferrero-Waldner vicious assaults on Jews perpetrated in the
communities, which will only dissipate when in Vienna, and met with other European lead- streets of Antwerp went unchallenged by au-
French citizens see that the perptrators of hate ers in Paris, Berlin, Geneva and London. thorities. Children in Antwerp visibly identifi-
crimes will be caught, prosecuted and given able as Jews were now being escorted to school.
significant sentences,” Cooper added. Memo To Belgium’s Jews: Stay At Home The culminating indignity came this spring
And Lock Your Doors On Sabbath when the mayor of Antwerp advised Jews to
Dr. Shimon Samuels has worked diligently stay in their homes and not attend Sabbath
While the incidents in France far outnumber services because the city could not and would
The Wiesenthal Center co-sponsored the massive Paris those in other western European countries, not guarantee the safety of Jewish citizens
demonstration against antisemitism. Jewish communities elsewhere also fear for since a pro-Palestinian rally was scheduled for
their safety. Saturday morning.

In Belgium, sympathy for the Palestinian

RESPONSE 3

europe

(AP/Wide World Photo) In the Netherlands, demon- A boy dressed
strators carrying more pic- as a suicide
tures of Hitler and swasti- bomber was
kas than the Dutch have among 2,000
seen since the Nazi occupa- who demon-
tion, marched under Stars strated against
of David superimposed on Israel in front
swastikas while chanting of the Israeli
“Sieg Heil,” and “Jews are Embassy in
dogs.” Another banner Copenhagen,
equated Prime Minister Denmark.
Sharon with Adolf Hitler.
(AFP)
ISRAEL-BASHING ROCKS SCANDINAVIA

I n Holland, a leading anti-Israel activist of the destruction of the Holy Temples of Jerusa- piece, which was the cover story in the leading
Greta Duisenberg, has leveraged her lem, thousands of years ago,” said Rabbi Cooper. newsmagazine, Panorama. “I find it shameful,”
noteriety as the wife of the head of the “But as police pursue the perpetrators, those she wrote, “that the government-controlled tele-
vision stations contribute to the revival of
4RE-European Bank to lead the anti-Israel cam- members of Italy’s political and media elite, who antisemitism by crying over Palestinian deaths
only, minimizing the importance of Israeli deaths,
paign which included hanging a Palestinian have sung in the first row of the European chorus speaking in a brisk and dismissive tone about
flag from her balcony in Amsterdam. More of anti-Israel invective since October 2000, need them. I find it shameful that in television discus-
than 20,000 Palestinian flags were later seen to reflect on the Nazi imagery and terminology sions the scoundrels with the turban or kaffiyeh,
hanging from balconies in several Dutch cities they so readily ascribe to every real and imagi- who yesterday extolled the slaughter in New
York and today praise the massacres in Jerusa-
SPONSE4in solidarity with her activities, which have nary event in the Holy Land,” he added. lem, Haifa, Netanya and Tel Aviv, are received
been coming under increasing criticism. Against the backdrop of this avalanche of with such deference.”

Meanwhile, the Dutch government was forced criticism of Israel came one powerful voice of Tombstones on
Jewish graves in
to launch a criminal inquiry after Muslim clerics dissent.OrianaFallaci,oneofItaly’smostpromi- Rome’s Verano
Cemetery were
were accused of inciting violence from mosques nent journalists, wrote a powerful and passionate pulled out and
smashed and
across Holland. This after a media exposé secretly “What is surprising is the marble statues
caught leading Imams in Rotterdam, Amsterdam knocked to the
ground. More
andTheHagueontapecallingfor“thedestruction virulence of this new anti- than 50 tombs
were desecrated.
of the enemies of Islam” and urging Muslims to semitism…It is frenzied,
“disobey” Dutch law. “Martyrdom” was extolled vociferous, paranoid, (AFP)
at Amsterdam’s el Rahma mosque where the vicious and prolific, and is
Imam allegedly said, “Female Palestinian Mus- only incidentally connected
lims who offer their lives to Allah should be

praised.”Bothleftandrightpoliticalleadershipare to the Palestinian conflict.”

calling for the expulsion of imams engaging in - The Times of London
“flagrantly unlawful” activities.

Meanwhile, Holland has joined five other Eu-

ropean countries in banning all or some kosher

slaughter. Remarked Israel’s Deputy Foreign

Minister Rabbi Michael Melchior, the former

Chief Rabbi of Norway, “They don’t want for-

eigners and they don’t want Jews. I won’t say that

this is the only motivation, but it is certainly no

coincidence that one of the first things Nazi

Germany forbade was kosher slaughter.”

Indeed, in Norway Israeli products on super-

market shelves were marked for boycott, but

the efforts to spread a boycott of Israeli goods

throughout Scandinavia have thus far been unsuc-

cessful. In Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen,

the Islamic extremist Hizb-ut-Tahrir party distrib-

uted leaflets in Israel Square urging people to “kill

the Jews.”

Rome Cemetery Desecrated In London, after a spate of incidents including physical assaults, vandalism, graffiti and hate mail, more than
The Center condemned the horrific desecra- 50,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square to show solidarity with Israel in the largest demonstration ever staged
by British Jewry. Thousands of Israeli flags filled the square, along with banners declaring, “Yes to Peace, no to
tion of the Verano Jewish cemetery near Rome. terror” and “Suicide bombers kill people and peace.” (AFP)
“It is no coincidence that antisemites chose to
strike at a time when Jews the world over were
chanting prayers of Tisha B’Av, the anniversary

4 RESPONSE

SHOCKING ANTISEMITISM IN GREECE THREATENS SPIRIT OF 2004 OLYMPICS

DR. SHIMON SAMUELS TESTIFIED IN BERLIN AT R abbi Cooper and Dr. Samuels pre-
THE OSCE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY THAT THE sented a 24-page dossier to the Greek
MOSTOUTRAGEOUSSITUATIONEXISTSINGREECE, Ambassador to UNESCO and
WHERE ANTI-ISRAEL FANATICISM HAS DEGENER- launched a campaign to convince the Greek
ATED INTO ANTI-JEWISH HATEMONGERING BY authorities, NGOs and public opinion that criti-
LEADING INTELLECTUALS AND POLITICIANS. cism of Israel must be decoupled from Nazi
and racist imagery. Center officials also urged
Greek Prime Minister Constantine Simitis to “We were not in Auschwitz and Dachau to suffer but to
publicly condemn the use of antisemitic ste- learn.” ThiscartoonappearedinthemajorCenterLeftpro-
Government paper “Ethnos.” The cartoon potrays two
reotypes and Nazi imag- Nazi-like Israeli soldiers with the Star of David on their
ery. “Failure to do so helmets slaughtering Palestinians with knives.
could jeopardize Jews in
Greece and poison the Nazis, along with other inflammatory images.
environment in the lead- Since 9/11 and more so with the increasing
up to the 2004 Olympic violence in the Middle East, blatant anti-
Games,” the Center del- semitism regularly seen in fringe newspapers
egation warned the Greek and magazines and on certain television sta-
diplomat. tions has been consistently expressed in print
(especially), on television/radio and in public
The Center’s dossier by a spectrum of prominent government, union
included political car- and cultural figures. So widely discussed was
toons depicting Israeli the rumor that 4,000 Jews working in the
leaders and soldiers as World Trade Center were forewarned and thus
escaped death, that a poll taken for state TV
Headlined “Holocaust II,” this NET showed 43% of Greeks as believing the
cartoon appears under the rumor, as opposed to 30% who did not.
front page masthead of
“Eleftherotypia,” the second Moreover, three mainstream dailies readily
largest daily in Greece. The printed (one as its front-page headline) as un-
depiction of an Israeli “Nazi” questionable reality a heinous libel, supplied to
soldier threatening a young the Athenian News Agency by a Palestinian
Palestinian wearing concen- organization in Greece, that Israelis were traf-
tration camp stripes and a star ficking the organs of dead Palestinian fighters
is juxtaposed with the historic and performing medical experiments on Arab
photo of the hungry Jewish prisoners. During Spring 2002, there was an
boy in the Warsaw Ghetto avalanche of antisemitic cartoons, comments,
threatened by the Nazis for and even letters to the editor in many main-
stealing food. stream newspapers, inter alia with the often
certainly condemnable and probably criminal
WIESENTHAL CENTER PROVIDES EXPERT TESTIMONY “Timidity will not activity of the Israeli army in Palestinian cities
suffice, as the equated with the Holocaust, and Sharon with
T he Wiesenthal scourge of anti- Hitler. The Speaker of the Greek Parliament,
Center provided semitic violence Apostolos Kaklamanis, used the term “geno-
expert testimony must be confronted cide” when speaking about the events in the
at the U.S. Helsinki Com- head-on and Middle East. To add insult to injury, as justifica-
mission Hearings on elected officials tion for this, Government spokesperson Christos
Antisemitism in Europe, must display lead- Protopapas subsequently claimed that the former
and at the special session ership in the face was “expressing the sentiments of the Parlia-
on Antisemitic Violence in Western Europe at the Commission of such crimes….” ment and the Greek public.” Tragically, this
on Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Center’s Dr. Shimon appears to be so.
Samuels, testified at both special hearings in Washington, D.C., – Helskinki Committee
and Berlin. In Washington, Dr. Samuels (pictured) made avail- Chairman, U.S. Sen.
able the Center’s analysis of the antisemitic violence in Europe. Ben Nighthorse
He also provided dozens of personal stories of French Jews who Campbell (R-CO)
were victims of attacks. At the hearings, U.S. Senator Hillary
Clinton (D-NY), castigated European leaders for their “virtual
wall of silence” over continuing anti-Jewish attacks, while co-
Chairman Christopher Smith (R-NJ) praised the Wiesenthal
Center for raising the alarm over European antisemitism and
committed the Commission to monitor and counter develop-
ments there more closely.

RESPONSE 5

europe

GERMANY – FDP head Guido The advisory was sent out after a group claiming
ANTISEMITISM Westerwelle, to represent Russian skinheads sent electronic
IN MAINSTREAM whose party’s mail messages to embassies in Moscow warn-
POLITICS popularity ing that foreigners should leave the country or
dropped after face attacks.
members made
antisemitic Antisemitic books and articles continue to be
remarks. (AFP) published and sold on the streets of Moscow.
The Wiesenthal Center recently protested an
I n Germany, authorities released statistics Eastern Europe, Russia Not Immune article published by Pravda titled, “The State of
confirming 127 antisemitic incidents dur- To Violence Israel was Founded on the Holocaust Myth,” in
ing the first three months of 2002. “While which Sergei Stefanov writes, “There was no
In Ukraine, at Kiev’s Brodsky Synagogue, a killing of Jews in gas chambers of the Nazi
camps, since there were no chambers there…”
we recognize the efforts of German authorities mob of 50 assailants smashed every window,
Finally, the Jewish community of Belarus
to safeguard its Jewish community, it can and hurled stones, and beat a Yeshiva student and accused authorities of inaction amidst a stream
of antisemitic incidents after unidentified as-
must do much more to force the EU to make the 13-year old son of the Chief Rabbi. “The sailants smashed dozens of Jewish tombstones
at a cemetery in the capital city of Minsk.
6RE-this issue a priority for the entire European Wiesenthal Center demands that Ukrainian au-
“There was no killing of
Union,” said Rabbi Cooper. “European gov- thorities apprehend all the perpetrators and take Jews in gas chambers of
ernments and media have a degree of respon- the necessary steps to secure the freedom and the Nazi camps, since there
sibility for the continuous bashing of Israel, security of Jewish citizens to gather and pray in were no chambers there…”
which culminated during the rush to judgment peace,” said Rabbi Cooper. In the town of

SPONSE6in May over the alleged ‘Jenin massacre.’” Liberec in the Czech Republic, a smoke bomb
Meanwhile, a bitter dispute between the was thrown into a bookshop where Chief Rabbi

deputyheadoftheliberalFreeDemocrats(FDP), Karol Sidon was attending a public meeting.

