Synagogues Bombed in Turkey

Anti-Semitism Worldwide in 2003

Nearly 60% of European citizens believe that Israel is the greatest threat to world peace, an even greater threat than Iran, North Korea and Afghanistan, according to a European Commission poll published in October 2003.

According to Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Wiesenthal Center, "These shocking results defy logic and [are] a racist flight of fancy that only shows that anti-Semitism is deeply embedded within European society."

In October 2003, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, in his speech at the opening of the two-day Organization of Islamic States summit, called on the 57 Islamic nations in attendance to unite against Jews.

"The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews are in control of the world via their proxies. They lead others to fight and die for them."

"They succeeded in gaining control in most of the (world's) powerful states, and they – a tiny community – became a world power. But 1.3 billion Muslims must not be defeated by a few million Jews. A way must be found."

Likewise, the Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis (78), best known for scoring the music for the film Zorba the Greek, said that Jews are the "root of all evil" at a press conference last week launching his new book.

Theodorakis was quoted as saying:

"Today it is possible to say that this small nation is the root of evil. It is full of self-importance and evil stubbornness." In addition, Theodorakis said the reason Greek people "are very calm and did not turn aggressive like them (the Jews) is because we have more history. They (the Jews) only have Abraham and Jacob, who were shadows, while we have Pericles."

As he made his comments, Theodorakis was flanked by Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Education Minister Petros Efthymiou, neither of whom interrupted him or reacted to his comments.

The Anti-Defamation League has published online this list of selected anti-Semitic incidents around the world in 2003.

The Bombings of Synagogues in Turkey

When visiting the site of the synagogue bombings in Turkey, Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said: "I think that the operation here shows both Turkey and other countries in the world that there no place is immune to terrorism. This is not a localized problem for Israel; terror hits New York, Baghdad, Bali, Mombassa, Casablanca and any place where they think that there is perhaps a country with more developed values, values closer to democracy, close to the West."

In the world today, anti-Semitism is rising and terrorism is spreading. We should not be surprised by the synagogue bombings in Turkey, and we should expect more attacks on Jews in the future.

Sources:
Anti-Defamation League
Wiesenthal Center


~ Lisa Katz

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