The simultaneousevents underscorethe promise and

peril of our times. Fifteen-hundred political, diplo-matic, religious and com-munal leaders joined a dis-

tinguished Wiesenthal Center delegation,led by Center Founder and Dean RabbiMarvin Hier, at an emotional groundbreak-ing for the Center For Human DignityMuseum of Tolerance Jerusalem. CaliforniaGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger deliv-ered his keynote address, and was followedby Israel’s President Moshe Katsav whosepraise for the historic project was followedby his immediate departure to the funeralsof a pregnant Israeli mother and her fouryoung daughters – murdered execution-style by Palestinian terrorists just an hourbefore in the family car (see p. 10). Thefuture Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem willplay an important role to bolster the valuesof respect for humanity, forge new alliancesfor international dialogue and Jewish out-reach, and combat antisemitism and terror-ism’s culture of death.

In response to the expanding scourge ofIslamist terrorism and antisemitic hatecrimes, the Wiesenthal Center met withForeign Ministers in Ankara, Madrid,Ottawa, Brussels and Buenos Aires, to urgeall suicide bombings be designated as crimesagainst humanity, and enable victims to holdaccountable those who incite such terror.Center officials also urged the UN and EU tofight antisemitism, not abet its rise.

The Center’s Digital Terrorism and Hate2004 report was presented at major interna-tional forums in Berlin, Paris, on CapitolHill and in the Canadian Parliament. We arestriving to forge an international consortiumof governments and the private sector tocombat the use of the Internet by terroristsand hate groups (see p. 9).

Finally, I am proud to report that I personal-ly delivered your good wishes to SimonWiesenthal, who at 95 years old, justreceived a Knighthood from the Britishgovernment at his modest home in Vienna. G-d Bless you Simon!

Rabbi Abraham CooperEditor-in- Chief

2 RESPONSE

FROM THE EDITOR F lanked by Rabbi Hier, JerusalemMayor Lupolianski, SWC BoardChairman Larry Mizel and Architect

Frank O. Gehry (cover photo), GovernorSchwarzenegger brought thunderous applauseas he helped launch the $200 million Center forHuman Dignity-Museum of Tolerance (MOTJ)in the heart of Jerusalem with the Hebrewwords: “Am Yisrael Chai,” adding his signaturepromise, “I’ll be back,” for the new Center’sopening scheduled for 2007.

In addition to the public ceremony atIndependence Park, which he keynoted,Governor Schwarzenegger also spoke at a pri-vate dinner in the King David Hotel. Amongthose gathered to salute the new MOTJ wereRabbi Marvin Hier; President Moshe Katsav,Vice Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, JerusalemMayor Uri Lupolianski, Foreign Affairs

Minister Silvan Shalom, Finance MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu, former PrimeMinister Shimon Peres, Internal SecurityMinister Tzahi Hanegbi, Jerusalem AffairsMinister Natan Sharansky, US Ambassador

CENTER FOR HUMANDIGNITY - MUSEUM OFTOLERANCE BREAKSGROUND IN JERUSALEMAccompanied by a 50-mem-ber strong Wiesenthal Centerdelegation, Israel’s presidentand top members of its gov-ernment, speaking before thedozens of international mediaand 1,500 Jerusalemites,American students studyingabroad and some of the HolyCity’s Christian clergy,California Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger helpedlaunch an inspiring, forwardthinking, and visionary proj-ect. The Austrian-bornAmerican cultural icon andpolitical phenomenon toldthe crowd that his visit toIsrael at this time was part ofhis duty “to promote peace,inclusion and tolerancearound the world.”

“Am Yisrael Chai! (The peopleof Israel live!) And remember –I’ll be back!”– GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Rabbi Marvin Hier made a special presenta-tion to Governor Schwarzenegger.

Daniel Kurtzer and Frank O. Gehry.“The Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem is a

project about today’s world as well that oftomorrow. It is a project directed at Israel’sfuture, not her past,” said Rabbi Hier. “It isabout imparting the lessons of mutual respectand social responsibility and the need for unityand solidarity among Jews themselves, as wellas between Jews and their non-Jewish neigh-bors. It reminds us that the cost of apathy is toohigh in a world where terrorism, antisemitismand bigotry are again the dominant themes ofour time,” he added.

The Center’s delegation included (alphabeti-cal order), Walter Abib, Toronto; SWC Trusteeand Honorary Chairman of MOTJ CommitteeMerv Adelson, LA; Barry Akrongold,N.Y.;SWC Trustee Roland and Dawn Arnall, LA;SWC Trustee Marc Belzberg, Jerusalem;

Michael Bennett, Denver; Elliot Broidy, LA;Herb Buchwald, Denver; Susan Burden, SWCCFO; Alan I. Casden, SWC Co-Chairman, LA;Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean, SWC;Richard Creitzman, UK; Barbara Crook,Ottawa; SWC Trustee Gordon and LeslieDiamond, Vancouver, B.C.; Lawrence Field,LA; SWC Trustee Michael Fuchs, NY; MOTDirector Liebe Geft; Frank O. Gehry, LA; TonyGelbart, Boca Raton; Jim Glymph, LA; Stevenand Courtney Green, LA; David and JudithHager, LA; Uri Harkham, LA; Avi and AnneHier, SWC Israel; SWC Dean and Founder,Rabbi Marvin Hier and Marlene Hier; Murray,Laura, and Jessica Huberfeld of NY; SWCTrustee Stuart and Simone Isen, LA; HumphryKoch,Vancouver, B.C.; Paulinka Kreisberg(Simon Wiesenthal’s only daughter), her hus-

RESPONSE 3

“MOTJ is not onlya building. It is aneternal messageof understanding,togetherness andunity.”

- FORMER PRIMEMINISTER SHIMONPERES

“I express all our sadness today atthe murder of a mother and herthree children by terrorists, in thename of religion, of Allah. Not oneprominent Moslem cleric has risento condemn this murder. Yet we con-tinue to believe in tolerance as rep-resented by MOT Jerusalem, forwhat this institution stands for andwill become in Israel.”

– PRESIDENT MOSHE KATSAV

If you are interested in making a major gift to this historicundertaking, contact Rabbi Meyer May at 310.772.2424 orJanice Prager at 310.772.2426.

“MOT is an extraordinaryand timely development.The major struggle of ourgeneration is between tol-erance and intolerance. Ifany people know the dan-gers to civilization ofuncompromising evil, it is the Jewish peo-ple. We must not only crush evil but bol-ster good, and MOT does precisely this.”

- FINANCE MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU

“SWC is a symbol thathatred against Jews andall peoples cannot be per-mitted. We must combatthe culture of hate andbuild the infrastructure oftolerance. The MOT’sinteractive approach is especially wellsuited to teach this message to the nextgeneration.”

- FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM

band, children and grandchildren;Clifford May,Washington, D.C.; Rabbi Meyer H. May,Executive Director, SWC; Kevin McKinneyRussia; Brett Messing, LA; Cheston Mizel, LA;SWC Chairman Larry A. and Carol Mizel,

Denver; Robert L. Novak, SWC NationalDirector of Development; Janice Prager, SWCMajor Gifts Director; SWC Director ofInternational Liaison, Dr. Shimon Samuels;Michael Sheldon, Denver; Jaime and MarilynSohacheski, LA; SWC Trustee Sol and RuthTeichman, LA; Jonathan Vinnik, Denver;Sandra Waldman and Mark Waldman,Toronto; Adam Winnick, LA; Rosalie Zalis,SWC Trustee, LA; SWC Israel Director, Dr.Efraim Zuroff.

The MOTJ will focus on issues of human dig-nity and responsibility, seeking to promote unityand respect among Jews and between people ofall faiths. It will rise adjacent to Jerusalem’sIndependence Park and is expected to spur sig-nificant new tourism and economic develop-ment in downtown Jerusalem.

The 3-acre campus encompassing 400,000sq. ft. of space and 232,500 sq. ft. of buildingswill include: the Museum of Tolerance, aChildren’s Museum, theater complex, interna-tional conference center, library, gallery for spe-cial exhibitions, lecture halls and gardens.

“These are difficult times for Jews and theState of Israel,” said Rabbi Hier. “These are pre-cisely the times when we should proclaim to theworld that Israel’s better days lie ahead. This isour message in building the Center for HumanDignity-MOTJ now.”

“The Governor’s visit will inspire many

At the groundbreak-ing ceremony, l. to r.,Carol Mizel, LarryMizel, Roland andDawn Arnall, RabbiMarvin Hier, VicePrime Minister EhudOlmert, GovernorSchwarzenegger,President MosheKatsav, ForeignMinister SilvanShalom.