Juergen Moellemann and the Central Council of Also, a synagogue and Holocaust memorial

Jews in Germany erupted when Moellemann were vandalized with Holocaust denial posters

expressedsympathyforPalestiniansuicidebomb- and red paint in the town of Karlovy Vary.

ers and, after strong criticism from the German Meanwhile in Russia, even as Jewish life con-

Jewish community, suggested that it was Prime tinues to flourish since the demise of the commu-

Minister Sharon and the “arrogant and hateful nist Soviet Union, several individuals were

demeanor”ofJewishcommunityleader,Michael wounded and killed in bizarre but deadly inci-

Friedman, who inspired antisemitism. Condem- dents. Tatyana Sapunova was injured as she

nation from Jewish leaders, including Center attempted to take down an antisemitic poster on

Dean Rabbi Hier, was swift. However, it was a highway near Moscow, and a Russian Navy

only after Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and officer was killed trying to remove a sign in the

Foreign Minister Joshka Fischer condemned townofBaltiks.Russia’sJewishcommunitysent

Moellemann’s comments that he said he regret- Ms. Sapunova to Israel where she received treat-

ted the remarks. Meanwhile, the controversy ment for the severe burns and eye injuries she

continued as Guido Westerwelle, head of the sustained.

FDP, expelled party member Jamal Karsli, who The explosions are part of a general increase

is of Syrian origin, a week after the regional in the number of antisemitic incidents in Russia

parliamentariancomparedIsrael’sactionstothose in the past several months, including desecra-

of the Nazis and attacked “the influence of the tion of gravestones in Jewish cemeteries and

Zionist lobby” on the world media. graffiti on synagogues. On the anniversary of

Meanwhile, Reinhard Schramm, Vice Presi- the birth of Adolf Hitler, threats of skinhead

dent of the Jewish community of Thuringia, quit violence put police in 35 cities around the coun-

the Social Democratic Party over what he called try on high alert. In Moscow, the U.S. Embassy

political indifference to antisemitism and insen- issued a warning to American citizens to “exer-

sitivity to the experience of Jews in Germany. cise caution and avoid large gatherings and

In a positive devel- areas frequented by skinhead groups.”

opment, German

Jews dedicated a President George W. Bush and his wife First
new synagogue in Lady Laura Bush (pictured with Rabbi
Chemnitz, eastern Menachem Pewzner) lingered at least thirty min-
Germany, over 60 utes beyond their officially-scheduled visit to
years after the listen to stories of the life, death and rebirth of the
original synagogue Grand Choral Synagogue, the only Jewish house
was destroyed by of worship in St. Petersburg. “One of the nonne-
the Nazis on gotiable demands of individual dignity is free-
Kristallnacht. dom of religion, and I’m impressed by what I’ve
heard,” said President Bush. “It is important for
(AP/Wide World Photo)

this country that religious freedom flourishes

and there be tolerance for all faiths.” (AFP)

6 RESPONSE

international community and the mideast

“I FEEL YOUR PAIN” In wake of 9/11, the global war on bacle at Durban, helped to push through mil-
terror and the horror of suicide bomb- lions of dollars to perpetuate and build on the
WHY SO MANY ELITE ings, it would seem inconceivable that “achievements” of the Durban process.
there could be any confusion between
EMPATHIZE WITH perpetrators and victims of terrorism. As Response goes to press, in a major policy
Yet many well-placed elite religious, shift, the U.S. will consider Middle East resolu-
HOMICIDE BOMBERS academic, media and political leaders tions only if they include explicit condemnation
have publicly empathized with Pales- of Palestinian terrorism.
W hy? There is no simple answer; tinian homicide bombers. Archbishop
though it is no secret that the over- Desmond Tutu, Cherie Blair, the Brit- Aiding and Abetting Terrorism
the-top-drumbeat of anti-Israel ish Prime Minister’s wife, U.K. Foreign Against this backdrop, few observers were
coverage by government-underwritten Euro- Secretary Jack Straw, Ted Turner and
pean media, including French TV and the Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone shocked when, during the height of homicide
BBC, have validated the imagery that Israelis have all expressed their solidarity bombings in Israel, a measure was introduced by
are latter-day Nazi war criminals and the ‘oc- with and understanding for sponsors the Human Rights Commission and supported
cupied’ defenseless Palestinians are akin to the and perpetrators of mass terrorism. by 40 member countries, which supported the use
Jews of the Holocaust, who as a result, merit a of “all available means, including armed struggle”
moral blank check from caring people. The Center officials held talks with UNESCO Director Gen- to establish a Palestinian state. “A vote in favor of
demonization of Israel may be reinforced eral Koichiro Matsuura. Of particular concern was a this resolution is a vote for Palestinian terrorism,”
through the media, but the script was finalized recent one-sided resolution that failed to condemn des- retorted Alfred Moses, a former U.S. ambassador
and given the moral stamp of approval at last ecration of Jewish holy sites which were under control to the Commission.
year’s United Nations World Conference of the Palestinian Authority. Pictured with UNESCO
Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. It was Director General Koichiro Matsuura are Dr. Shimon The infection of anti-Israel bias was personally
at that hatefest, concluded just days prior to the Samuels and Rabbi Abraham Cooper. experienced by Dr. Samuels when Egypt’s Am-
horrors of September 11th, that the Jewish State bassador to UNESCO’s World Heritage Com-
was depicted as the Apartheid regime of the 21st sites in East Jerusalem. There were signs that mittee tried to have him banned from their annual
century and the ghost of Zionism as racism the United Nations was finally going to treat meeting in Budapest. It was at that meeting that
resurrected. And it is the tone and content of Israel as a normal, equal member. But when a resolution was passed expressing concern for
Middle East resolutions and policies of the Arafat spurned the peace deal, the U.N. re- Palestinian religious and cultural sites allegedly
U.N., the European Union, and respected NGOs, verted to its anti-Israel business as usual mode. damaged by Israel, while the desecration of Jew-
that provides the fuel for the raging fires of hate That meant that a bloc of over 50 Arab and ish holy sites under Palestinian Authority control
against Israel, her Jewish supporters around the Muslim countries stood ready for any anti- was never considered. At their meeting with
world, and the United States, Jerusalem’s lone Israel initiative. Israel has no chance at the UNESCO’s Director General in Geneva (see
but powerful ally. U.N. Human Rights Commission, a body that photo), Center officials condemned the
welcomes Algeria and Iraq as full members, committee’s failure to reference the murderous
U.N. Institutionalizes Mideast Crisis but which systematically excludes Israel who desecration and destruction of the Yeshiva at the
Over the years, U.N. agencies have launched cannot even defend herself against bogus holy site of Joseph’s Tomb near the West Bank
charges hurled at her by tyrants and dictators. city of Shechem (Nablus).
over 1,000 anti-Israel resolutions, while never
once specifically condemning the terrorism of All this as Syria, a terrorist state, was wel- But perhaps the U.N.’s most grotesque Middle
groups like Hamas or Islamic Jihad. Just two comed into the hallowed halls of the U.N. East failure has been the 52-year record of the
years ago, Israelis were encouraged, as then- Security Council. At the Human Rights Com- U.N. Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA,
Prime Minister Barak offered the Palestinians mission, outgoing High Commissioner, Mary charged with the wellbeing of Palestinian refu-
a state with 95% percent of the West Bank, all Robinson, instead of apologizing for the de- gees. Its original mandate spoke of “temporary
of Gaza, east Jerusalem and control of the holy care and maintenance of the Palestinian refugees,
and work projects aimed at facilitating the ab-
sorption of Palestinian refugees into their new
homes.” In2002,U.S.CongressmanTomLantos
(D-CA), who favors greater U.S. involvement in
the world body, urged U.N. Secretary General
Kofi Annan to conduct a formal probe into the
operations of UNRWA which operates 27 refu-
gee camps in the West Bank and Gaza, home to
more than a million Palestinians. Responsibility
for the U.N. run camps was to have reverted to
Arab governments in 1952. In 1958, former
UNRWA Director, Ralph Galloway, could not
have chosen more accurate words to explain why
no progress has been made in nearly five decades:
“The Arab states do not want to solve the refugee
problem. They want to keep it as an open sore…
as a weapon against Israel. Arab leaders don’t
give a damn whether the refugees live or die…”

The UNRWA-run camps, ostensibly policed
by the Palestinian Authority, have now become

RESPONSE 7

international community and the mideast

“The Arab states do not want to Center officials,
solve the refugee problem. They along with lay
want to keep it as an open leader Richard
sore… as a weapon against Odier reviewed
Israel. Arab leaders don’t give a issues relating to
damn whether the refugees live EU support of
or die…” the Palestinian
Authority in their
- Ralph Galloway meeting with the
former UNRWA director French Minister
for European Af-
fairs, Noelle
Lenoir, in Paris.

operating centers for Hamas, Islamic Jihad, pocketed by top leaders and going to fund cide bomber, Wafa Idris was broadcast at least
twice on official PA TV. Meanwhile, the Israe-
PFLP and other terrorists, replete with bomb- terrrorist outrages. lis captured an antisemitic book titled,
“Zionazism – Fight it before it kills you,” in a
making and explosives factories. In the past When questions were first raised by EU residence maintained for Arafat in Bethlehem.
The book’s author is a member of the Palestin-
8RE-months, the Israel Defense Forces found bomb members about Arafat’s use of official Pales- ian National Council and it carries a handwrit-
ten dedication to Dr. Yussuf Abdallah, a close
making equipment, mortars and rifles in the tinian Authority press and EU-funded schools associate of Arafat and head of his Presidential
basements of the UN’s 264 institutions through- in the UNRWA camps to incite hatred and Guard. The main points of the book are summa-
out the West Bank and Gaza. Twenty-three violencetowardJews,EUCommissionerPatten rized on its cover, and include: Zionism is the
suicide bombers responsible for killing 57 Is- simply cited the agreement with the PA which eighth crusade; the Zionists are occupiers, cru-
saders and pirates who arrived from overseas, as
SPONSE8raelis and injuring 1,000 came from the states that the cooperation is based on “the planned by the imperialistic countries, notably
the U.S.; Hitler never murdered Jews in gas
UNRWA camp in Jenin alone. Instead of in- respect of democratic principles and funda- chambers; Solomon’s temple was never built,
not in Jerusalem or anywhere else; and the Jews
vestigating how its facilities had become ad- mental human rights.” On May 6, 2002, Israel of our time are not the descendants of Abraham
or related to him.
juncts to terrorism, the U.N.’s initial response sent the EU a 100-page report, including docu-
Elite in Lockstep
was so outrageous – it planned to collect ments confiscated from Arafat’s administra- With Campaign
to Delegitimize
information about the non-existent “massa- tion centers in Ramallah and elsewhere in the Israel

cre” in Jenin – that Kofi Annan was forced to West Bank. The volume contained serious Far from condemn-
ing the hate and the
cancel deploying the kangaroo court. accusations and evidence that “Arafat and his terror, major world
personalities sought to
Note: In recent years the United States has people used the donations of other countries, bolster the campaign
to punish Israel. The
provided 30 percent of the UNRWA budget, including the EU, to finance their terrorism.” Wiesenthal Center
EU Commissioner Patten sharply criticized
while Saudi Arabia has given less than one Incredibly, the next day, Patten wrote a letter to Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s call for divestment
from Israel as unjust and a distortion of the truth.
percent, Syria just $37,209 Inanopinionpiecepublishedinthe International
Herald Tribune, Tutu wrote, “Yesterday’s town-
and Egypt only $10,000. A Wiesenthal Center ship dwellers can tell you about today’s life in the
occupied territories. To travel only blocks in his
Meanwhile, Iraq gives no delegation met with own homeland, an elderly grandfather waits to
money to UNRWA, opting new Director General beg for the whim of a teenage soldier. More than
instead to send bounties of of the United Nations, an emergency is required to get to a hospital; less
$25,000 to families of suicide Sergei Ordzhonikitse than a crime earns a trip to jail…” He further
in Geneva. Left to urged American universities to divest from Is-
rael. “Comparing apartheid to what is happening
bombers. right, Richard in the West Bank and Gaza is both disingenuous
Salmanovich, the and a distortion of the truth,” said Rabbi Marvin
Hier. “In South Africa, a minority controlled and
Wiesenthal Center to Center’s representa- denied the rights of the majority. In Israel, all
tive at the U.N. in

European Union: Cease Geneva, Rabbi Coo-

Funding Terrorists per, the Director Gen-

Blind support and acquies- eral and Dr. Shimon (AFP)

cence to the corrupt and du-

plicitous activities of Arafat’s Palestinian Au- the Union’s Foreign Minister stating, “The

thority extends beyond the U.N. A major por- EU Commission has to date not been shown

tion of funding for Palestinian terrorist opera- any hard evidence that EU funds have been

tions comes from funds designated as “humani- misused to finance terrorism or for any

tariansupport”providedbytheEuropeanUnion. other purpose.”

