Category: Anti-semitism

by Jean Homer
September 16, 2014

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, spoke strongly against anti-Semitism in her country at a Brandenburg Gate rally on Sunday, September 14. She stated, “That people in Germany are threatened and abused because of their Jewish appearance or their support for Israel is an outrageous scandal that we won’t accept…It’s our national and civic duty to fight anti-Semitism.”

by J van Rooyen

In the early days of the Reformation, Luther was quite friendly towards Jewish people. He was hopeful that they would support him and accept Jesus as the Messiah when he broke from the Catholic Church and its heresies. However, when the Jewish people rejected his approaches as well as his movement, Luther turned very anti-Semitic. He made very harsh anti-Semitic statements, especially toward the end of his life.

by J van Rooyen

During this period the Jews were targeted as being a race of conspirators and for these new reasons, were again made the scapegoat of society. Jews were not sought out for individual crimes as any other criminal would be but for the ‘crime of being Jewish’. It said to the Jew, ‘You have no right to live’.

by J van Rooyen

The traditions and foundations laid by the Fathers of the Church continued into the Middle Ages and created great intolerance and suspicion toward the Jews. The founders of the Church promulgated a number of doctrines to theologically invalidate the Jew’s continuing existence. These doctrines were given the greatest possible significance and divine authentication. ‘It was said to the Jew: You have no right to live among us’.

by J van Rooyen

The doctrines and teaching of the Church from its beginnings to the Fourth Lateran Council, laid the initial layer of ‘Jew hatred’ and took the Jewish people all the way to the Holocaust. This first step began with the attempt to drive Jews either into Christianity or into a place of non-identity, as Judaism was no longer recognised as a valid religion. By doing so, the Church clearly defined anti-Semitism’s first characteristic – ‘You have no right to live among us as Jews.’  It was said to the Jew: ‘You have no right to live among us as Jews.’

by Adam LeBor 
July 29, 2014

400 protesters attacked a synagogue and Jewish-owned businesses in Sarcelles, in the north of Paris, shouting “Death to the Jews”. Posters had even advertised the raid in advance, like the pogroms of Tsarist Russia. The Community Security Trust has issued a security alert for Jewish institutions. France has suffered the worst violence, but anti-Semitism is spiking across Europe.

by Jon Henley
7 August 2014

Experts say attacks go beyond Israel-Palestinian conflict as hate crimes strike fear into Jewish communities. A kosher supermarket and pharmacy were smashed and looted; the crowd’s chants and banners included “Death to Jews” and “Slit Jews’ throats”.

By Justin Huggler, Berlin
22 Jul 2014

Jewish leaders report a rising tide of racism across Western Europe following Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip

by Justin Huggler, Berlin, and Josie Ensor
26 Jul 2014

Fears of violence and anti-Semitism at major protest marches planned in Berlin and other German cities this weekend against Israeli operations in Gaza. European cities are braced for violent clashes this weekend as people take to the streets to protest against Israeli military operations in Gaza.

by Julian Robinson and Sara Malm
17 April 2014

Jews living in the area of the self-declared ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ were ordered to register at a government building operated by pro-Russian forces or face the threat of deportation.  They were ordered to bring the amount of 50 USD for registration fees, passports for marking the confession of faith, documents showing family members, entitling documents for title to real property and transport facilities.