Vice Prime Minister Olmert, Governor Schwarzeneggerand President Katsav

tourists to visit Israel and Jerusalem,” said MayorLupolianski. “MOTJ will become an internation-al center symbolizing tolerance between peopleof all faiths from around the world, a most fittingmessage to emanate from Jerusalem.”

Frank O. Gehry

Greece: Greatest Producer ofAntisemitism in Europe Today

“Antisemitic and racist invective in Greecehas become a scourge that has reached epidem-ic proportions, making that country the greatestnet producer of antisemitism today in Europe,”said Rabbi Cooper and Dr. Samuels in present-ing the Center’s report in Berlin. Compiledwith the cooperation of the Greek Helsinki

Monitor, examples cited in the report include: The mainstream daily newspaper,

Eleftherotypia’s television critic, MariaPetroutsous, described noisy gatherings as“havra Ioudaion” (“a cabal of Jews”).

Eleftherotypia’s review of a new edition ofthe notorious antisemitic forgery, The Protocolsof the Elders of Zion (pictured) – now on dis-play in Athens bookshops – presented the bookas “historically accurate.”

The socialist daily Avriani, in a front-pagearticle, commiserated with PASOK party leaderGeorge Papandreou, blaming his defeat by hispredecessor, Kostas Simitis as “the Jew who

France Continues StruggleWith Hate CrimesAs Response goes to press, sen-ior officials of the Wiesenthal

Center met with the new French Minister of

4 RESPONSE

T his is just the latest in the unrelentingand unanswered mainstream anti-semitism in Greece that prompted the

Wiesenthal Center to issue a comprehensivereport, Twenty-Five Months of AntisemiticInvective in Greece – Timeline: March 2002-April 2004, to the OSCE Special Conference onAntisemitism in Berlin in May (see p. 5).

The Center extended its travel advisory toGreece through this sum-mer’s Olympics to beheld in Athens. In a letterto International OlympicCommittee PresidentJacques Rogge, theCenter explained that,“We have made repeatedattempts to convinceGreek authorities to takeaction. Promises made inmeetings with officials inAthens, New York and as recently as during ourdiscussion with the Delegation Chief at theOSCE Berlin Conference on Antisemitism,have led nowhere.”

“Greece has done nothing to pursue thoseguilty of hate crimes, to condemn Nazi-styleslurs in the media, nor even to express its con-cern at this situation to the Greek people,” addedthe Center’s Director for International Liaison,Dr. Shimon Samuels. “In December 2003, weissued a Travel Advisory suggesting that thosevisiting use extreme caution until authoritiestake appropriate measures; under the currentcircumstances, our Travel Advisory remains inplace.” The Center urged the IOC “to press theGreek government – under its obligations to theEuropean Union and Organization for Securityand Cooperation in Europe – to take prompt andvigorous steps beginning with condemnationand active prosecution of the hatemongers.”

EUROPE

ANTISEMITIC GREEK PARTY GAINSEUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SEATSSWC TO IOC: TRAVEL ADVISORY EXTENDED THROUGH OLYMPICS

managed to destroy PASOK.” The official Greek government Olympic

website delegitimized the Jewish State byremoving Jerusalem as its capital (while pre-senting Palestine as a participating state withits national flag). In addition, the officialOlympic Games musical score has now beendedicated to Mikis Theodorakis, notorious forhis recent definition of Jews as “the root of allevil.” To read the report, go to www.wiesen-thal.com

AS RESPONSE GOES TO PRESS COMES WORD THAT LAOS(PATRIOTIC ORTHODOX HERALD PARTY), AN EXTREMISTNATIONALIST PARTY IN GREECE WHOSE WORLD VIEW ISDOMINATED BY VISIONS OF JEWISH CONSPIRACIES ANDCHARGES THAT JEWS WERE BEHIND 9/11, GAINED

FOUR SEATS IN THE NEW EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS.

Eleftheroptypia published three outrageous car-toons depicting Israel’s Prime Minister Sharonand US President George Bush dressed as Naziofficers with swastikas on their uniforms andboth shooting pistols. Sharon is portrayed withan elongated neck in a Der Stuermer-like caricu-ture, while President Bush looks like a monkey.

Rabbi Cooper, Dr. Samuels and Richard Odier, Chairman of the SWCFrance (right) met with the new French Minister of Interior,Dominique de Villepin (second from left).

Belgium The Center condemned the stab-bing of a Jewish student by agang of 15 young Arabs outside

of a Yeshiva in a suburb of Antwerp. “This latestdaytime attack was almost inevitable, consider-ing that Belgian authorities have done virtuallynothing to counter the rise of antisemitism intheir country,” charged Rabbi Cooper. “TheJewish community is increasingly vulnerableagainst the unending virulent anti-Israel propa-ganda and over-the-top media bias against theJewish state and her supporters. Authorities havefailed to take the necessary steps to insure thesafety and security of Jewish institutions. In fact,the Jewish school that the young victim attends

has been targeted before. We reiterate our traveladvisory to Belgium and urge anyone travelingthere to exercise extreme caution.” The Center’sadvisory was first issued in 2002 for Belgiumand France, but since French authorities havetaken a series of measures to bolster security forthe Jewish community and its institutions, theadvisory for France was lifted last spring.

Legitimizing AntisemiticTerrorists In BeirutLast April, as Germany’sForeign Minister Joshka

Fischer stood with Holocaust survivor ElieWiesel in Brussels to condemn antisemitism inEurope, the prestigious Friedrich Ebert StiftungFoundation, flagship of Germany’s rulingSocial Democratic Party, funded a three-dayconference in Beirut titled, “BeirutInternational Conference on the Islamic Worldand Europe: From Dialogue TowardsUnderstanding,” with speakers from such ter-rorist organizations as Hezbollah and Hamas.

Conference participants included ShaykhNaeem Qasim from Hezbollah; Azzam Tamimi,from the Institute of Islamic Thought in London,

RESPONSE 5

A member of the Jewish community inspects damage at theJewish cemetery in Herrlisheim, in eastern France. (AP/Wide World)

Helsinki Commission Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Ranking MemberRep. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), U.S. delegation head, former New York MayorEd Koch and Commissioner Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL) joined U.S. Secretary of

State Colin L. Powell and other foreign ministers in a conference focusing on antisemitism,hosted by the 55-member Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Dr.Samuels met with senior Greek diplomats to discuss concerns over ongoing antisemitism inthat country, and Rabbi Cooper presented the Center’s newest report, Digital Terrorism andHate 2004 (see also p. 9).

More than 1,000 participants focused on the roles of governments, civil society, educationand the media in combating antisemitism and in promoting tolerance. The conference resultedin a declaration which Chairman Smith called, “an unambiguous, sweeping denunciation ofantisemitism [which] commits each nation to seriously monitor and combat hate crimes, pro-mote Holocaust remembrance and education, and work more effectively with NGOs to endantisemitism.”

CENTER’S EXPERTISE TAPPED AT HISTORIC OSCE CONFERENCE ON ANTISEMITISM

Helsinki Commissioner Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), former New YorkMayor Ed Koch with Dr. Shimon Samuels and Rabbi Abraham Cooperin Berlin.

Rabbi Cooper(left) presentedthe French-language ver-sion of theCenter’s CD-Rom report atan OSCE con-ference in Parison racism andantisemitismon the Internet.

“…The line is crossedwhen Israel or its lead-ers are demonized orvilified... by the use ofNazi symbols and racistcaricatures.”

– U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE COLIN POWELL.

Interior Dominique de Villepin to discuss thelatest spate of violent attacks against FrenchJews. As world leaders traveled toNormandy for the 60th anniversary of D-Day, a Jewish student was stabbed in theParis suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine by a youngMuslim man screaming, “God is Great” inArabic. “This attack, apparently by a Muslimextremist, is reminiscent of the Nazi periodwhen Jews could not walk safely in thestreet,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier. “We call onFrench authorities to leave no stone unturnedin bringing the perpetrators to justice.”

Meanwhile, swastikas and Nazi graffitiwere sprayed at the memorial for Jewishfighters at the World War I battleground ofVerdun, and a memorial mural for 400

Jewish children who were deported from theRivesaltes transit camp to Auschwitz wherethey perished, was destroyed. In easternFrance, 127 headstones of the Jewish ceme-tery in Herrlisheim were desecrated anddaubed with Nazi signs, and in the north, asynagogue in Valenciennes was vandalized.

Antisemitic violence accounted for 72 per-cent of the hate crimes and threats registered inFrance last year, or 588 out of 817. In 2002,932 of the 1,313 acts of racist violence wereanti-Jewish.

All this led some 25,000 people to join ademonstration through central Paris to condemn

the attacks. The rally was co-sponsored by theWiesenthal Center, Paris. Missing however,were prominent national non-Jewish political,religious and labor union leaders who hadattended similar events in the past.