EU aid to Arafat has reached about $4.5-5

billion, with about $75 million annually pro- “Zionazism - Fight it Before it Kills You”

vided by the United States. Even on June 19, So, uncensured and unemcumbered by its

following a murderous crescendo of terrorist European or Japanese benefactors, the Palestin-

homicide bombings by Arafat’s Al-Aqsa Mar- ian Authority continued to promote terrorism –

tyrs Brigades, the EU voted to give an addi- including homicide bombings. On June 27, PA

tional $17.7 million to the PA. EU External television broadcast a movie extolling “martyr-

AffairsCommissioner,ChrisPatten,sweptaside dom,” depicting the happy martyr arriving in

the protests of the Wiesenthal Center and others Paradise. And while the world mused about a

who pointed out that monies were not reaching new Arafat and the democratization of the PA,

the people who needed the help, but were being a new song glorifying the terrorist female sui-

8 RESPONSE

citizens, including Israeli

Arabs, have equal rights RAMALLAH “A CRIME COMPARABLE TO AUSCHWITZ”
under the law. If there is
no peace in the territo- L ast March, when a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up 29 elderly Israelis
ries, it is because Yasir celebrating the Passover Seder, three international luminaries – Portugal’s
Arafat rejected former Nobel Prize-winning novelist Jose Saramago, French anarchist Jose Bové

Israeli Prime Minister and Hollywood’s Oliver Stone – visited Arafat’s West Bank headquarters where

Ehud Barak’s offer of a Saramago called the situation in Ramallah “a crime comparable to Auschwitz.” When

Palestinian State and de- asked where were the gas chambers, he answered, “not yet.” When Variety columnist

ployedterrorasadeliber- Army Archerd later asked Stone about incitement in the Palestinian schools and the

ate means to bring Israel glorification of suicide bombings, Stone ignored the question and instead said of Arab-

to her knees. If there are Israeli tension that, “The memories are long as are the grudges and feuds.” Ted Turner
securitycheckpointsinIs- The“hopelessness”and“de-

rael, it is because there spair” that Mrs. Blair, Mr.

have been 70 suicide at- Turner, and the others refer to

tacks that have murdered is fueled by the top-to-bottom “The Palestinians are
more than 260 men, corruption of the Palestinian fighting with suicide
women, and children, Authority, whose elite have di-

many of those attacks car- verted billions of pounds of bombers; that’s all
riedoutbyterroristgroups international aid designated to they have…. So who
affiliated with Arafat’s assist young Palestinians and are the terrorists?
own Fatah organization. instead invested in the infra-

If ambulances are structure of terror. It is fueled Aren’t the Israelis and
checked, it is because the by a culture of hatred that Oliver Stone with Hamas Ramallah chief Hassan Yussef. the Palestinians both
Palestinians have used teaches toddlers to revere suicide bombers terrorizing each
them to conceal terrorists and tells them their only goal in life should

and weapons for their at- be to murder Jews, who they are taught to other?”

tacks.” hate as “apes and pigs.” It is fueled by

In May, it was none Palestinian mothers and fathers who en- - Ted Turner

other than Britain’s “first courage their own children to follow the

lady” Cherie Blair, who path of terrorists like Hamas, Hizbollah,

asserted, “As long as and Arafat’s own Al-Aqsa Martyrs Bri-

young people feel they gades (see also page 12). Cherie Blair Archbishop Tutu (Photos by AFP)
have got no hope but to

blow themselves up, you are never going to make “violence of any sort always breeds violence” non-governmentalagencycondemnedthehomi-

progress.” Richard Harris, Bishop of Oxford, and that “the resistance will be as ruthless and cide bombing attacks against Israel instead of

stated that suicide bombings were representative violent as the occupation is.” She also brought up attacking Israel for defending her citizens.

of the Palestinian people’s “lack of hope.” After the Holocaust, but only to criticize “the inability “The attacks against civilians by Palestinian

protests from the Center, Oxford Vice Chancel- of the Jewish people to learn from past suffer- armed groups are widespread, systematic and in

lor Colin Lucas admonished poet and lecturer ings… the Israeli people are emotionally stuck in pursuit of an explicit policy to attack civilians,”

Tom Paulin for saying that American-born Jew- the horrors of the Nazi era,” she asserted. Dis- the Amnesty report said. “They constitute crimes

ish settlers in Israel should be shot. AOL Time counting the threats to Israel’s survival, she against humanity… They may also constitute

Warner’s Ted Turner opined, “The Palestinians also dismissed concerns over the hostility and war crimes… Not only are they considered mur-

are fighting with suicide bombers; that’s all they violence against Europe’s Jews as a red herring der under general principles of law in every

have…. So who are the terrorists? Aren’t the designed to distract attention from “the plight national legal system, they are contrary to funda-

Israelis and the Palestinians both terrorizing each of the Palestinians” and “part of a campaign to mental principles of humanity which are re-

other?” No mention by any of these luminaries of discredit European input in any future peace flected in international humanitarian law.” Pal-

the innocent Israeli victims of terror. process.”(As Response went to press, estinian leaders dismissed the report as biased

Meanwhile, British Labor MP Lynn Jones Armstrong told the London Jewish Chronicle and unbalanced.

faced accusations of slander after she carried an that her criticism of suicide bombings had been

uncorroborated account of an alleged rape by omitted by the Egyptian interviewer.) Over 100 Incidents on U.S. Campuses
Israeli soldiers on the West Bank on her website. Another major front in the war to delegitimize

Amnesty International Finally Israel and her supporters are University cam-

Armstrong: Israelis “Unable To Gets it Right puses, where after a brief post-9/11 respite,

Learn From Holocaust” There was an important international voice sometimes violent anti-Israel extremism ex-

Even more incredible was an interview in that finally spoke out. In July 2002, Amnesty ploded in such respected schools as UC Berke-

Egypt’sAl-Ahram weekly by Karen Armstrong, Internationalforcefullycondemnedsuicidebomb- ley, San Francisco State University, Colum-

a former nun, lecturer at London’s Leo Baeck ings and other attacks on Israeli civilians as bia, MIT, University of Oregon, Princeton,

College and author of several popular books on “crimes against humanity” and “unjustified by and Harvard. The Wiesenthal Center protested

the Middle East. Unfazed by suicide bombings Palestinian political grievances.” It was the first to the Governors of California and Ohio and

targeting innocent civilians, she explained that time since Durban that a leading, international academic leaders over the more than 100

RESPONSE 9

boycott updates

antisemitic and anti-Israel attacks during the specialist on Iran, compared Israel’s military and alumni of the two institutions, while more
than 5,300 signed petitions opposing divestment.
Spring 2002 semester. At UC Berkeley, the actions in Jenin with the Nazi Holocaust. When
Global Threat to Academic Freedom
English Department’s Snehal Shingavi, a leader one student protested the canceling of class to Academic initiatives were launched across

of “Students for Justice in Palestine,” an- attend an anti-Israel sit-in, Dabashi sneered at the Europe which urged the European Union, the
European Science Foundation and their respec-
nounced a course on “The Politics and Poetics student, “I apologize if canceling our class in tive national institutions to cut off any further
cooperation with or support for Israeli institu-
of Palestinian Resistance,” which refers to solidarity with [Palestinian] victims of genocide tions. The online petition, signed by hundreds,
including Britain’s Association of University
“the right…to fight” and “Pal- … inconvenienced you.” Teachers, called on academics not to “cooperate
with official Israeli institutions, including uni-
estinian resistance” with no At Harvard, faculty mem- versities” until Israel dismantles illegal settle-
ments in the occupied territories and begins to
distinction regarding terror- bers chose Zayed Yasin, 22, make peace with the Palestinians. The petition
commits signatories not to travel to Israel for
ism. “The brutal Israeli mili- past president of the Harvard conferences or to “participate as referee in hiring
or promotion decisions by Israeli universities.”
tary occupation of Palestine, Islamic Society, to deliver its
One of the key sponsors of the academic
an occupation that has been commencement address. En- boycott, Professor Mona Baker of the Manches-
ter University Institute of Science and Technol-
ongoing since 1948, has sys- titled, “American Jihad,” ogy – who also heads the university’s Center for
Translation and Intercultural Studies – sparked
tematically displaced, killed, Yasin told the audience of an international furor when she fired two lectur-
ers from the boards of British translation journals
and maimed millions of Pal- 32,000, “Jihad is not some- only because they were Israelis. The two, Miriam
Shlesinger and Gideon Toury, received support
estinian people…. The class thing that should make you from five other board members who resigned in
protest. Vienna University Associate Professor
will examine the history of feel uncomfortable.” Earlier Franz Poechhacker called the move “a com-
the Palestinian resistance and he had raised money for the pletelymisguidedpoliticalaction.” The National
Holy Land Foundation for Union of Students added that “this is an abuse of
10RE-the way that it is narrated by academic freedom.” Added Lawrence H.
Palestinians in order to pro- Relief and Development, Schiffman, President, Association for Jewish
duce an understanding of the Studies, “…The search for truth overall suffers
closed down at President grievous harm when purely intellectual concerns
SPONSE10Intifada and to develop a co- Bush’s orders for its support are made subservient to political agendas, re-
gardless of their nature.” Undettered, Ms. Baker
herent political analysis of the situation... Con- of terrorist groups. also indicated she would no longer accept any
articles from Israelis.
servative thinkers are urged to seek other sec- At the University of Colorado at Boulder,
Striking Back
tions.” students desecrated an Israeli flag and A group of leading professors at the Univer-

Campushatecrimesproliferated.Amanwear- chalked antisemitic slogans on the main cam- sity of Chicago, joined by scientists from around
the world, initiated a petition in response to the
ing a skullcap was severely beaten on the cam- pus walkway. academic boycott campaign. As of May 2002,
some 2,000 professors and researchers from
pus; students and faculty attending religious ser- At SUNY-Binghamton, Robert Ostergard of all over the world signed the petition condemn-
ing the boycott calls and urging scientists to
vices at Berkeley Hillel were pelted with rotten the political science department featured a 45- foster and develop further scientific ties with
their Israeli colleagues. The list of signatories
eggs, and the Hillel house defaced with graffiti. minute diatribe by Ali Mazrui, equating Zionism includes world class scientists, respected lead-
ers in their fields of research, among them
Medieval and Nazi-like imagery were deployed with fascism, Israel with apartheid South Africa, Nobel Laureates, Fields medalists (the most
prestigious prize in mathematics), members of
in a horrific poster (above) funded by the Asso- and Ariel Sharon with Hitler. the American National Academy of Sciences
and members of national academies of sci-
ciated Students of San Francisco State Univer- ences in other countries. The Wiesenthal Cen-
ter endorsed the counter-campaign, and car-
sity. The poster, proclaiming the “Genocide of U.S. “Divest Campaigns” Mimic Anti- ried the petition online at www.wiesenthal.com.

the 21st Century,” suggests Jews ingest the flesh Apartheid Campaign

and/orbloodofchildren,andthatthereareJewish Meanwhile, taking another page from the anti-

religious rites linked to cannibalism. The poster Apartheid campaign of the 80s, an aggressive

was sponsored by the Associated Students, Gen- international campaign has been launched call-

eral Union of Palestinian Students, and the Mus-

lim Student Association. Next, anti-Israel pro- “This is not civic discourse,
testers physically threatened students marching this is not free speech, this is
for Israel, shouting phrases like, “Die you racist the Weimar Republic with brown
pigs,” and “Hitler should have finished the job.”

A shaken Robert Corrigan, President of SFSU, shirts it cannot control.”

appointed a task force to look into the school’s

curriculum, student orientations, and codes of - Laurie Zoloth, Director,

conduct. The university further suspended the Jewish Studies Program, SFSU

General Union of Palestinian Students for one

year. However, even after the incident, pro-

Palestinian students continued to use an SFSU- ing for boycott of Israeli goods and institutions,

owned Web page to engage in Holocaust denial including pressuring universities to divest their

and accuse Jews of ritual murder. holdings in Israel. Noam Chomsky, who has long

At the University of Oregon, in a course favored the abolition of the State of Israel and the

entitled “Social Inequality,” the sociology substitution of a “secular bi-national state,” led

department’s Douglas Card called Israel “a thecampaignatMIT.Chomskyisalsoanoutspo-

terrorist state” and Israelis “baby-killers” and ken supporter of French Holocaust denier Robert

insisted that students agree with his view that Faurisson, whose works, he claims, bear “no hint

Israel “stole land” on the final exam. One ofantisemiticimplications.”InCambridge,Mas-

student said Card bashed Israel and Jews “at sachusetts, a petition demanding Harvard and

every opportunity.” MIT divestment from Israel garnered just 412

At Columbia University, Hamid Dabashi, a signatures from among students, faculty, staff

10 RESPONSE

“I was appointed as a
scholar. But I was dismissed
as an Israeli.”

– Miriam Shlesinger

In a related development, over 22,000 people

joined the Wiesenthal Center’s online protest

to Dr. Delon Human, Secretary General of the Protesters
World Medical Association, when word carried anti-
ciriculated of a possible move to oust the Israel Israel and

Medical Association from the 70-nation WMA. pro-boycott
The anti-Israel move was ultimately shelved. banners
during demon-

strations in

Who Will Be The Real Losers? Amsterdam.

Consider the possible implications of an (AP/Wide World
academic and/or scientific Israeli boycott. A Photo)

young Palestinian girl who had lived in a

bubble since birth owing to a rare disease that because of what she is doing to the Palestinians.” ment, Food and Rural Affairs, responding to
pro-Palestinian MPs, ordered an end to Israeli
killed her brother, was cured by an Israeli “Apparently some elite cannot forgive Israel goods produced in the West Bank, Gaza Strip
and Golan Heights, labeled “Produce of Israel.”
doctor with his new genetically engineered for defending herself against homicide bombers It is sad to note that just two years ago, there
were numerous efforts afoot to strengthen and
bone marrow transplants. Academic boycotts and terrorists. The stench of appeasement of expand joint Arab-Israeli ventures to benefit
both peoples in the Holy Land.
not only threaten future research projects that terrorism in Europe has now infected a compe-
Meanwhile, Trade Unions are also rallying
depend upon the sharing of information, but tition that over the decades has given voice to behind the boycott. The Norwegian Confed-
eration of Trade Unions, the General Workers
could also close down one of the few remain- songs of peace and hope,” said Rabbi Cooper. Union in Denmark, and the Congress of South
African Trade Unions have issued calls for a
ing areas where Israeli and Palestinian col- boycott of Israeli products. Other individual
unions also called for a boycott. In June, 3,000
laboration still exists. Arabs Look To Reinstate Boycott dedicated unionists gathered at a Canadian
Labor Congress convention in Vancouver
In this hostile environment, many in the Arab where the hottest topic was Israel. Major unions
across Canada had already passed emergency
No Israeli Flag In Malaysia IOC world have pushed for the reinstatement of the resolutions condemning Israel. “I think it is
appropriate if you are a union that believes in
Meeting boycott of Israel and American products. The social justice for all,” said Deborah Bourke,
president of the 40,000-member Canadian
The head of the International Olympic Com- Arab Office for Boycott of Israel established by Union of Postal Workers.

mittee had the sense to reject the Arab League has When the boycott first surfaced, the AFL-CIO
quickly took a position in opposition to the Nor-
calls by Iran for the expulsion of announced at the wegian, Danish and South African labor unions.
It also made its position known to the Interna-
Israel from the Olympic move- League’s recent meeting tionalConfederationofFreeTradeUnions.Mean-
while, despite the aggressive anti-Israeli postur-
ment at a recent meeting in Ma- in Khartoum it would ing by the Norwegian Unions and others, there is
little indication that shoppers or stores in Norway
laysia. “The IOC has always had convene a conference of have any interest in the boycott.

a policy of not letting politics boycott “specialists.” And in Holland, 21 Dutch agencies, led by
the Council of Churches, demanded closure of
interfere with sports,” said IOC Not surprisingly, the air transits between the U.S. and Israel, used
for transporting arms via Holland.
president Jacques Rogge. Still, Worldwide Web is re-
There is no indication that Europeans have
Israelipassportholderswereonly plete with calls from any stomach to pare back or boycott burgeon-
ing trade with the repressive and pro-terrorist
granted visas after pressure from NorwaytoEgypt toeco- regime in Iran or other major trading partners
with dubious human rights records.
Olympic officials, and the Israeli nomically punish Israel

flag did not hang in the meeting and to isolate her inter-

room, while the flags of all other nationally. The sites pro-

Olympic committees, including vide information about

a Palestinian flag, fluttered above companies with links to

the gathering. Israel and Israeli prod-

Earlier the Center blasted In- ucts. James Zogby’s

ternational Football Federation Arab-American Institute

Association president Joseph S. This visual appeared on Islamiya.net, urging also serves as a major
people not to buy American and Israeli prod-
Blatter’s decision to allow con- resource, urging boycott

sideration of an Iranian motion ucts “With the blood of your brothers.” of a number of Israeli

to suspend Israel from the world products. Starbucks

governingbodyofsocceratitsmeetinginZurich, chief executive Howard Shultz, who received

prior to World Cup 2002. the “Israeli 50th Anniversary Tribute Award”

Meanwhile TV viewers in Sweden and Bel- from the Jerusalem Fund of Aish Ha-Torah, has

gium were urged to vote against the Israeli entry been branded “an active Zionist” by those urg-

inEurope’sannualEurovisionsongcompetition. ing a boycott of Starbucks coffee worldwide.

The Swedish master of ceremonies declared that Governments are not immune to the cam-

“Israel should not have been allowed to compete paign as the British Department for Environ-

RESPONSE 11

YASIR ARAFAT AND “Every parent,
THE PA CONDEMN A every teacher,
YOUNG GENERATION every leader has a
TO HATRED AND DEATH responsibility to
condemn the
Reality for thousands of Palestinian children is a life filled with terrible tragedy of
fear, hatred, violence, and bloodshed; a life surrounded by children blowing
religious, political and community leaders, educators and parents, themselves up to
too many of whom are more committed to raising generations of kill others.”
“martyrs” than to securing a peaceful future for their children.
- First Lady Laura Bush
Witness a mother putting the finishing touches on her son’s
Some photos courtesy AP/Wide World & AFP
12RE-birthday outfit; future “martyrs” training in Gaza; a father holding

his little “suicide bomber” aloft; a Palestinian baby dressed as

SPONSE12a suicide bomber; children marching in solidarity with Hamas.

FROM PALESTINIAN EDUCATORS

A ll children have much in common: they are innocent, tender,
have fertile imaginations and love to play. But while Israeli
children attend summer camps where they learn to draw, swim,
write and play, many Palestinian children attend camps that also train
them to hate, fight, and even kill. Israel’s educational curriculum is
based on peace, reconciliation, democracy, tolerance, and respect for
the sanctity of life. The Palestinian Authority’s educational system
includes delegitimizing Israel and promoting
blind hatred of Jews.

How else to explain the young girl at her year-end
kindergarten graduation painting her hands blood
red as she reenacts the lynching of two Israeli
soldiers in Ramallah. How else to account for
nursery school children burning Israeli flags as
they march proudly with toy assault rifles pledg-
ing to continue holy war until “all of Palestine” is
liberated. Why else would children be taught the
techniques of urban guerilla warfare, the rewards
of “martyrdom” and jihad against Jews.

In the Balata Refugee Camp, a stronghold of the
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, children covet neck-
laces that feature pictures of “martyrs.” It is
reportedly difficult to find a child in the camp of 20,000 who
isn’t wearing a necklace. Said Munir Jabal, head of a Balata
teachers association, “They worship these pictures. I think it
will lead them in the future to go out and do the same thing.”

“The staff hopes it will produce a generation
of children able to kick the Zionists out of
Palestine and liberate the Palestinians.”

– Sheikh Ahmed Baher, Headmaster, Gaza School
Islamic Society of Gaza

12 RESPONSE

FROM LEADERS “Because I love my son, I
encouraged him to die a
I n Jenin, Hamas leader Sheikh Abu Al-Hija proudly confirmed martyr’s death for the sake
that the camp’s children had “filled their school bags with of Allah….He would
explosive devices.” Jamal Huweil, chief of Jenin’s Al-Aqsa brandish his weapon and
Martyrs Brigade, boasted to London’s Al Hayat newspaper that at tell me: ‘Mom, this is my
least four children had rushed Israeli tanks and blown themselves up. bride.’ He loved his gun so
much… I asked Allah to
Palestinian children in Rafah were paid 5 Shekels (slightly over one give me ten Israelis for
dollar) to throw pipe bombs at Israeli soldiers (as reported in the Muhammad and Allah
Kuwaiti daily, Al-Zaman). At least 40 Palestinian children were granted my request and
crippled, losing hands or arms as the bombs went off. This is Muhammad made his dream
reminiscent of the horrific strategy that Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini come true, killing ten
pursued in dispatching young boys into battle with Iraq, untrained and Israeli settlers and soldiers.”
armed only with a small medallion that assured them they would go
straight to heaven as they walked in front of tanks to clear minefields. – Umm Nidal, mother of
“martyr” Muhammad Farhat.
FROM THE PARENTS
THE MEDIA
“ Iimbued my son with
a loveofJihadand death O n the global satel-
for Allah… I prayed lite channel Iqraa
with all my heart that he would TV, packaged by
succeed in his suicide mission… the Arab Radio and
I remained tense until they came Television Network, “family
from Hamas and told me that he programming” recently featured
had been killed. I then let out Prof. Adel Sadeq, head of the
shrieks of joy that woke up the whole neighborhood.” – Naima al- psychiatry faculty at ‘Ein Shams
Abed, whose son murdered three Israeli soldiers in an ambush. University in Cairo, who ex-
plained how western civiliza-
“How beautiful it is to make my bomb shrapnel kill the enemy. How tion cannot appreciate the con-
beautiful it is to kill and be killed…” 22-year old Muhammad Al- cepts of “self-sacrifice and
Ghoul detonated his bomb on a Jerusalem bus killing 19 passengers, honor,” and how the suicide
and wounding 55. His father told Reuters that he was “very happy… bomber experiences “the height
He’s a martyr. We have only to ask our God to be merciful with him.” of ecstasy and happiness” at the
moment he blows himself up.
Jihad Titi called his mother, Haleema, just before blowing himself up
near an ice cream parlor in Petah Tikva killing a grandmother and her “Muslim Woman Magazine,”
baby granddaughter and wounding over 50. She told him, “Oh, son, I featured an interview with a tod-
hope your operation will succeed.” His father said he wished his son dler named Basmallah, who was
had carried a nuclear bomb. asked by the host how she feels
about Jews. “Why don’t you like
“Because I love my son, I encouraged him to die a martyr’s death for them?” she is asked. “Because
the sake of Allah….He would brandish his weapon and tell me: ‘Mom, they’re apes and pigs,” answers
this is my bride.’ He loved his gun so much… I asked Allah to give me Basmallah. The hostess con-
ten Israelis for Muhammad and Allah granted my request and cludes the “interview” praising
Muhammad made his dream come true, killing ten Israeli settlers and 3-year old Basmallah: “The next
soldiers.” – Umm Nidal, mother of “martyr” Muhammad Farhat. generation of children must be
true Muslims; we must educate
them now while they are still
children….”