Those Who Desecrate The Dead…As we go to press, the Wiesenthal Center

condemned the massive desecration of aMuslim cemetery in Strasbourg “in thestrongest possible terms.” In a statementreleased in Paris, Rabbi Cooper and Dr.Samuels stressed the point that “those who can-not respect the dead will never learn how to livein peace and respect the living. We hope theperpetrators of this hate crime will swiftly bebrought to justice.”

Far left,swastikas andantisemiticslogans werescrawled onthe Jewishpart of thewar memorialnear Verdun.Left, rallyagainst anti-semitism inParis.

(AP/

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Echoes From The Past As Ex-NaziJustice Retains Honorific RoleOver the objections of the Wiesenthal Center,Nazi-era judge Hans Filbinger, who sentencedmilitary deserters to death in the closing daysof WWII, served as one of 1,205 delegates in

electing Germany’s new presi-dent in May. He had also head-ed the Weikersheim StudyCenter, an organization thatregularly provided platforms toHolocaust deniers.

HungaryA possible plot to blow up anew Holocaust museum inBudapest was foiled when

detectives arrested three men, a Palestinian andtwo Syrians. According to local news reports,the leader was a 42-year-old Hungarian citizenof Palestinian origin who worked as a dentist inthe city and was the spiritual leader of a smallmosque in Budapest.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, HungarianForeign Minister Laszlo Kovacs (picturedabove) apologized for Hungarian collaborationwith the Nazis in WWII, which led to the depor-tation of over half a million Hungarian Jews. Healso promised the hundreds of Holocaust sur-vivors gathered at the Wiesenthal Center that hisgovernment would maintain a zero tolerancepolicy on antisemitism.

Permit for ExtremistParty CancelledThe Center applauded thedecision by the Bavarian cityof Senden to cancel a permitfor the extremist NPD partyto use the city’s town hall.The scheduled event includeda neo-Nazi band, MichaelMueller, author of the song,“Fun Begins With SixMillion,” and Annette, anultranationalist folksinger.The June 2003 event at thesame venue includedHolocaust deniers BernhardSchaub and Horst Mahler.

“We are grateful that thishatefest will not occur withthe blessing of the politicalestalishment,” said RabbiCooper. “This decision is avictory for democraticprocess and values overhaters masquerading behindthe cloak of political legiti-macy.”

The Wiesenthal Center hadprotested the city’s initialdecision to allow the NPD’sevent to proceed, along withKin Deligoez of the Greensand Bavaria’s InteriorMinister Guenter Beckstein.

Extremism, XenophobiaRising In RussiaThere are about 50,000 skin-heads in Russia, and observers

predict that the number of skinheads could dou-ble within the next two years if authorities donot take measures to combat xenophobia. Areport by the Stephen Roth Institute ofContemporary Antisemitism and Racism ranksRussia third in antisemitic incidents only afterFrance and the United Kingdom, with Germanyfourth and Canada fifth.

Among the notorious extremists is SemyonTokmakov, who served just one and a half yearsin prison for brutally assaulting a black U.S.Marine six years ago. Recent racial attacksinclude the stabbing of a Guinea-Bissau studentin the central Russian city of Voronezh, thekilling of an Afghan asylum seeker in Moscow,and the slaying of a 9-year-old Tajik girl in St.Petersburg by suspected skinheads. When askedwhether he felt sorry for the girl, 28-year oldTokmakov, informal head of Moscow’s skin-heads, retorted, “When you kill cockroaches,you don’t feel sorry for them, do you?”

In Belarus, members of the violent neo-Nazigroup Russian National Unity (RNU) distrib-

6 RESPONSE

EUROPE

T he Center’s “The Courage toRemember” exhibition on theHolocaust opened in the National

History Museum in Bucharest in the presenceof President Ion Iliescu, Culture Minister RazvanTheodorescu, ambassadors and leading local dignities andofficials. Sponsors of the event were the Federation of JewishCommunities of Romania, the Romanian Ministry of Culture,the National History Museum, Aryeh Rubin and the TargumShlishi Foundation and the Romanian Radio Society. Theexhibition was coordinated by the Center’s Israel Director, Dr.Efraim Zuroff, Ministry of Culture advisor Irina Cajal, andhistorian Lya Benjamin. Dr. Zuroff also launched the Center’s“Operation: Last Chance” in Romania. The project, which isalready in place in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, offersrewards of $10,000 for information leading to the prosecutionand punishment of Nazi war criminals. Romanian Attorney-General Dr. Ilie Botos told Dr. Zuroff that a special investiga-tive unit could be established if the project yields a consider-able number of suspects. Meanwhile, the Center dismissed a“Letter of Apology to the Jewish people” by Romanian ultra-nationalist Corneliu Vadim Tudor as “worthless election prop-aganda.” Tudor’s Romania Mare (Greater Romania) newspa-per continues to publish Holocaust denial articles.

President Iliescu (left) and Dr. Zuroff (center) at the opening.

ROMANIAN PRESIDENT OPENS CENTER’S HOLOCAUST EXHIBITION

Dr. Samuels and Rabbi Cooper with German ForeignMinister, Joshka Fischer.

who presents himself in the Arab press as acounselor to Hamas; Tariq Ramadan, from theUniversity of Fribourg, a Muslim Brotherhoodideologue notorious for his public incitement toantisemitism in France; Ibrahim al-Masri, vicepresident of Lebanon’s al-Jama’a al-Islamiyya,a group linked by terrorism experts to al-Qaeda;and Munir Shafiq, a leading Hamas idealogueand former activist in Islamic Jihad.

The Wiesenthal Center urged Germany’sChancellor Gerhard Schroeder to discontinuethe investment of funds and prestige to legit-imize mass murderers and Jew haters. TheCenter also protested the Friedrich EbertStiftung Foundation’s sponsoring of a speech bythe Director of the Deutsches Orient Institute,Dr. Udo Steinbach, an academic who comparedPalestinian suicide bombers to the Jewish resist-ance in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII.

Political parties and politicians openlyplayed the nationalist card in the Decemberparliamentary vote, calling for the ouster ofmigrant workers and promoting “Russia forRussians.” Sergey Baburin, a member of theextreme nationalist Motherland (Rodina)bloc, was named deputy speaker of the StateDuma. Baburin was formerly head of theopenly antisemitic People’s Will party.

LithuaniaThe Center urged theLithuanian government to takelegal action against the daily

newspaper Respublika for publishing a series ofblatantly antisemitic articles, including oneasserting that “the Jews” control the world, illus-trated with caricatures reminiscent of DerStuermer. In a letter of protest to Dr. AlfonsasEidintas, the Lithuanian Ambassador to Israel,the Center’s Israel Director Dr. Efraim Zuroffwrote, “We urge you to demand that harsh legalmeasures be taken immediately against thoseresponsible for these shameful acts of incite-ment to racial hatred.”

Looted Artwork at IrishMuseum?In exposing the Nazi connec-tions of the founders of the Hunt

Museum in Limerick, Ireland, the WiesenthalCenter urged Irish President Mary McAleese tosuspend her award of the “Irish Museum of theYear” to Hunt, pending an investigation of theprovenance of the 2,000 objects in theMuseum’s collection. Dr. Samuels also urgedthat these items be placed on the Internet to seekclaimants of artworks looted by the Nazis.

PolandPolish President AleksanderKwasniewski (pictured left)hosted the World Economic

Forum EuropeanSummit in Warsaw.Dr. Shimon Samuelswas invited to attendthe three-day meet-ing, along with theheads of the ten newstates joining theEuropean Union, torecommend meas-ures to containan t i semi t i sm. . . .

Antisemitic slogans and graffiti were daubedon the walls of Krakow’s Temple Synagogueand adjacent buildings. Under Polish law, thepublic propagation of Nazi or fascist ideologyis banned. The incident is under investigation.

uted leaflets calling for violence against Jews,and the letters “RNU” were daubed on the wallsof the Gomel Jewish community center. In thetown of Novopolotsk, the Jewish communitybuilding was defaced with graffiti twice, includ-ing the words, “Death to the Kikes.” No arrestswere made in connection with those attacks, andwhen arrests do take place, the judiciary processgives no more than a mere slap on the wrist. InSt. Petersburg, 20 to 40 skinheads beat andstabbed 53-year old father of eight MamedMamedov to death and videotaped the killing.Only three of the attackers were brought to trial;one of the three was immediately released, onewas sentenced to four years and the skinheadwho delivered the fatal blow received a seven-year sentence.

It is such apathy that has encouraged thesurge in violent attacks. Incredibly, after morethan 50 Jewish gravestones at a cemetery inKiev were vandalized – with headstones brokenand thrown about – Interior Ministryspokesman Viktor Korchinsky denied vandal-ism, insisting the graves were destroyed “all bythemselves, because they were too old.”