Editor’s Note: These photos
do not necessarily reflect the
hopes and aspirations of the
majority of Palestinian fami-
lies, but they do accurately
reflect the substance and
tone of the education pro-
vided to children by the
Palestinian Authority.

RESPONSE 13

israel and the palestinian authority

More than 270 innocent Israeli civil- that peace until all parties fight terror,” said
President George W. Bush in calling for new
ians have been murdered by homi- TOLL OF ISRAELI Palestinian leadership.
cide bombers and in other terrorist
In wake of President Bush’s statement, the
attacks over the past 22 months. The TERROR VICTIMS Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade issued a statement
number of fatalities in Israel would threatening “to strike at Zionist and American
interests and installations” in Israel and through-
amount to about 36,000 innocent vic- EQUIVALENT TO out the world if the United States maintains its
tims of terror in the U.S. Over 2,500 36,000 AMERICANS opposition to Arafat. In mid-May, CNN re-
others have sustained painful and peatedly aired a Yasir Arafat saying he wanted
crippling injuries, emotional trauma, peace with his Jewish “cousins” in Israel, while
and in many cases years of excruci- at home he simultaneously was calling for
“one million martyrs” to march on Jerusalem,
ating rehabilitation. Israeli doctors vowing to continue his battle towards the “lib-
eration” of Jerusalem from Israeli control.
estimate that 40% of the injured will
14RE-have significant permanent disabil- Bush’s Bold Mideast Vision:
throughout the territory under the rule of the Peace Without Arafat
ity. A majority of those targeted and PA,” said Rabbi Hier. “They are allowed to
operate with impunity, if not with the complete In the end, President Bush publicly indi-
cated that Arafat has to go if there are to be
murdered were women and children. endorsement of Yasir Arafat and the PA. Arafat any hopes of peace. The Wiesenthal Center
Many attacks produced multiple commended the President for his speech that
unveiled his bold vision for the future of the
SPONSE14deaths and injuries within a family unit. Holy Land. “The road to Palestinian state-
has made a public declaration that he opposes hood will not be reached with Yasir Arafat at
suicide bombings; yet he knows and meets the wheel,” said Center Dean Rabbi Marvin
regularly with the leaders of these terrorist Hier. “Failure to move toward real democ-
racy only guarantees that people in the Middle
organizations. Why have they not been ar- East will continue to live in the tragedy of
unfulfilled dreams.”
T hese stark figures do not begin to de- rested and their offices and institutions closed?”
scribe the degree of tragedy and suffer- Under pressure from a world ever more Rabbi Hier and President Bush
ing that the people of Israel have had to
sickened by the senseless violence, the Pales- Y asir Arafat’s Al-Aqsa Martyrs Bri-
gades took credit for 26 separate at-
absorb. Israel’s counter measures have brought tinian Authority condemned the horrific July tacks during the first six months of
2002, killing nearly 80 Israelis and injuring
strong international condemnation but wall- 17 dual bombings in Tel Aviv, but callously hundreds more. There is no doubt that Arafat is
personally responsible; a leader of Al-Aqsa,
to-wall support from Israeli citizens and the and cynically sought to justify the heinous acts Maslama Thabet, recently declared, “Our com-
mander is Yasir Arafat himself.” Tanzim mem-
overwhelming majority of Jews in the Diaspora. by blaming the victims, charging that Israel bers themselves have admitted that they pur-
chased weapons smuggled in vehicles belong-
While critics decry Israeli “incursions,” in was responsible for “creating… the suitable ing to Palestinian officials of VIP status. The
Karine A incident, verified by the ship’s cap-
just one month after the conclusion of the IDF’s atmosphere for such operations…” tain to have been committed with full knowl-
edge and approval of Yasir Arafat, left no
Operation Defensive Shield on April 24, 32 President Bush was one of just a few world

terror attacks already in the advanced stages of leaders whose condemnation of antisemitism

execution, were foiled. Questioning of detain- and terror was clear and unequivocal. “My

ees after Operation Defensive Shield revealed vision is two states, living side by side, in peace

that different networks of both Fatah and Hamas and security. There is simply no way to achieve

were testing a variety of combinations of chemi-

cal weapons, ranging from regular rat poison to “Once again, Arafat pays lip
improvised versions of nerve gas. service in condemning terror, and

Over the last two years, Israel has counted

over 90 Palestinian suicide bombers and reports once again we bury our dead.”

it has captured 42 would-be bombers. Daily – Maariv newspaper editorial
rhetoric and images conveyed by Arab media

make clear that more “martyrs” are waiting in

the wings – many of them children – for their

chance to commit murder as human bombs.

Center Urges Shut-Down of Terrorist The mother (right) of Palestinian suicide bomber
Infrastructures Jihad Titi holds his picture (see also p.13). (AFP)

Throughout the bloody months of terrorist
onslaughts against Israel, the Wiesenthal Cen-
ter called for the Bush Administration and
European governments to make the closing of
the offices and political institutions of Hamas,
Islamic Jihad, and Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
as a first step towards lasting Middle East
peace. “These groups, who want nothing less
than the destruction of the State of Israel,
operate offices and political institutions freely

14 RESPONSE

BOTTOM LINE-ARAFAT’S One of seven their daughter who live in Paris and Switzer-
GOAL: PALESTINIAN STATE Palestinian land. According to the same report, the money
NOT ALONGSIDE ISRAEL terrorists came from Arab aid funds that had been allo-
BUT TO REPLACE ISRAEL sent into ex- cated for the Palestinian people.
ile after the
M ore than 51% of the Palestinian standoff at Already back in 1996, the Palestinian Legisla-
people see the liberation of all Bethlehem’s tive Council established a special commission to
historic Palestine – and the re- Church of investigate the disappearance of some $326 mil-
moval of Israel from the map – as the true the Nativity, lion. Their report found that nearly 40 percent of
goal of the Intifada, according to a June 2002 is pictured the PA’s $800 million annual budget – coming
poll by the Jerusalem Media and Communi- arriving in mostly from foreign aid – had been lost through
cations Center. 68% support suicide bomb- Spain. (AFP) corruption and mismanagement. Arafat sup-
ing attacks against Israeli civilians. In an- pressed the report, but promised reform… While
other poll conducted for IMRA by the Pales- “verify the detention under appropriate condi- it is difficult to know exactly how much money
tinian Center for Public Opinion, Palestin- tions of the six and report to the Israeli govern- Arafat and the rest of the PA leadership has
ians in the West Bank and Gaza were asked ment and the Palestinian Authority.” Against this pocketed, the ostentatious villas, shopping sprees
if they would support a plan for full and backdrop, Israel had to act decisively to destroy in Paris, and newer model Mercedes Benz auto-
normal relations and full peace between Is- the infrastructure of terror and mass murder. mobiles attest to the fact that it is significant.
rael and the Arab states, if the plan does not
include the right of return to refugees within Smoking Guns of Corruption and By April 2001, Arab countries began funding
the borders of Israel. Only 24.1% of those Terrorism the PA to support the Intifada. At least $45
questioned agreed, while 62.4% opposed it. million per month was transferred directly to
T he historic decision by President Bush Arafat–mostnotablyfromtheSaudisandSaddam
doubt about the complicity of the Palestinian to cut Arafat out of future moves were Hussein – not to alleviate the suffering of the
leader in pursuing and supporting terrorism. motivated by proof of the Nobel Peace Palestinian people, but to fund the activities of
Laureate’s continued direct involvement as the terrorist organizations such as Al-Aqsa Martyrs
And PA assertions of moves against any paymaster of terrorism. Yasir Arafat’s signa- Brigades. This, in an environment where there is
terrorist suspects continue to be a total sham. ture figures on a number of documents found in close to 60% unemployment in the Gaza Strip,
The PA dropped charges against proven terror- Ramallah by Israeli Defense Forces, and for- and some 135,000 people have lost jobs during
ist Faud Shoubaki, the mastermind behind the warded to the European Union’s PA funders. the nearly two years of violence, 40,000 of whom
These documents approve payments (up to used to work in Israel. Malnutrition is now spread-
Rabbi Hier $2,000) for each “martyr” or “fighter” including ing throughout Gaza and the West Bank.
led the one who led an Al-Aqsa Brigades attack on a bat
Wiesenthal mitzvah party in Hadera that left 6 dead and 50 Voices of Sanity Begin to Emerge
Center con- wounded. Payment documents show “salary” In a potentially important development, a
tingent at the payments to terrorists originating from accounts
rally which into which the EU makes direct payments. The group of Muslims from Arab-Israeli villages in
was coordi- list of those to receive payments, printed on the Galilee have launched the first Orthodox
nated by the official PA letterhead, included, among others, Muslim movement to oppose Muslim militancy
Presidents’ Mohammed Fares and Kharem Al Jilad who and extremism. Calling themselves The Pro-
Conference of were involved in shooting attacks in the Tulkarm phetic Tradition Helpers Association, the goals
Major Jewish area, Bilal Abu Amsha who was involved in a of the ten-member group include providing a
Organiza- number of deadly attacks including the murder platform for moderation and nonviolence and
tions. (AFP) of a Jew in Bakka Al-Jarbiya, and Bilal Abu educating Muslims about how extremists are
Aisha who also participated in shooting at- misinterpreting Orthodox Islam.
Karine-A weapons incident. Shoubaki, the chief tacks in the Tulkarm district. Letters request-
procurement and finance officer of the PA, was ing payments first went to the Secretary Gen- “We have watched the situation deteriorate at
one of six Palestinian terrorists who had been eral of the Fatah Tanzim, Marwan Barghouti, the hands of extremists,” says Khalid Abu Ras
transferred to a Jericho jail to be supervised by who added his signature; Arafat then decided of Ilut, near Nazareth, an Arabic schoolteacher
U.S. and U.K. officers, but when a reporter that “each of them will be paid $800 through and founding member. “… They are hurting
visited the prison he could not find a single the Ministry of Finance.” Islam and our people.”
prisoner in his cell. He later telephoned one of
Arafat’s top cabinet ministers, Saeb Erakat, Other reports of outrageous corruption at the In a related development 55 prominent Pales-
who, unaware that a reporter had visited the top include an article in the Kuwaiti daily Al- tinians signed a petition opposing continued
prison, said that British and American monitors Watan that reported that through an arrange- suicide bombings. Many observers were disap-
“are there 24 hours a day.” Incredibly, a State ment between Arafat and his Cairo office head pointed that their opposition focused on tactical
Department spokesman said on June 3 that the Ramzi Khouri, Arafat deposited $5.1 million in and not moral considerations.
U.S. and British personnel do not have to be his own name in the Cairo branch of an Arab
present at the Jericho site, but merely have to bank. The funds were deposited in Arafat’s “A divine blow will be dealt
personal accounts to help cover personal ex- soon to the U.S. and Israel, by
penses, including the costs of his wife Suha and Allah’s will.”

– Ahmed Abdul Razek, official
sermon, PA TV

RESPONSE 15

behind the headlines – real obstacles to peace

IRAN: U.S. PATIENCE WITH ‘MODERATE’ KHATAMI
WEARING THIN, AS IRAN CONTINUES TO BE CHIEF
SPONSOR OF TERRORISM – ISRAEL KEY TARGET.