RESPONSE 7

SlovakiaIn another country whoseJewish population was deci-mated during the Holocaust,

suspended sentences were handed down tothree individuals convicted of vandalizingtombstones at a Jewish cemetery last year. TheSlovak news agency, TASR, reported that thepolice investigation determined that the actionswere not racially motivated. Many of the other620 Jewish cemeteries left unattended inSlovakia have been vandalized in recent years.

“When youkill cock-roaches, youdon't feelsorry forthem, doyou?”

– SEMYONTOKMAKOV

Dr. Shimon Samuels addressed over1,000 parliamentarians, clergy, diplo-mats and community activists at theCzech Senate in Prague to condemnantisemitism and terrorism. Left toright, Dr. Mojmir Kallus, Representativeof the International Christian Embassy;Dr. Samuels; Pavel Bem, Mayor ofPrague with Mrs. Bem; H.E. ArthurAvnon, Israel’s Ambassador to theCzech Republic, and Dr. Leo Pavlat,Director of the Prague Jewish Museum.

ItalySixty years afterthe murder by theNazis of 335 civil-

ians outside of Rome, PresidentGeorge W. and Mrs. Bush paidtheir respects at the site in the com-pany of Italian Prime MinisterSilvio Berlusconi. Earlier, at theurging of the families of the victimsand Wiesenthal Center officials,Mr. Berlusconi rejected calls to freeconvicted Nazi murderer ErichPriebke, who with other SS officerswas responsible for the massacre atthe Ardeatine Caves.

(AP

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(Portions of Russia report courtesy “Bigotry Monitor”)

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commitment by the Canadian government tomake a principled case against suicide bomb-ings internationally, bringing the full weight ofworld condemnation and prosecution uponthose who espouse, condone, recruit, finance,

8 RESPONSE

TERRORISM

EU Secretary General and High Representative Javier Solana(at right) was urged to enlist the European Union to endorsethe international campaign to designate suicide bombings asa ‘crime against humanity.’

The Wiesenthal Center’s internationalcampaign to declare suicide bombings a‘crime against humanity’was launched

in December after a private audience betweenCenter officials and His Holiness Pope JohnPaul II (see Response, Winter 2003/04).

Center officials have also met withEuropean Union Secretary General Solana andAnti-Terrorism Chief de Vries, TurkishForeign Minister Gul, French Interior MinisterVillepin, German Foreign Minister JoshkaFischer, and delegates to the OSCE SpecialConference on Antisemitism in Berlin,Canadian Foreign Minister Graham and PrimeMinister Martin to enlist their support in thiscampaign. European Parliament Members IlkaSchroeder and Marco Cappato petitioned fel-low Parliament members to endorse this initia-tive, after presenting the campaign in Germanywith Rabbi Cooper and Dr. Shimon Samuels.

“After Madrid, Istanbul, Bali, Casablanca,Moscow, Jerusalem – it is crystal clear that suchheinous acts, no matter who sponsors them, nomatter whom the target, must be condemned by

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdallah Gul (center) met withWiesenthal Center officials to discuss international terrorism,Middle East peace and antisemitism in the Muslim world.Turkey was the second Muslim nation (after Morocco) tobecome a major target of Islamic terrorists.

civilized people,” said Rabbi Cooper. “TheCenter reiterates its call that each nation treatany suicide bombing as a ‘crime againsthumanity,’ thus paving the way to target notonly the perpetrators, but all thosewho inspire and sponsorthis scourge of the21st century.”

Support Soughtin the Americas

Canadian Friendsof SWC Director ofNational Affairs, LeoAdler, along with otherCanadian Jewish leaders,met with Prime MinisterPaul Martin and appearedbefore the CommonsForeign Affairs Committee.He and Rabbi Cooper alsomet with Canadian ForeignMinister Bill Graham.

“The meetings resulted in a

train, arm, transport or in any waypromote suicide bombings andsuicide bombers,” said Adler.

Meanwhile as Responsegoes to press, the internation-al effort has expanded toLatin America as the Centerseeks support fromPresidents Nestor Kirchner(Argentina), Luiz InacioLula da Silva (Brazil)and Ricardo Lagos(Chile). The Center’sLatin American repre-sentative, SergioWidder, released aSpanish version of

the Center’s report,Suicide Bombing: A Crime

Against Humanity – A Call to Action.

FIGHTING TERROR ON THEINTERNATIONAL STAGE

AFTER BLOODY TERRORISTBOMBINGS RIPPED THROUGHCOMMUTER TRAINS IN THREESTATIONS IN MADRID LEAVINGSOME 200 DEAD AND NEARLY1,000 INJURED,A HORRIFIEDSPANISH POPULACE VOTED IN ANEW GOVERNMENT. WIESENTHALCENTER OFFICIALS MET WITHNEW FOREIGN MINISTERMORATINOS WHO PROMISED HISCOUNTRY S SUPPORT FOR THECENTER S SUICIDE BOMBINGCAMPAIGN,AND PLEDGED THATSPAIN WOULD CONFER WITH THEEU ARAB AND ISLAMIC STATES ONTHE DECLARATION THAT WOULDTREAT ALL SUICIDE BOMBINGS ASA CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY.

Foreign Minister Moratinos with Center officials.

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Digital Terrorismand Hate 2004 isnow available inEnglish and French.For information or

purchase, contact the Wiesenthal Center orour website at www.wiesenthal.com

CyberwarsThe section of the Center’s CD-ROM that

deals with Cyberwars features a new websitefrom al-Qaeda calling on all Muslims to usetheir online skills to destroy American, Jewish,secular and morally corrupt websites. The web-site of the military wing of Yassir Arafat’s Fatahgroup, the Al Aqsa Brigades claims the group ispreparing a major campaign to attack what theydescribe as “the greatest Zionist website” thatallegedly is behind the destruction of manyPalestinian websites. “This is the latest skirmishin the online Cyberwars,” said Rabbi Cooper.

“The Internet has become a flashpoint in the waragainst terrorism.” Cyberwars also offers theuser information on steganography and encryp-tion, two Internet features that allow terrorists tosecretly exchange sensitive information.

From Berlin to Paris, from ParliamentHill to Capitol Hill, Digital Terrorismand Hate 2004, the sixth volume of the

Center’s annual digital report on problematicwebsites, is impacting on policymakers acrossthe globe.

The report was presented on Capitol Hill byRabbi Abraham Cooper at a briefing of theHouse International Affairs Middle EastSubcommittee to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) who chairs theSubcommittee. It was also introduced inFrance at a meeting of the OSCE in Paris in itsnew French-language version.

The CD-ROM was also introduced at theWiesenthal Center’s new Tolerance Center inNew York (pictured at right).

“This interactive CD-ROM report detailshow al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups stilleffectively use all aspects of the Internet topursue their murderous goals,” said RabbiCooper. “We presented alarming videos thatattempt to justify terrorism, the recruitment ofyoung people into the culture of death, andcommunicate terrorist manuals online.”

In a tape made available on the Islamic web-site of the forum of Anssar Alisam, AbuMusaab Zarqawi said he “would not hesitateeven for one moment,” if he had a chemicalbomb, “to bomb Tel Aviv and Eilat and othercities in Israel.” And, as Response goes topress, an Iranian “sign-up” form has been post-ed to recruit future volunteer suicide bombers.

RESPONSE 9

Rabbi Abraham Cooper and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen introduced the Center’s Digital Terrorism and Hate2004 on Capitol Hill.

Pictured left to rightare Eastern DirectorRhonda Barad, CityCouncil memberGifford Miller, andthe Center’s NationalDirector of the TaskForce Against Hate,Mark Weitzman.(Ronald L. Glassman)

One of the more significant and alarming examples is a pro-Al Qaeda website, currently online, which graphically depictsa terrorist attack on the Capitol Building.

IRAN: “WE ARE COMINGJERUSALEM, WE ARE COMING”

While the eyes of the world are rivet-ed on Iraq, Iran – one of the mostdangerous and oppressive regimes

in the world – watched its hard line conserva-tives manipulate the disqualification of all mod-erates in Iran’s parliamentary election, chanting“Death to America” and “Death to the occu-piers of Iraq.” On the international scene, itdoggedly pushes its way into the nuclear club,floods Iraq with money and agents, and contin-ues support of Palestinian and global terrorism.In addition to supporting the highly visibleMuqtada al-Sadr, Iran is reportedly infiltratingthousands of operatives into that country.

The London-based Arabic daily Al-SharqAl-Awsat reported that the hard lineRevolutionary Guards have established a train-ing camp in Iran to train suicide attackersthroughout the world. Iran also influencesevents in western Afghanistan, where it is arm-ing anti-American fighters and broadcastinganti-American propaganda.

Under fire from the U.S., the European Unionand the U.N. International Atomic EnergyAgency (IAEA), Iran defiantly and secretly pur-sues its uranium enrichment activities, in breachof promises made last year to France, Germanyand Britain. According to observers, while pre-senting a “public” nuclear program to the world,the Revolutionary Guards run its “secret”nuclear development program, and are chargedwith overseeing about 400 nuclear experts toprevent leaks about the program.

Al-Sharq Al-Awsat also reported that a formerRevolutionary Guards intelligence officer iden-tified as H.A., told students of the AnsarHezbollah movement at a secret conference at

No one should be surprised that an American racist group that builds its support onan anti-immigrant and anti-minority platform, would label al-Qaeda terrorists as“freedom fighters.” The website of the Aryan Nations celebrated the brutal murder

of Nicholas Berg, by running under the title“One Less Kike,” the video of the decapita-tion of the 26-year old American Jewishbusinessman by al-Qaeda affiliated Muslimextremists in Iraq. The website of thePennsylvania branch of Aryan Nations isrunning an article that labels al-Qaeda as“freedom fighters” who “…did all races andcountries a favor by helping us with theplague we call the Jew.” The same articlecelebrates Berg’s murder adding, “...this Jewwas executed like all Jews should be.…”

RACIST SITE: “ONE LESS KIKE”

“DIGITAL TERRORISM AND HATE2004” IMPACTS WORLDWIDE

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10 RESPONSE

A WORLD TURNEDUPSIDE DOWNINTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP SILENT AT THEMOST UNSPEAKABLE TERRORIST ATROCITIES BUTFINDS VOICE TO CONDEMN ISRAEL FOR ELIMINAT-ING HAMAS MORAL LEADER.

Al-Hussein University, “Our missiles are nowready to strike at their [the Anglo Saxon] civi-lization, and as soon as the instructions arrivefrom Leader [Ali Khameini] we will launch ourmissiles at their cities and installations… We arecoming, Jerusalem, we are coming… We havemeans of attacking Israel’s nuclear facilities andarsenals such that no trace of Israel will remain,”he added.

Top row: Balazadeh, Homayoun; Ezzati, Farhad;Gaharamany, Syrus. Second row: Gaharamany,Ibrahim; Hassid, Es-Haagh; Nikkhoo, Shaheen. Bottom row: Rbizadeh, Norallah; Salari, Kamran

and Shaoulian Tehrani, Babak.

A rafat’s EU-funded Fatah claimed co-responsibility for the “heroic” attackand praised the two mass murderers as

“martyrs” in thousands of leaflets distributedamong the Palestinian populace. Like the hun-dreds of terrorist attacks before it, not a singlemeasure was taken by the Palestinian leader-ship to prevent this attack or bring its perpetra-tors to justice. No condemnation was heardfrom the United Nations, no mass outcry fromthe international community.

“As long as the United Nations fails to everspecifically and explicitly condemn such atroc-ities, as long as guardians of children’s rightsand civil society like Save the Children fail tocondemn such an attack, Palestinian extrem-ists and their ilk will continue to seek to esca-late the campaign of mass murder of inno-cents,” said Rabbi Cooper. “Israel therefore,has every moral right and obligation to protecther children by uprooting and destroying theleadership and infrastructure of terrorism.”

Hamas: Unspeakable HorrorsThe Wiesenthal Center also condemned

Hamas and other Palestinians for the horrificpublic display and desecration of the remainsof six Israeli soldiers, including part of a scalp,the remains of a leg, and a head with whichthey played a mock game of soccer. The sol-diers were killed when a bomb exploded asthey were on their way to destroy a workshopused by militants to manufacture rockets.“Once again the world stands by silently as agroup desecrates God’s name even as theycontinue to invoke Allah to justify unspeakable

Tali Chatael, 34, who was 8 months pregnant with her first son, was murdered by Palestinian gunmenwho ambushed her and then approached her screaming children ages 2, 7, 9 and 11, and killed each girlwith bullets to the head at point blank range. Rabbis Marvin Hier and Abraham Cooper traveled to GushKatif to personally deliver condolences to the family. Just three days later, mourners who attended a memo-rial service for the slain family came under Palestinian gunfire from terrorists hiding in nearby homes.

terrorist horrors,” said Rabbi Cooper. “Even asIsrael wrestles with painful steps to further thecause of peace in the Holy Land, it is clear thatthose who desecrate the dead cannot be trust-ed to govern the living. We urge all politicaland religious leaders of all faiths to immedi-ately and unequivocally condemn such barbar-ities,” Cooper concluded.

“There Cannot Be Peace And Terror.There Cannot Be Peace And Hamas”

Meanwhile, Israel is not only widely casti-gated for building a security fence that hassuccessfully stopped nearly all suicidebombings, but is internationally condemnedfor the targeted killings of Hamas leadersYassin and Rantissi, terrorists who personal-ly instigated and encouraged suicide bomb-ings, ordered the firing of missiles at Israelicommunities, and repeatedly exhorted fol-lowers to “armed struggle” against Israelisand Jews “everywhere.”

The U.N. Human Rights Commission evenhonored the memory of Sheikh Yassin, sched-uling a ‘Special Session’ to denounce Israel.British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, calledthe assassination of Yassin “unacceptable…unjustified.” Ireland’s Foreign Minister BrianCowen (Ireland currently holds the rotatingEuropean Union presidency) called Israel’sefforts to root out terrorists, “completely dis-proportionate to any threat faced by the Israelimilitary… Israeli forces showed a reckless dis-regard for human life.” Amnesty Internationalaccused Israel of “extrajudicial execution” andviolation of “international law instead of using

Between 1994 and 1997, 11 Jews, atthe time ranging from 15 years ofage to 57, were detained while

attempting to cross the border from Iraninto Pakistan to be reunited with their fam-ilies, find a secure future and a life of free-dom. In addition, in February 1997, aJewish businessman living in Tehran disap-peared while visiting a provincial capitaland has not been heard from since. Thefamilies of the disappeared have been vir-tually unable to get any information fromthe authorities as to the whereabouts oftheir loved ones. Several eyewitnessesclaim they have seen some of the missingin Iranian jails and others in a detentioncenter, but to date nothing has been sub-stantiated.

In addition to helping raise public aware-ness of this tragic situation, the WiesenthalCenter has launched a campaign to appealto U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan,U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell,British Secretary of State for Foreign &Commonwealth Affairs, Jack Straw, andPermanent Representative of the IslamicRepublic of Iran to the U.N., Dr.Mohammad Zarif, to get to the truth regard-ing the fate of these individuals. To join thecampaign, go to www.wiesenthal.com

Twelve Missing Iranian Jews: You Are Not Forgotten

Twelve Missing Iranian Jews: You Are Not Forgotten

alternative lawful means.” The PA eulogizedYassin as a leader representing all thePalestinian Authority.

The Wiesenthal Center’s Dr. ShimonSamuels condemned Hamas at the SixtiethSession of the Commission in Geneva:“Through Hamas thugs, Palestinians areintimidated and held in thrall to a culture ofviolence and death. You cannot teach peopleto hate and then ask them to practice peace.”

“In three and a half years of Palestinianterrorist attacks… not one resolution, notone presidential statement has been adoptedby this Council to specifically denounce thedeliberate massacre of our innocent civil-ians,” said Israel’s Ambassador to the UN,Dan Gillerman at the U.N. Security Council.“In comparative terms, the number of inno-cents deliberately murdered by Palestinianterrorists as of March 2004 is equivalent to22,499 Russian citizens; 43,136 citizens ofthe United States, or 58,963 citizens of theEU. Can there be any doubt as to what your

RESPONSE 11

From the Los Angeles Times: “The Hamascleric had a moral authority that motivatedmany to give their lives to kill others.”Moral authority?

The BBC correspondent described Yassinas “polite, charming and witty, a deeply reli-gious man,” and the Financial Times laudedhim as a “charismatic Islamist” responsiblefor a “network of welfare institutions.”

Knight-Ridder (in all their papers nation-wide): “The elderly, partially blind quadri-plegic was the beloved leader of a popularmovement to create an Islamic Palestinianstate.”

“While much of the media has empha-sized that Yassin was a paraplegic, let theworld now focus instead on Yassin’s victims– the burned-out buses and restaurants, andthe charred remains of children,” retortedRabbi Hier.

Rabbi Cooper and Dr. Samuels met with Renaud Muselier,France’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, during theOSCE International Conference. Center officials briefedMuselier on the U.N., Middle East policy, bilateral relationsbetween France and the U.S., and the campaign to designatesuicide bombing as a crime against humanity.