Iran has been named the “most active be able to reach the rest of the world. assassinate the US-based Reza Pahlavi, son of
the late Shah of Iran and leading Iranian opposi-
state sponsor of terrorism” in the U.S. Many European officials have pinned their tion figure; London-based journalist Ali
hopes for a kinder, gentler Iran on the urbane Nourizadeh; and an unnamed manager of an
Iranian opposition Internet site.
State Department’s annual report on Iranian President. Unfortunately, like Yasir
Reza Pahlavi spoke before an overflow audi-
Arafat, “moderate” President Mohammad ence at the Wiesenthal Center (photo bottom
left) about his 20-year quest to rid Iran of the
terrorism. In addition to its support of Khatami reserves his conciliatory tone for the

16RE-anti-American and global terror, the western world. He speaks with a far different SYRIA UPGRADES HIZBOLLAH SUPPORT
voice in Farsi to his domestic audience. In a
report states Iranian support for Pal- televised address on October 24, 2000, for
estinian terrorist groups has intensi- example, he declared, “In the Koran, God
commanded to kill the wicked and those who
fied, providing “varying amounts of do not see the rights of the oppressed... If we As Response goes to
press comes word
abide by human laws, we should mobilize the that Syrian leader
Bashir al-Assad has been
SPONSE16funding, safe haven, training and whole Islamic World for a sharp confrontation

weapons” to Palestinian groups. with the Zionist regime... If we abide by the supplying Hizbollah

Koran, all of us should mobilize to kill.” forces in Southern Leba-

The Washington Post recently reported that non with 270mm rockets.

More Threats to Annihilate Israel – the Bush Administration is no longer inter- This weapon has a range

Which Iran Calls a “Cancerous Tumour” ested in courting ‘moderate’ Khatami, but sees of over 70 kilometers
which puts it in range not
I ran trains, finances and sponsors terror- signs that the regime controlled by clerics may AP/WideWorld
ism, from the bombing of the AMIA build- be weakening. One key leader, Ayatollah
ing in Argentina in 1994, to the Karine A Taheri, appointed by the late Ayatollah only of Israel’s third largest city, Haifa, but the

weapons ship this year. On June 8, three days Khomeini, resigned publicly criticizing “gen- industrial zone south of that Israeli city. Ob-

after Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for a eralized corruption of religious power in Iran.” servers like former State Department official

bombing that killed 17 Israelis, the Iranian Despite it all, Europeans continued to help Dennis Ross note that if deployed, Israel will

government announced a 70-percent increase prop up Tehran’s rulers when on June 17, Euro- certainly retaliate directly against Syria.

in allocation for the group. U.S. intelligence pean foreign ministers agreed to fast-track a In a related development Senator Bob Gra-

officials reported in April that Iran’s annual new trade pact with Iran. European Union offi- ham (D-FL) said terrorist training camps

contribution to Lebanese Hizbullah now ex- cials such as External Affairs Commissioner controlled by Syria are a more immediate

ceeds $100 million. Iran has allowed free tran- Chris Patten lobbied hard for the deal, arguing, threat to the security of the United States than

sit for al-Qaeda-trained fighters from the viru- “There is more to be said for trying to engage Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and urged the admin-

lently anti-Western Jund al-Islam, currently and to draw these societies into the international istration to deal with the threat.

based in Iraqi Kurdistan, flush against the community than to cut them off.”

Iranian border. The group’s platform called for ayatollahs’ theocratic regime and replace it with
a secular democracy. Pahlavi, who lives in exile
death to “the blasphemers and the secularists,” Pahlavi: Targeted For Assassination? in the United States, said all Iranians had suffered
under the human rights abuses of the ayatollahs’
and it has shown itself willing to back rhetoric Less than one week after Patten’s “triumph,” “inquisition,” but that Jews had been targeted in

with action. Iran continues to host terrorist an Iranian intelligence agent who sought asylum

mastermind Imad Mughniyeh, director of in Denmark, told authorities of Iran’s decision to

Hizbullah special operations and

chief suspect in a series of car

bombings, kidnappings, and

hijackings that resulted in sev-

eral hundred deaths in the 1980s.

Iran has supplied long-range In a meeting with
Austrian Foreign
Fajer rockets to Hizbollah in Minister Bettina
Ferrero-Waldner,
Lebanon, and now reportedly has Center officials
urged Austria to
ten Shihab 3 missiles that can designate suicide
bombing as
reach Israel and India, material “crimes against
humanity.”
for which was supplied by North

Korea. By the end of the decade,

according to Israeli Intelligence,

Iran’s nuclear tipped missiles will

16 RESPONSE

particular. As described in his current book, from the Mecca Mosque, broadcast on
Winds of Change: The Future of Democracy in
Iran, Pahlavi predicts the downfall of the ayatol- official Saudi TV: “Today’s Jews are
lahs through a process of nonviolent civil disobe-
dience, led by an increasingly disillusioned youth. killers of prophets and the scum of the
In his speech at the Museum of Tolerance, he
pointed out that of the 70 million Iranians, 50 earth. God cursed them and placed His
million are under the age of 30.
indignation on them and made them
Saudi Arabia’s Other Export: –
Wahhabite Fanaticism monkeys and pigs and worshippers of

F ifteen of the September 11 hijackers tyrants…”
were Saudis. Perhaps nearly 80 percent
of the prisoners held at Guantanamo are Saudi Arabia, too, is reported by U.S.
Saudis. Then there is the Saudi track record: the
Saudis stymied the FBI investigation of the officials to be seeking weapons of mass
1996 Khobar Towers bombing. The Saudis
destruction – intermediate range mis-
Not-So-Strange
Bedfellows – siles as well as biological, chemical and

Rev. Louis nuclear weapons – from Islamic allies.
Farrakhan, who
has made trips to ButRiyadh’smostdangerousweapon
other terrorist na-
tions (Libya), re- remains its embracing of and support
cently visited
Baghdad. (AFP) for the worldwide schools run by

refused a U.S. request in 1996 that they take Wahhabite extremists, from Saudi Egypt’s President Mubarak presented a medal to Libyan leader
custody of bin Laden; he went to Afghanistan ArabiaacrosstheMiddleEastandSouth Moammar Gadhafi during his visit to Cairo. (AP/Wide World Photo)
instead. They refused in 1995 to hand over Imad
Mughniyah, a known terrorist also believed a barrage of anti-
responsible for the bombing of the Marine bar-
racks in Lebanon in 1983. And now, the Saudis Israel attacks by
are singing praises of Palestinian suicide bomb-
ers and sending payments to their families. official and reli-

Saudi support of Hamas and Islamic Jihad Austria’s far-right gious leaders give
families was revealed in documents found by leader Joerg rise to new con-
IDF troops during Operation Defensive Shield.
Also discovered were documents detailing Haider has made cerns about Egypt.
payments made to suicide bombers, under the several trips to In addition to viru-
logo, “Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Iraq, where he has lent antisemitic
Committee for Aid to the Al-Quds Intifada.” met with the Presi- rhetoric about
In the year 2000, Saudi sources issued pay- dent and the For-
ments to more than 200 Palestinian families
whose sons carried out terror attacks. eign Minister (pic- Jews, there are also
tured right). (AFP) repeated calls for
A telethon broadcast on Saudi television hosted
by prominent official government cleric, Sheikh the destruction of
Saad Al-Buraik, who is also closely tied to Prince
Abdul Aziz Ben Fahd, raised some $109 million Asia and extending even to Europe, North the State of Israel.
for Palestinian “fighters.” During that broadcast,
Al-Buraik urged Palestinians, “Why don’t you America, and Australia, inculcating a theology In the government daily Al-Akhbar, an ar-
enslave their [Jews’] women? Why don’t you
wage jihad? Why don’t you pillage them?” of fanaticism and violence, where anyone not ticle by Fatma Abdallah Mahmoud titled, “Ac-

There is no shortage of incitement to terror. believing in their brand of Islam is bestowed the cursed Forever and Ever” proclaimed, “They
Saudi clerics regularly call for the destruction of
Jews on government televised programming. status of non human. Primary enemies: Jews, [Jews] are accursed… because they are the
Shaykh Abd-al-Bari al-Thubayti calls on God to
torture and destroy all the Jews. Imam Dr. Abd- Christians and moderate Muslims. Its adherents plague of the generation and the bacterium of
al-Rahman al-Sudays delivered a sermon live
allied themselves with Nazi Germany in the all time. Their history always was and always

1930s and 40s. For now, even after 9/11, western will be stained with treachery, falseness, and

leaders – more concerned for the uninterrupted lying. Historical documents prove it.” After a

flow of oil – have done virtually nothing to deal discussion of how the Holocaust never oc-

with the religious hatred which, left unchecked, curred, the sermon concludes, “They are a

could spawn even greater tragedies than the al- model of moral ugliness, debasement, and

Qaeda attacks in the U.S. degradation. If only Allah would curse them

more and more, to the end of all generations.

Egypt Continues Anti-Israel Attacks Amen.” Top religious clerics also are stepping

D isturbing reports of military hard- up their attacks on the United States for pursu-
ware build-up that could only be ing its war against terrorism and for
designed to threaten Israel, as well as Washington’s support for Israel.

IRAQ’S BLOOD MONEY (AFP Photo)

E ven as he awaits the promised move by the
United states to remove him and the threat of
weapons of mass destruction, Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein hailed the brave Palestinian woman who
“says farewell to her sons, full of satisfaction to the
martyrdom which is the supreme level of expressing
nationalism and faith, a matter which terrifies the Zionist
and the U.S. administration and thwart all their illusions in
the military solution and practicing terrorism on the Pales-
tinian people.” Of course Saddam is also sending pay-
ments of $25,000 to the families of suicide bombers.

RESPONSE 17

global terrorism hits home

LAX JULY 4TH TERROR ATTACK SPURS
FEAR, ANGER AND CONTROVERSY

While Americans were on edge following an alert for a massive al- Avinoam Hen cries at the burial of his daughter Victoria Hen who
Qaeda terrorist attack on our shores, a lone gunman launched a was murdered in the terrorist attack at LAX. (AP/Wide World Photo)
terror attack at the check-in counter of Israel’s EL AL Airline at Los
Angeles International Airport, cutting down two innocent lives and
injuring seven. Only the heroic actions of an armed Israeli security
guard with the help of passengers waiting to check in, averted
greater carnage. The alert security guard shot and killed heavily
armed Egyptian national, Hesham Mohamed Hadayet. He had
previously expressed hatred for Israel and for Jews. However

18RE-authorities have yet to designate the crime as an act of terrorism.
ESPONSE18ven as the families of victims Victoria “This attack was an attack on America itself,
Hen and Ya’acov Aminov mourned an attack on a major federal facility frequented
the loss of their loved ones, the by all Americans on a weekend when there was
Wiesenthal Center condemned the failure of a national terrorist alert,” wrote Rabbi Hier. “It

police and the FBI to label the murderous was the kind of attack that strikes fear and panic

rampage an act of terrorism. “While a final in the heart of every traveler.”

judgment must await the results of the FBI

investigation, the identification of Hadayet as “Nothing To Suggest He Was A Bad

the attacker makes it look less like the actions Person”

of a disgruntled employee and more and more The Wiesenthal Center also took issue with

like an act of terror. Whether Hadayet acted the tone and content of media coverage after the

alone or in concert with others, terrorism is attack, particularly a Los Angeles Times article

terrorism, be it homegrown or imported from profiling the attacker, which quoted the

overseas. The results of a lone terrorist can be murderer’s wife, “There is nothing to suggest he

as devastating as the work of a group. In fact, was a bad person.” After conducting dozens of

if it were not for the decisive action of the El Al interviews, the Times wrote, “the emerging con-

security team, many more would have been sensus is that Hadayet was an ordinarily reli- Pictured, members of Ya’acov Aminov’s family grieve
during the memorial service in North Hollywood.
murdered,” said Rabbi Hier. gious man with little appetite for politics,” who
(AP/Wide World Photo)
“Tragically, the consequences of the attack opened fire on the El Al ticket counter “follow-
be deposited in the dustbins of history, while
affect all of us because we are all potential ing a personal agenda that died with him.” the Jewish people continue to sanctify life in
search of a more tolerant world.”
targets – whether at airport counters, shopping “There is zero perspective from the vic-
Meanwhile, Consul General of Israel, Yuval
centers, schools, churches or synagogues be- tims, from police or Jewish sources,” wrote Rotem, called upon Muslim leaders in the Los
Angeles area to condemn the attack “in the
cause the enemies we face are not soldiers with Rabbi Cooper in a protest to John Carroll, the strongest possible terms.” In response, Dr.
Maher Hathout, Senior advisor of the Muslim
a code of honor, but terrorists who are cow- publisher. “When touching on his motivation, Public Affairs Council, expressed their condo-
lences to the families, denounced the attack,
ards, who deliberately target and kill civilians the Times writes that he ‘occasionally men- adding that their organization believes in the
sanctity of life and would rely on the FBI to
without any feelings of remorse. We must tioned a hatred for Jews [but only from] a investigate the matter.

remain vigilant and increase security at our cultural perspective.’ What does ‘occasional’ A communiqué was sent to parishioners by
Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los
public institutions. And as this attack has taught hate mean? Are there cultural hate crimes or Angeles, urging them to stand in solidarity with
the Jewish community in face of threats made
us - be on guard, not only against al-Qaeda and cultural terrorist acts? Has the Times assigned against Jewish targets. “We should keep them in
our prayers asking God’s protection for each
those who battle America from afar, but from any of its crack reporting team to see if this one of them,” he wrote, adding, “We can bring
the eyes and ears of the large Roman Catholic
fanatics posing as our neighbors, living right guy has links to terrorist movements?” population to stand with and be alert against any
threats against our Jewish brothers and sisters.”
next door to us,” he concluded. Rabbi Marvin Hier delivered moving eulo-

gies in remembrance of the two victims.