PALESTINIAN CULTURE OF DEATH: ULTIMATE ABUSE OF CHILDREN Fatah Tanzim terrorists inNablus attempted to use a 12-year-old boy to smuggle a bombthrough an IDF roadblock. It iscommonplace for Palestinianterrorists to use children or women as couri-ers for arms and explosives. Since the out-break of violence, terrorists have dispatched29 suicide bombers younger than 18, andmore than 40 minors involvedin planning suicide bombingshave been arrested by Israelisecurity forces.

“I’m angry at thosewho recruited him…”

– FATHER OF 16-YEAR OLDPALESTINIAN WOULD-BESUICIDE BOMBER

“The younger the martyr thegreater and the more I respecthim.” Sabri praised motherswho “willingly sacrifice their off-spring for the sake of freedom.”

– SENIOR PA RELIGIOUS LEADER,MUFTI SHEIKH IKRIMEH SABRI

While UNICEF dropped its sup-port for PA summer camps that arenamed after suicide bombers andglorify terrorism, many of thesecamps continue to teach hatredand violence. These Palestinianchildren in a summer camp in KfarSalem near Nablus, use fake riflesto attack a diagram of an Israelisettlement.

“Blessings to who-ever put a belt ofexplosives on hisbody or on hissons’ and plungedinto the midst ofthe Jews, crying‘Allahu Akbar…’”

– PALESTINIANSHEIKH IBRAHIMMADHI

“Dead Palestinianchildren are thegreatest message tothe world.”

– Yassir Arafat

Funding of PA InvestigatedAt a special European Diversity Commission

Seminar, the Center urged an independent andpublic inquiry on the continuing misuse of EUfunds by the PA. Meanwhile, a delegation of theEuropean Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) arrived in

Israel to receive documents seized by the IDFfrom Arafat’s headquarters in 2002 which provethat Arafat has been directly involved in fund-ing terror attacks from EU funds designated toprovide the Palestinian people with an opportu-nity for a better life. OLAF investigators con-firmed the authenticity of the documents.

In a related development, meetings were heldin April between representatives of the WorldBank and the Palestinian Ministry of Educationregarding significant World Bank investment inPA universities. In fact, the very PA universitiesthey will be strengthening all have official stu-dent branches of Hamas (called Al-Kutlah Al-Islamiyah) and Islamic Jihad (called Al-Jama‚ahAl-Islamiyah) that have historically been breed-ing grounds for terrorists. It was Al-Kutlah Al-Islamiyah at the Al-Najah University that creat-ed the horrific celebration of the 2001 SbarroPizza suicide bombing. Students at this andother Palestinian universities murdered 27Israelis and injured 238 via suicide bombings.(Some background courtesy Palestinian Media Watch)

countries would do – or in some cases havealready done – in the face of terrorism ofthis scale and magnitude… There cannot bepeace and terror. There cannot be peace andHamas,” he said.

“Israel’s action was both legal and appro-priate,” responded Rabbi Marvin Hier.“Yassin praised and incited suicide bombersand other terrorist atrocities against Israeland despised Jews. After WWII, British andAmerican jurists at Nuremberg hanged Nazileader Julius Streicher for the same kind ofbehavior. It is an unacceptable double stan-dard to tie Israel’s hands and prevent herfrom destroying the terrorist cancer that cur-rently afflicts all of mankind.”

MEDIA: YASSIN A MORAL AUTHORITY

A Palestinian child’s backpackwith explosive devices ready to use.

CANADA: ANTISEMITIC HATECRIMES STRIKE HOME

12 RESPONSE

PrimeMinisterMartinwith LeoAdler(left).

Canada has always prided itself on itsdiversity, multiculturalism and mutualrespect that also extended to its Jewish

communities. In recent months, that image hasbeen shattered by hate crimes targeting Jewishsynagogues, schools and cemeteries. Some ofthose crimes are directly linked to the hatredfueled by Islamist extremism, incessantlybiased media coverage of the Mideast and theWar on Terrorism.

The Wiesenthal Center participat-ed in a somber memorial on thetenth anniversary of the bombing

of the AMIA Jewish community centerin Buenos Aires in which 85 people werekilled in July 1994.

The Center also condemned a Britishcourt’s decision to deny the extraditionof former Iranian Ambassador toArgentina, Hadi Soleimanpour, to testi-fy in court regarding the bombing.

“Given the evidence of Iran’s involve-ment in the AMIA bombing and Iran’s$10 million bribe to former ArgentinePresident Carlos Menem, the refusal toextradite Soleimanpour further blocks effortsto bring to justice those responsible for theattack,” said Dr. Shimon Samuels and SergioWidder, Latin American Representative.“Justice must be served not only to preventfuture attacks, but also to bring closure to thefamilies of the victims.”

WORLD NEWS

SECRETARY GENERAL ANNAN CONVENES SPECIALSESSION ON ANTISEMITISM IN NEW YORK

UN Secretary General Kofi Annanacknowledged the UN’s questionablerecord in face of the growing tide of

antisemitism and hate against the Jewish peopleat the first-ever UN conference to combat anti-semitism, Confronting Antisemitism:Education for Tolerance and Understanding. “Itis clear that we are witnessing an alarming resur-gence of this phenomenon in new forms andmanifestations. This time, the world must not –cannot – be silent,” he said. Also participating inthe conference was Anne Bayefsky, Columbia

TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF AMIA BOMBING INBUENOS AIRES:NO JUSTICE STILL

University Law Professor, who rightlyobserved, “The UN has become the leadingglobal purveyor of antisemitism, intoleranceand inequality against the Jewish people and itsState.” Mark Weitzman, Director of theWiesenthal Center’s Task Force Against Hatealso spoke at the conference: “As an institutionfounded in the shadows of the Holocaust, theUN must repudiate antisemitism. If anti-semitism is allowed to become a legitimatetheme in world discourse, the UN will havebetrayed its own origins and will stand exposedwith no moral validity whatsoever.”

Leo Adler, SWC Canadian Director ofNational Affairs and representatives of otherJewish groups were buoyed by commitmentsmade by Canadian leaders, including PrimeMinister Paul Martin and opposition leadersof Parliament, to combat the unprecedentedcrisis facing Canadian Jewry.

“These desecrations have never been sogross, so well organized, so deliberate and sopremeditated,” charged Mr. Adler. “The reac-tion in media and politics to our warningsabout how the Israeli-Palestinian crisis andthe wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are adverse-ly influencing attitudes in Canada, have beenignored. When we pointed out that Jewishuniversity students felt they were under dailyattacks, we were laughed at or, even worse,told that this was to be expected if we contin-ued to support Israel,” he added.

Center offi-cials withCanada’sForeignMinister BillGraham(center).

L. to r., Anne Bayefsky, Sister Ruth Lautt, Mark Weitzman(in back) Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Elie Wiesel.

In a related development, Center officialsapplauded Argentina’s decision to demand thatthe AMIA bombing be included in any discus-sions on renewing relations with Iran, as partof the current government’s commitment todeal with terrorism.

AP/Wide World

The Wiesenthal Center called for theestablishment of an international tribunalby the United Nations to investigate alle-

gations that North Korean scientists are operat-ing a gas chamber and performing medicalexperiments on political prisoners. The allega-tions were reported in the Observer newspaperand in a BBC “This World” documentary. TheObserver article reported that eyewitnesses whodefected from North Korea detailed executionand torture, and gas chambers where horrificchemical experiments are conducted on humanbeings. “Even without a regime change or coop-eration from the North Korean authorities, the

RESPONSE 13

Rabbi Marvin Hier has protested to PopeJohn Paul II over plans to move SisterAnne Catherine Emmerich toward

sainthood this fall. The 19th century Catholicnun’s book, The Dolorous Passion of Our LordJesus Christ, depicts Jews as hook-noseddemons who actually do practice the murderousblood libel, who tortured Jesus and who areresponsible for his death. The book was the keyinspiration behind the most controversial ele-ments of Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion.”

Pilate: A Conflicted Humanitarian?Gibson, a follower of a breakaway tradition-

alist Catholic Church, admitted drawing onEmmerich’s book, which also portrays a passivePontius Pilate at variance with the despot por-trayed in the Gospels and in historical accountsof Pilate’s rule in the Holy Land reaching suchlevels of brutality, that he was recalled by Caesar– but not before crucifying thousands of inno-cent Jews. Emmerich linked the destruction ofJerusalem’s Holy Temple to Jesus’ death. Bothof these images and characterizations wereincluded in the film.

Moreover, unlike the four Gospels of the Newtestament, in which the description of Jesus’scourging amounts to only a few sentences,Emmerich’s account of Jesus’ death is highlydetailed, with excruciating scenes of Jesus’flayed skin and bloody body, while a crowd ofbloodthirsty Jews looks on. Jesus’ suffering“simply filled them with disgust and increasedtheir rage. Pity was, indeed, a feeling unknownin their cruel breasts,” she wrote.