“Terrorism Is Terrorism Whether “Ya’acov Aminov and Victoria Hen were

Homegrown Or Imported” members of a faith that reveres life, who were

In a strongly worded letter to Attorney-Gen- reared in the tradition of the Psalmist who said,

eral John Ashcroft, Rabbi Hier called on the ‘Who shall ascend the mountain of God and

Justice Department to label the attack a terrorist who may stand in his place? One who has clean

attack rather than a hate crime. He also urged hands and a pure heart.’… These terrorists are

Ashcroft to revamp the State Department’s defi- not the first enemies we have faced, but may

nition of terrorism, which is currently limited to our consolation be that like the other enemies

attacks linked to a terrorist group. who have appeared before them, they too will

18 RESPONSE

“I ask God to help our Al-Qaeda forces at-
Palestinian brothers by tacked the historic
bringing us to their aid and Ghriba synagogue in
hurling us against the Jews. Djerba, Tunisia.
We wish for nothing more Twenty innocent people
than to die for Palestine and were killed in the sui-
Jerusalem… We believe they cide truck bombing at-
[Americans] and the Jews are tack. A Jewish worship-
two faces of the same coin, per lights memorial
and we believe that fighting candles at the site. (AFP)
them is fighting the Jews.”

– Abdeladhim Muhajir,
senior al-Qaeda military officer

Pictured at the
Center’s Museum of
Tolerance are Rab-
bis Marvin Hier and
Abraham Cooper,
L.A. City Council
member Jack Weiss,
L.A. FBI Chief Ron
Iden, Deputy Chief
David Kalish, and
acting LAPD Chief
Martin Pomeroy.

Noted terrorism expert and award-winning author, Steve murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane – and finally shopping malls, stores and markets, but only
Emerson, spoke recently at the Center’s Museum of translated after the 1993 WTC bombing, re- a few are cited by the report. Some 86 terror
Tolerance. Emerson, who heads the Intelligence Project vealed blueprints for the kind of bomb used in attacks, in fact, on Israeli citizens were ex-
on militant Islamic activities, had warned in Congres- the attack, as well as photos of the Twin cluded from the report, perhaps because they
sional testimony in 1998 that “We now face distinct Towers. Also revealed were connections to a were not considered “significant.” These in-
possibilities of mass civilian murder the likes of which group called al-Qaeda. Investigators then clude the assassination of Israeli Tourism
have not been seen since World War II.” learned that several of the Trade Center bomb- Minister Rehavam Ze’evi, the massacre of 15
ers had visited Nosair in prison, and that on an Egged bus in Haifa; the murder of 10
Jewish Neighborhoods Original Nosair’s defense had been paid for by a Saudi Israelis in an attack on a Dan bus outside of
Target of WTC Terrorists; New Anti- millionaire named Osama bin Laden. Emmanuel last December; the murder of 10-
Jewish Al-Qaeda Threats Surface month-old Shalhevet Pass by a sniper in
State Department Misses the Mark Hebron; the murder of five and wounding of
As America scrambles to close gaps in its The Wiesenthal Center earlier condemned 100 Israelis blown up by a Palestinian terror-
anti-terrorist security, the FBI issued a warn- ist outside a shopping mall in Netanya – to
ing of specific threats made by al-Qaeda against the annual U.S. State Department report, “Pat- name just a few examples.
Jewish targets. Wiesenthal Center officials terns of Global Terrorism” for its failure to link
brought together FBI and local law enforce- the Palestinian leadership with terror attacks on The report’s chronology contains only nine
ment experts to brief 100 Jewish leaders to Israeli civilians. The report, released in May, incidents of Palestinian terrorism against Is-
discuss strategies to better protect synagogues describes Tanzim as “made up of small and rael in all of 2001. Israel’s Foreign Ministry,
and schools against possible fuel-tanker at- loosely organized cells of militants drawn from which lists victims murdered in terrorist at-
tacks (panel pictured above right). the street-level membership of Fatah, and gives tacks since the start of the Palestinian Intifada
short shrift to Palestinian terrorism in general, on its Web site, counts 95 terrorist attacks in
Against the backdrop of this development particularly to Palestinian Authority involve- 2001 that resulted in 191 fatalities. The State
and the shooting at LAX, came the bombshell ment in terrorism. This in spite of ample and Department total death toll is 56.
from CBS 60 Minutes. From Baghdad, re- concrete evidence that senior Palestinian offi-
porter Leslie Stahl interviewed Ahmed cials called for, incited and conducted terrorist Saudi support for Palestinian terrorism is
Rahman Yassin, one of 22 terrorists now on attacks (see also page 14). also downplayed and distorted. While Saudi
the U.S. “Most Wanted” list and implicated Interior Minister Prince Nayaf personally set
in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, The Center questioned why the report lists up a fund paying the families of dead terror-
who admitted that Jewish neighborhoods were a drive-by shooting that killed an American ists $5,333 each after September 11, the State
the initial targets of that attack. No one should citizen in the West Bank but not dozens of Department limits its characterization of Saudi
be surprised, for there were ample warning other similar attacks. There were scores of support for Hamas to funding from “private
signs early on. Indeed, documents found in bombings and shooting attacks on buses, in benefactors in Saudi Arabia.”
the apartment of El Sayid Nosair – deter-
mined to be “a lone assassin” in the 1990

RESPONSE 19

internet

INTERNET: A KEY COMPONENT OF TERRORIST AND RACIST STRATEGIES

A NEW, COMPREHENSIVE INTERACTIVE B ased on 3,300 problematic websites com-
WIESENTHAL CENTER REPORT CONFIRMS piled by its research department, Digital
THAT THE WORLDWIDE WEB IS BEING HAR- Hate 2002 is a CD-ROM which presents over
200 of these sites as a snapshot of the subculture of
online hate and terrorism. The study also features

NESSED AND DEPLOYED BY AL-QAEDA AND animated hate games, online enrollment for suicide

OTHER TERRORIST GROUPS TO COORDI- bombers, neo-Nazi online identity theft and other
NATE ACTIVITIES, RECRUIT SUICIDE BOMB- examples of transnational hate. For the first time, the
Center’s report features web sites that enlist online

ERS, AND SEEK FINANCIAL AND MORAL potential suicide bombers, and fatwas validating sui-
SUPPORT. AT THE SAME TIME, DIGITAL cide bombers – including women. “There is also a
special section devoted to the manipulation of the

20RE-HATE 2002 CONFIRMS THAT THE INTERNET Internet after 9/11 to promote the ‘big lie’ that the U.S.
or Israel were actually behind the horrific mass murders,” said Rabbi Cooper, who added
CONTINUES TO BE THE WEAPON OF NEO- that the Internet has become “an incubator for terrorism and hate.” The global nature of the
NAZIS, RACISTS AND ANTISEMITES TO Internet has also led to the creation of unheard-of alliances, including anti-immigrant white

SPONSE20MARKET HATE WORLDWIDE.
supremacists and Islamic extremists bonded by their fierce hatred for the Jewish people and
the American government.

U tilizing Internet experts on four conti- Almuhajiroun.com, an English- Canada – Detective Terry Wilson of London Police Services
nents, the Wiesenthal Center scruti- language website linked to al- (London, Ontario) was recognized by Friends of the Simon
nizes over 25,000 web sites monthly. Qaeda, urges sympathizers to Wiesenthal Center for his fight against Internet hate crimes.
The Center has identified 3,300 sites as “prob- assassinate Pakistani President London police took the lead role in investigating white
lematic” – up from 2,600 a year ago. Center Pervez Mucharraf. It also calls supremacists operating on the web, with a particular focus
officials have presented Digital Hate 2002 to U.S. troops in Pakistan and on the Canadian Ethnic Cleansing Team, a group accused
the new French Minister of Interior and Secu- Afghanistan “soldiers of Satan.” of inciting racially motivated hate crimes. Pictured, left to
rity; to authorities at Scotland Yard; at the right, Rabbi Cooper, Abbee Corb, Detective Terry Wilson,
OSCE’s anti-terrorism meeting in Berlin, at Terrorist Messages on the Web Police Chief Brian Collins, and Leo Adler.
the United Nations in Geneva, to the Royal Qassam.net, the site of Martyr Izz el-Deen
Canadian Mounted Police in Toronto and to It is easy for terrorists to set up a website. In
West Coast law enforcement agencies at the el-Qassam Phalanxes, the military wing of the case of alneda.com, al-Qaeda members
Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Hamas, actively solicits donations to pay for used a made-up name, “The Center for Islamic
weapons to “assist the cause of Jihad and Studies and Research,” a bogus street address
The findings on the report have already im- resistance until the occupation is eliminated in Venezuela and a free Hotmail e-mail ac-
pacted on events. In Canada, a leading skinhead and every span of the Muslim Palestine is count to contact a web hosting company in
racist, deeply involved in promoting hate online liberated.” Malaysia. The group then wired $87 to a Ma-
was forced by a sentencing judge (for other hate- laysian bank to pay for the cost of the web site
related activity) to pull the plug on ten hate sites The Voice of Palestine has a new website that for a year.
featured in Digital Hate 2002. In July, the instructs young Palestinians in the production
Wiesenthal Center’s report provided important of explosives out of materials which can be Azzam.com, a site believed linked with al-
insights into the European digital culture of hate easily obtained in regular shops and pharma- Qaeda, is urging Muslims to travel to Pakistan
that a French neo-Nazi was involved with prior to cies, and the “art” of planting roadside bombs and Afghanistan to fight “the Jewish-backed
his unsuccessful assassination attempt on French and booby traps as well as virtual training in American crusaders.”
President Jacques Chirac. different types of weapons. A new chat room is
also planned to allow participants to exchange alneda.com, the al-Qaeda web
Digital Hate 2002 is available to law enforce- views on their operational experience. site, warned the U.S. to “fasten
ment, media, educators and community activists. its seat belt” and prepare for
Please visit www.wiesenthal.com for details. Of the nearly two dozen hate more terrorist attacks.
games in Digital Hate 2002,
“The Jews can and do none is more disturbing than
control the American “Kaboom!” in which the
media from the ‘player’ is a suicide bomber
Washington Post to CNN, who ‘wins’ by detonating his
but they can’t control the explosives on a crowded street
flow of the Internet.” to maximize death and may-
hem. Other ‘games’ target
– Palestinian Information Center, black refugees in Sweden,
PIC Homepage, 10/25/01. Turks in Germany, African
Americans and Jews.