Center reaches out to Christian LeadersWith the assistance of Rabbi Yitzchok

“… Without question [Emmerich’svisions] bear deep-seated anti-Semitic stains… Nothing shouldbe done to ‘honor’ such state-ments if we are to take seriouslythe remarks of Pope John Paul IIthat antisemitism is a sin.”

– FATHER JOHN PAWLIKOWSKI

NUN WHOSE ANTISEMITIC VISIONS INSPIRED THEPASSION MOVES TOWARD SAINTHOODIn an historic first for a Jewish leader, Rabbi

Abraham Cooper met with the President ofSudan, Omar al-Bashir, at the Presidential

Palace in Khartoum. Rabbi Cooper praised theforthcoming peace treaty that the SudanesePresident was to sign ending Africa’s bloodiestcivil war but urged the government to facilitatethe reunification of Black Africans who hadbeen kidnapped in Slave raids from the north.other issues discussed were the war against ter-rorism and humanitarian concerns. As Responsegoes to press, the international community

expressed grow-ing alarm ofanother pendinghumanitariandisaster in thewestern Darfurs e c t i o n o fSudan, this timewith Muslimsattacking otherMuslims.

NORTH KOREA GASCHAMBERS?

MP Refuses To Back Off Anti-Israel SlurMr. Adler also met with MP Patrick O’Brien

to protest his equating the construction ofIsrael’s security fence with Nazi concentrationcamps. “You are of course free to oppose theconstruction of the security fence,” wrote Mr.Adler in his protest. “You are free to debate itsmerits, or its lack thereof, but have brought painto Holocaust survivors and disbelief to manyCanadians veterans of WWII by equating thefence to the creation of concentration camps.”O’Brien refused to back down, even as the fencehelped to slash the number of devastating homi-cide bombing attacks in Israel.

CENTER S DIRECT PLEATO SUDAN PRESIDENT

The Wiesenthal Center was among thefirst institutions to host eyewitnesses,survivors and others from the Rwandan

community to commemorate the 10th anniver-sary of the genocide in Rwanda in which800,000 people were brutally murdered overthe course of 100 days by the government-sponsored Hutu extremists. The program at theMuseum of Tolerance featured testimony byJacqueline Murekatete, a 19-year old whoseentire family was slaughtered. Pictured areMOT Director Liebe Geft, JacquelineMurekatete, Rwandan government representa-tive, Jackie Karuletwa, and Rabbi Cooper.

RWANDA GENOCIDEREMEMBERED

civilized community must put the perpetrators ofsuch crimes against humanity on notice that theywill be held accountable,” said Rabbi Cooper.“We hope that all international NGOs will joinus in urging U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annanto act now.”

Adlerstein, head of the Center’s Project NextStep and Dr. Harold Brackman, the Center’shistoric consultant, an online report was pre-pared to outline the specifics of Gibson’sown embellishments of traditional Christiantexts and forwarded to a broad spectrum ofAmerican Christian leaders. One of them,President of the Association of Evangelicals,Ted Haggard (pictured above), appearedtogether with Rabbi Hier to seek to reassurethe Jewish community that the film wouldnot generate antisemitism. Perhaps not, butin the Arab world, viewers flocked to see thefilm, which, according to Kuwait’s top Shiitecleric Ayatollah Mohammed Baqer al-Mehri, “reveals crimes committed by Jewsagainst Christ.”

14 RESPONSE

walls of the New York Tolerance Center youwill hear the cries of the victims of Cambodia,the horrible genocide that befell the people ofRwanda and Bosnia, the horrors of internation-al terrorism that culminated in the cataclysmic

event of 9/11 that shook the worldand established suicide bombing asthe great crime of the 21st century.”

Attendees included New YorkState Assembly Speaker SheldonSilver, City Council SpeakerGifford Miller, City CouncilmanDavid Weprin and CongresswomanCarolyn Maloney who said, “MostAmericans recoil from intolerance

when they recognize it. Too often, people donot see prejudice for what it is and too manypeople remain silent when they hear it.”

Tours were given of the 18,500 square-footfacility that includes hands-on interactive pre-sentations, film screenings and even a simulat-ed subway platform. “It’s not a museum. It’s alearning center,” said SWC Trustee Ira A.Lipman. “It’s a center for human understand-ing.” For tour information, please call212.697.1180, ext. 102.

an intense educational and experiential day-long training program. Through interactiveworkshops, exhibits, and videos, participants –including educators, law enforcement officials,the corporate community and governmentemployees – explore issues of prejudice, diver-sity, tolerance, and cooperation in the work-place and the community.

“While the Holocaust was unique, it was notthe only example of man’s inhumanity toman,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier. “Here along the

T op City and State elected officialsattended the opening of the New YorkTolerance Center that will model

itself on the Tools for Tolerance Program atthe Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. TheTolerance Center provides participants with

U.S. NEWS

NEW SWC NEW YORKTOLERANCE CENTER OPENSFOR OVER A DECADE, THE WIESENTHALCENTER’S MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE HASTOUCHED THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF VISI-TORS. ITS ACCLAIMED TOOLS FORTOLERANCE PROGRAMS FOR FRONTLINELAW ENFORCEMENT, TEACHERS ANDCORPORATE LEADERS HAVE HAD ENOR-MOUS POSITIVE IMPACT ACROSS THE U.S.AND BEYOND. AND NOW JUST TWO BLOCKSFROM THE UNITED NATIONS AND TWOMILES FROM THE 9/11 GROUND ZERO, THEWIESENTHAL CENTER HAS LAUNCHED THENEW YORK TOLERANCE CENTER.

Left to right: SWCBoard Chairman LarryMizel, CongresswomanCarolyn Maloney, RabbiMarvin Hier and NewYork City CouncilSpeaker Gifford Millerat the opening of theNew York ToleranceCenter.

The Wiesenthal Center urged students atRutgers University to deduct studentfees in protest of the university’s con-

tinued funding for The Medium, a student-funded ($15,000) newspaper that published ahorrific cartoon mocking Holocaust victimsduring Holocaust Memorial week. The cartoonshows a man at a campus fair throwing a ballat another man sitting on an oven. The captionreads: “Knock a Jew in the oven! Three throws

RUTGERS STUDENTPUBLICATION MOCKSSHOAH VICTIMS

for one dollar? Really! No, REALLY!”“It dare not be business as usual when such

disgusting sacrilege of the victims of Nazismpasses as ‘protected speech.’ Students atRutgers should be under no obligation to fundfuture outrages by this or any other fundedpublication,” said Rabbi Cooper. “We hopestudents will launch their own grassrootseffort to financially disassociate themselvesfrom such unadulterated hate.”

“Rutgers President Richard McCormickshould investigate how a culture of disparage-ment exists on the flagship New Jersey StateUniversity,” added Mark Weitzman, theWiesenthal Center’s Director of the TaskForce Against Hate. Ultimately, McCormickcalled upon the student editors to apologize forpublishing the cartoon calling it “outrageousin its cruelty.” But this is not the first time theRutgers community lashed out against TheMedium. Campus rallies were staged duringthe prior semester after it published personalads with slurs against Blacks, Asians,Hispanics, Jews, Christians, women andhomosexuals. Meanwhile, in Honolulu,staffers at the University of Hawaii’s studentnewspaper are receiving diversity training inwake of cartoons mocking and stereotyping

black students. The paper also asserted in oneissue last year, “Hitler wasn’t all that bad a guy.”

The Cost of Free SpeechUnfortunately, racist hatred is being encour-

aged in many universities under the banner offree speech. University of California Berkeleylecturer Hatem Bazian, a Palestinian with aPh.D. in Islamic studies, whipped up a crowdof students at an anti-war rally, calling for aPalestinian-style Intifada against the U.S. andsupport for attacks on U.S. soldiers in Iraq. AtColumbia University, Assistant ProfessorJoseph Massad told students, “The Jews are nota nation… The Jewish state is a racist state thatdoes not have a right to exist.”

White Supremist Guilty of SolicitingMurder

White supremacist Matt Hale was foundguilty and convicted in a Chicago federal court-room of solicitation of murder and three countsof obstruction of justice. The leader of theWorld Church of the Creator arranged for a manto kill federal Judge Joan Lefkow after she ruledagainst him in a trademark case.

“His racist ideology inspired violence andmayhem against Blacks, Jews and other minori-ties,” said Rabbi Cooper. “Hale’s removal as akey online recruiter of hate is a welcome devel-opment.”

“The Jews are not a nation… TheJewish state is a racist state thatdoes not have a right to exist.”

Yeshiva University President Richard Joel (left) bestowed anhonorary doctorate upon Wiesenthal Center Founder and DeanRabbi Marvin Hier. At right, Dr. Norman Lamm, immediate pastpresident and Chancellor. Yeshiva University is the oldest andlargest institution of higher learning under Jewish auspices inthe U.S.

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SWC REPORT

Barry Akrongold host-ed seventy-five commu-nity leaders at the newNew York ToleranceCenter on May 19th.Rabbi Cooper briefedthe gathering on inter-national developments.Tours were conductedby Eastern DirectorRhonda Barad and

Mark Weitzman, Director of the Center’s Task Force Against Hate. Pictured are Mr.Akrongold, SWC Board of Trustees Chairman Larry Mizel (left) and Harry & JeanetteWeinberg Leadership Society Chair Lisa Weitzman.

William Safire, New York Times colum-nist and Pulitzer Prize winner, whodelivered the 2004 Dorothy GardnerAdler Address on February 4, 2004, ispictured here with Frances Adler,Rhonda Barad and Allen Adler.

Cartier, the internationally renowned creator of jewelry and other luxury accessories, has cre-ated a Rosh Hashanah card to benefit the Wiesenthal Center. It is engraved on white cottonpaper with a Shofar embossed in gold ink surrounded by a frame of words from the RoshHashanah liturgy in navy blue ink. The greeting is L’shana Tova in Hebrew and Happy NewYear in English. The cards are available in boxes of 10 cards and envelopes for $65 or can bepurchased personalized with a name(s). Contact Cartier at 212-446-3459 in New York or 310-275-4272 in Beverly Hills or 1-800-227-8437 and press number #1 for customer service.

The Center honored Miamicommunity leaders, Tania andIsrael Lapciuc, and award-win-ning talk show host, journalist,author and community activist,Cristina Saralegui. Popular tele-vision and radio journalist,Leeza Gibbons emceed the event,while six-time Grammy winnerJose Feliciano provided theevening’s entertainment. Seated

left to right: SWC trustee Rowland Schaeffer; Cristina Saralegui; Israel andTania Lapciuc and Jose Feliciano. Standing, left to right: Bonnie Schaefer;Rabbi Meyer May; Rabbi Marvin Hier; Leeza Gibbons; SWC Trustee GeorgeFeldenkreis; Dinner Chairperson Ana Maria Fernandez-Haar; Robert L.Novak and Marcos Avila, Ms. Saralegui’s husband and manager.

The Center’s 2004 Broward County TributeDinner included a tribute to the Center’s “UnlikelyHeroes.” Left to right, Robert L. Novak; RabbiMeyer H. May; Co-Chairpersons Sherri and GaryA. Poliakoff, and Sheila and Larry Smith; andHonorary Chairpersons, Penny and Rabbi RobertP. Frazin. Seated are honorees Dr. Jack andArlene Nudel and Abbe and Steven Becker.

At the Annual SouthPalm County TributeDinner, left to right,front row: HonoraryChairs, Leon andAnn Katz Lederman;Ruth Taubman;Millicent Nathan;Karola Epstein; JoyBinkovitz and DinnerChairs, Madelineand Eugene Pargh.

Left to right, back row: SWC Executive Director, Rabbi Meyer May; HonoreesDavid and Bonnie Rosner, SWC National Director of Development, Robert L.Novak; Honorees Stanley and Joyce Preiser; Honorary Chairs Aaron Epsteinand Eugene Binkovitz.

LOS ANGELES The Wiesenthal Center hon-ored Brian L. Roberts,Chairman and CEO ofComcast Corporation, with itsHumanitarian Award at theannual Los Angeles dinner.Pictured left to right, SWCExecutive Director, RabbiMeyer May; SWC Chairmanof the Board Larry Mizel;SWC Trustee JeffreyKatzenberg; Brian Roberts,Rabbi Marvin Hier; AileenRoberts and Leeza Gibbons.

The Center’s Humanitarian Award was present-ed to SWC Trustee Rowland Schaeffer inPembroke Pines, Florida. Left to right, RabbiMarvin Hier, Bonnie Schaefer, RowlandSchaefer, Marla Schaefer, Rabbi Meyer May,Robert L. Novak. (Photo by Al Barg)

FLORIDA

NEW YORK

New York Photos by Ronald L. Glassman

16 RESPONSE

T he Center posthumously honoredAbdol Hossein Sardari who, as ayoung diplomat in Paris had all Iranian

Jews classified as “non-racially” connectedto the rest of the Jewish people, saving hun-dreds of Iranian Jews from deportation. Healso turned over 500 blank passports toJewish acquaintances in Paris to help saveother Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. Theaward was accepted by his nephewFereydoun Hoveyda, the former IranianAmbassador to the U.N., in the presence of92 year-old Ibrahim Morady (both picturedwith MOT Director Liebe Geft) who was savedby Sardari. “His legacy of compassion andhumanity should serve as a source of inspira-tion and a beacon of hope for Muslims, Jewsand Christians alike,” said Rabbi Cooper.

Los Angeles Police ChiefWilliam Bratton (right)lauded the Museum”sTools for Tolerance forLaw Enforcement pro-gram. He was joined byL.A. Mayor James Hahn(not pictured). Also pic-tured, MOT DirectorLiebe Geft and SunnyLee, Director of the Toolsfor Tolerance for LawEnforcement program.

FOUR MILLION VISITORS AND COUNTING

T he Museum of Tolerance is proud to be celebrating its 11th year with 4,000,000 visitors,including over 1,000,000 schoolchildren. Nearly 80,000 police, teachers, and corporateleaders have participated in the Museum’s, award-winning Tools for Tolerance programs.

President Ronald Reagan received the Wiesenthal Center’sHumanitarian Award at a dinner in his honor in Los Angeles.

In the months following his leaving office,Ronald Reagan visited the Museum ofTolerance (pictured below), often stopping

to chat with high school students until theonset of Alzheimer’s robbed young peopleand the rest of America of the benefit of hisexperience, wit and humanity. Rabbi Cooperrepresented the Wiesenthal Center during abrief special visit to the late President’s casketat the Reagan Library in Simi Valley.

Tools for Tolerance for Law Enforcementassists frontline professionals in a rapidlychanging, increasingly diverse society.

Tools for Tolerance for Educators helps pre-schoolthrough college teachers and staff create safelearning communities. The National InstitutesAgainst Hate Crimes and Terrorism, sponsored incooperation with the Justice Department’s Bureauof Justice Assistance, brings together teams ofcriminal justice professionals to formulate strategicapproaches to combat hate crimes and terrorism.The program also includes Tools for Tolerance forLibrary Services, Teaching Steps to Tolerance,Tools for Tolerance for Professionals in theWorkplace, Steps to Tolerance designed for 5thand 6th graders, Tools for Tolerance for Teens, T3 -Teens, Teachers and Tolerance, and Bridging theGap video conferencing.

T ieme Beuving, a Dutch citizen who risked hislife during WWII to hide members of a Jewishfamily and aided downed Allied pilots was hon-

ored at the MOT in the presence of Betty Cohen, oneof those saved by Beuving (pictured together) alongwith her brotherand sister. “Thevast majority ofDutch Jews werewiped out duringthe Holocaust,”

said Rabbi Cooper. “What he did, togetherwith his future wife, was to risk their lives fortheir Jewish neighbors.” The RighteousGentile also helped unveil a magnificentposter honoring Anne Frank and theother 1.5 million Jewish children mur-dered by the Nazis during theHolocaust. The poster can be viewedand ordered at www.wiesenthal.comand is a perfect gift for a young per-son, library or classroom.

COMMEMORATIVE POSTER – ANNE FRANK AT 75WIESENTHAL CENTER HONORS DUTCH HERO

M oriah Films’ Award-winning documentaries,“Genocide” (1981 Oscar for Best FeatureDocumentary) and “Liberation” are being

released for the first time on DVD by Koch Entertainment.Moriah's “The Long Way Home” (1997 Oscar for BestFeature Documentary) and “In Search of Peace, PartOne: 1948-1967” are also available on DVD. Order allfour films at www.wiesenthal.com or the Museum of

Tolerance bookstore, 310.772.2493. Moriah Films newest documentary,“Unlikely Heroes,” will start its limited theatrical run in New York City onSeptember 3rd at the Quad Theatre, 34 W. 3th Street.

MORIAH FILMS ON DVD

REMEMBERINGPRESIDENT REAGAN

The Eastern Officehas hosted a numberof benefit screeningsof Moriah Films’“Unlikely Heroes.”With Eastern DirectorRhonda Barad at theWestchester screen-ing are Solly and PazaRefael, Kim andNorman Kurlan, Shellyand Mark Goldwasserand Vicki and MichaelTurek.