20 RESPONSE

world news round-up W iesenthal Center
AUSTRIA officials met in
Vienna with
Austrian President Klestil
where they addressed a num-
ber of issues, including the
crisis in the Middle East,
antisemitism worldwide,
and hate on the Internet. Of
particular interest was a dis-
cussion of European-U.S.
relations after 9/11.

SUDAN JAPAN

I n the Sudan, women and the children are T he Wiesenthal Center’s acclaimed Pictured clockwise from top left: The open-
the spoils of “Holy War.” Arab militias traveling exhibit, “Friedl and the Chil- ing ceremonies at Saitama Hall; at the Tokyo
armed by the Sudanese government raid dren of Terezin,” has been on tour in Fuji Art Museum, Daisaku Ikeda, founder of
black African villages and abduct civilians as Asia, attracting unprecedented numbers of the museum and President of Soka Gakkai
chattel slaves. Inter-ethnic conflict and civil war visitors. The exhibit features some 250 items International, his wife, Kaneko Ikeda and
have plagued the Sudan. A growing radical from the life of this remarkable woman, in- Misunari Noguchi, Director of the Museum;
Islamic movement pressured the government to cluding her own artwork, and 250 inspira- visitors to the exhibit in Okayama.
impose Islamic law on all of Sudan. Slave raids tional drawings and paintings by the children
are now used by the government to terrorize of Terezin. Exhibition venues include the
civilian populations. The Wiesenthal Center Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, the Okayama Pre-
hosted a special program in its Museum of fectural Museum of Art, Saitama Hall, the
Tolerance focusing on “Human Rights and Sla- Musem of Art, Ehime, Miyazaki Prefectural
very in the Sudan,” with guest speakers Frances Art Museum, Sendai Mediatheque, and the
Bak and Dr. Charles Jacob. Frances Bak (pic- Museum of Contemporary Art in Sapporo.
tured above left) was born in the Southern Sudan. As we go to press, some 250,000 people have
The Arab militia raided his village when he was visited the exhibit in its first three venues.
ten years old. His grandfather was killed in the
raid and he was kidnapped and enslaved for ten
years before his escape. Dr. Charles Jacobs flew
into the Sudan last Passover to redeem 2,953
women and children from bondage. He has
testified before Congress and received the Bos-
ton Freedom Award from Coretta Scott King.

HUNGARY

At the UNESCO World Heritage Committe CZECH REPUBLIC
meeting in Budapest, the Center’s Di-
rector for International Liaison, Dr. M eanwhile, First Lady
Shimon Samuels, met with the Nigerian delegation. Laura Bush joined
representatives of
many nations at a special memo-
rial in Terezin. She is pictured
with U.S. Ambassador to the
Czech Republic Craig Stapleton.

(AP/Wide World Photo)

RESPONSE 21

world news round-up

THE BALTICS LOS ANGELES French Bank Restitution
Deadline Extended
The Simon Wiesenthal Center has launched
“Operation: Last Chance,” a joint project of the T he Wiesenthal Cen-
Center and the Targum Shlishi Foundation of Mi- ter is encouraging
ami, Florida designed to maximize the collection of evi- people who had fam-
ily or friends in French terri-
dence which will facilitate the prosecution of Nazi war tories between 1940-1944 to
apply for restitution through
criminals worldwide. The program features $10,000 re- the Wiesenthal Center’s Eu-
ropean office based in Paris.
wards for information leading to the conviction and punish- On the basis of presumption
there is an entitlement token
ment of Holocaust perpetrators. “Operation: Last Chance” payment of $3,000. Docu-
ments are not needed. For
was officially launched at a press conference in Tallinn, more information, contact the
Center’s Paris office at
Estonia, by the Center’s Israel Director Dr. Efraim Zuroff, 011/331/4723-7637, or by
mail at 64, avenue
who is in charge of the program; Mr. Aryeh Rubin, the R ev. Keith Roderick, Secretary Gen- Marceau, 75008 Paris, email:
founder and president of Targum Shlishi, who conceived of eral of the coalition for the Defense of [email protected]
the idea; and Cilja Laud, Chairman of the Estonian Jewish Human Rights, spoke at the Wiesenthal
community, which is cooperating in assessing the incoming Center’s Museum of Tolerance about the plight Center Urges Poland to
of Christian communities in Muslim countries. Cancel Auschwitz Mall
22RE-information. The program was launched in the Baltics –
T he governor of the
Lithuania, Latvia and Auschwitz region re-
cently granted a license
Estonia – countries to the Maja supermarket chain for
which had among the commercial operations on the site
of Auschwitz. The Wiesenthal Cen-
SPONSE22highest rates of local ter urged Polish President
collaboration with Alexander Kwasniewski to “see
that this license is promptly with-
the Nazis and among drawn, as finally happened in last
year’s discotheque scandal, and
the highest murder that the sanctity of Auschwitz-
Birkenau be respected once and
rates of the local Jew- for all.”

ish population during

WWII. Still, not a

single resident of the Efraim Zuroff and Ariyeh Rubin with L os Angeles Mayor James Hahn and
Baltics has served Juri Pihl, Director-General of the Esto- Wiesenthal Center Dean Rabbi
one minute in jail for Marvin Hier led the community-wide
Holocaust related Yom Hashoah memorial at the Wiesenthal

crimes since these nian Security Police Board in Tallinn. Center. The program focused on suicide bomb-

post-Communist na- ers and antisemitism in the world now, and at

tions regained independence in 1991. the time of the Holocaust. Among those honored

In a shocking development, Estonian security police was Nicholas Winton, who saved hundreds of

rejected out of hand the Center’s request to investigate Czechoslovakian children from certain death at the

Holocaust crimes of the 36th Estonian police battalion – hands of the Nazis. Winton, 92, lives in London,

this despite information gathered by Estonian historians. and his daughter traveled to Los Angeles to accept

The U.S. Embassy has also protested... the honor on behalf of her father.

MEXICO T he Center’s Museum of Tolerance
hosted Law Professor David Har-
T he Wiesenthal Center was the only Jewish Non- ris who spoke on “Why Racial Pro-
Governmental Organization in attendance at the filing Cannot Work.” At the special pro-
recent Durban Implementation Meeting in Mexico gram of the MOT’s Tools for Tolerance for
City. Center officials also met with Mexico’s Deputy Law Enforcement, the professor presented
Foreign Minister Miguel Marin Busch (right) and briefed the findings of his new book, comparing all
Jewish community leaders. available data on racial profiling with rel-
evant crime statistics, revealing that the
data collected by law enforcement agen-
cies themselves on racial profiling makes
the case against the practice. Professor
Harris has been called “America’s leading
authority on racial profiling” and wrote the
first and most influential scholarly articles
on traffic stops of minority motorists and
stops and frisks which became the basis for
the first legislative proposal in the country
to confront the problem.

22 RESPONSE

swc reports MEMBERSHIP

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for Holocaust Studies presented its first fight antisemitism and bigotry around the world. We are
Wiesenthal Award for Tolerance, Justice deeply grateful for the support of our members.
and Humanity to Judy Feld-Carr (far left)
for her role in saving Syrian Jewry. Future ❏ Assoc. Member/Student $ 15
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The Center’s Director for International ❏ Participating Member $ 100
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OCTOBER 30, 2002 Universal, at its National Tribute Din- response
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At podium, Martin Rosen, Esq., Sr. NOVEMBER 18, 2002 to cultural diversity, social responsibil- ❏ Becoming a Museum of Tolerance docent
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left, Steven D. Oppenheim, Esq., Part- Marriott Marquis
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Jay Bushinsky, Middle East Bureau Chief for Inifinity Broadcasting For more information, For breaking news and To shop online for
and Fox TV’s “Good Day New York” spoke at community meetings in contact Robert L. Novak, updates from the Snider
Florida sponsored by the Wiesenthal Center. Mr. Bushinsky, an expert National Director for Development at books, videos, Judaica,
on Middle East affairs, is pictured, left, with Herbert and Madeline ❚Social Action Institute
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or Sandra J. Baranes at 561.367.0722 For information on To learn how you can
support the work of the
events in your city and
❚Wiesenthal Center
❚around the world RESPONSE 23

MUSEUM OF
TOLERANCE
√ On the occasion of Interna-
tional Women’s Day, the Mu-

seum presented “Freedom

The MOT receives √ “Peaceful Warriors” from Torture: Every Woman’s
one thousand is a special exhibit spon- Human Right.” Co-sponsored
visitors every day.
Their experiences sored by the city of by Amnesty International, the
are life-changing:
Beverly Hills and the speakers included Sumaya
“The students’ eyes
have been opened Center for the Advance- Karimi, (pictured left) who
and they can no
longer look upon ment of Nonviolence. On trained Afghan women to lobby
these issues with
ignorance.” loan to the MOT from for human and women’s rights
– Michael Solis
West Middle School the James Otis Private in Islam, and to address issues of violence against women and

“When I walked into Collection, the exhibit gender policy. Tseten Phanucharas, co-founder of Los Ange-

presents the lives and les Friends of Tibet, also participated in the program.

convictions of nonvio-

lent heroes from the

beginning of recorded

history to the present,

inspiring a new vision of

hope for the future of

humanity. The exhibit

featured works of art and archival materials of many,

including Cesar Chavez, Lech Walesa, the Dalai Lama,

Aung San Suu Kyi, and original letters from Mahatma

Ghandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pictured is Dr. π ¤ Cong. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) π ¤Julie Chavez Rodriguez, granddaugh-
King’s daughter, Yolanda King. with MOT Director Liebe Geft. ter of the late Cesar Chavez, with Dr. Tony

Fadale and MOT Assistant

Director, Elana Samuels.

They are pictured on the

occasion of a special pro-

gram teaching youth about

community involvement.

the halls of the

Museum of Toler- π Ventura County H.S. Students are pictured in the MOT’s Memorial Plaza. √ Because of its popular-
ance, I asked myself, ity, the MOT extended its
why do people buy “Every Picture Tells a Story”
into the belief that all exhibit. Providing enrich-
people of a different ment for a younger audi-
ence and learning about
tolerance through litera-
ture, the program has become an acclaimed after school activity.

group are unworthy, ❿ Left to right, ❿¤“Uncommon Friend-
bad, wrong or supe- Wiesenthal Center ship” was a unique
rior? By the end of Executive Director, program presented by
the tour I had my Rabbi Meyer May; the MOT Library. In
answer. It was Dean and 1944, while 13-year
simple. They have a Founder, Rabbi old Fritz was anxious
lot of fear and they Marvin Hier; Sena- to join the Hitler youth
don’t know how to tor Wyden (D-OR), in his German village,
handle it so they turn and community 12-year old Bernie
to negativity, vio- activist Jana Kohl. was loaded on a train
lence or say degrad- bound for Auschwitz
ing comments. I √ Holocaust survivor Robert Clary, where his entire family would be murdered. Bridging the gulf
choose not to be presented his autobiography in a that separated Fredrich Tubach and Bernat Rosner in their
hateful or pass special program co-sponsored by youth to become friends as adults is their unique and moving
degrading comments the SWC Library. Clary, best known story.
about another group for his portrayal of Corporal Louis
Lube on the TV series, “Hogan’s
Heroes,” spent two years in a con-
centration camp. He went on to
pursue a successful career as an
actor, singer and artist. For nearly
two decades,Robert spoke to hun-
dreds of thousands of young people
for the Wiesenthal Center’s Out-
reach program

because I know that “What a tragedy when human values are
is not right.” lost and what a blessing when human values

– Jennifer Shively are revived. Such exhibitions should be π CalFed Banking presented the Museum of Tolerance with a $10,000
La Cumbre Middle School established more and more in the world.” donation for youth education. Pictured, left to right, are Rabbi Meyer
May, SWC Exec. Dir., Sami Zodo, Liebe Geft MOT Dir. , Elana Samuels
- S.N. Goenka, Buddhist leader after
his visit to the MOT Assist. Dir. MOT, Rashi Kallio, Senior Community Relations Officer and
Nathalie Guttman, MOT Dir., Corporate and Foundation Giving.