Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 25 December 2002 — Page 7

December 25. 2002 NAT 3

Reports of anti-Semitism increase

Faith initiative reaction mixed

By RONA TRACHTENBERG In Berlin, protesters shouted anti-Semitic slurs during a street-naming ceremony. In Morocco, a student on trial for helping the Sept. 11 pilots expressed admiration for Hitler's attempt to exterminate the Jewish people. In Egypt, anti-Semitic newspaper articles are being printed that the United Nations panel claims breach international human rights. And a new Egyptian anti-Semitic mini-se-ries, "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion," was aired despite a U.S. attempt to persuade them to reconsider. U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) is recommending that the U.S. cut military aid to Egypt because it teaches hatred against

Jews.

In Greece, the local newspapers have published antiSemitic editorials and cartoons drawing parallels between the Israeli military operation and the Holocaust and comparing Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Hitler. The TV station of Yorgos Karatzaferis, the leader of the far-right Popular Rally Party, has propagated the libel that Israel was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. There has been desecration of the Holocaust memorial in Salonika and in Rhodes and destruction of tombstones in the Jewish cemetery in loannina. In Europe, a recent survey of five European countries found that 21 percent of respondents hold strongly antiSemitic views. In Japan, a cabinet minister withdrew a remark in which he compared "money-grabbing people" to Jews. In Brazil, a Web site called "Sao Paulo White Power" calls for the violent extermination of Jews. Interestingly, the 60,000member Sao Paulo Jewish community recently celebrated the 90th anniversary of its first synagogue. In Budapest, 100 skinheads led a government-sanctioned demonstration amid shouts of

"Hungary is Ours" to prevent Chabad from lighting its outdoor menorah on the sixth

night of Hanukkah.

In Montreal, the Concordia University student government voted to oust its Hillel campus group because a Palestinian student activist complained that Hillel was distributing flyers for Mahal 2000 - a program that allows young Jews to spend several months volunteering in the Israeli Army. A new vote allowed

Hillel back on campus, but they are being denied funds until Hillel signs a statement pledging not to distribute material that the student union finds racist or otherwise offensive. This is the same college where pro-Palestinian rioters caused the cancellation of a speech by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in September. In Toronto, Jewish officials learned that the Mormon Church has ignored the promise it made seven years ago to stop baptizing deceased Jews, including 20,000 Holocaust victims listed in the Mormon's vast International Genealogical Index culled from Central and Eastern Europe Jewish memorial books. Other names included: Rashi, Maimonides, Menachem Begin, Irving Berlin, Samuel Bronfman, Marc Chagall, Hank Greenberg, Albert Einstein, David Ben-

Gurion, Irving Howe, and Gilda Radner. The church claims it can't control its parishioners, who score points by submitting Jewish names for forced conversions of Jewish souls in the afterlife. In Cape Town, the radical Muslim group Kibla staged a march on the 55th anniversary of the 1947 United Nations partition resolution establishing the State of Israel. Young Muslim boys dressed as suicide bombers, wearing Hezbollah headbands and mock dynamite sticks strapped to their chests. The group of 300 demonstrators walked a mile from their downtown mosque to the U.S. Consulate carrying placards that read "Death to America, Death to Israel, Death to Sharon" and shouting, "One American, one bullet." The 7-year-old children then staged a mock attack on a model of an Israeli tank and ripped apart an Israeli flag.

Israel’s Katsav visits Pope John Paul II

VATICAN CITY — Israel President Moshe Katsav visited the Vatican and promised Pope John Paul II Israeli soldiers will withdraw outside of Bethlehem during Christmas unless they must enter to combat terrorists. Katsav was the first Israeli

head of state to visit the Vatican. Israel has occupied Bethlehem repeatedly in a hunt for Palestinians believed to be behind suicide bombings in Israel. John Paul paid an official visit to Israel as part of a tour of the Holy Land in 2000.

PHILADELPHIA — Orthodox and non-Orthodox Jewish groups have split on whether to hail or deplore President Bush's executive order for advancing his faith-based initiative. Bush said the order would correct "discrimination of religious charities by the federal government." At a conference here sponsored by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, he signed the order directing "all federal agencies to follow the principle of equal treatment in awarding socialservice grants." "If a charity is helping the needy, it should not matter if there is a rabbi on the board, or a cross or a crescent on the wall," Bush told the crowd at a hotel here. Before and since winning office, Bush has called for federal funding of faith-based social service programs. Critics, including most Jewish groups, see the initiative as violating the separation of

church and state. Its first director. University of Pennsylvania professor John Dilulio Jr., quit after fewer than eight months on the job. He found it difficult to get measures supporting the initiative through Congress. The executive order lacks the force of statutory law, but Bush said he would continue to seek congressional support for his initiative. The Orthodox Union welcomed his action. The Anti-Defamation League expressed concern that it would allow taxpayer dollars to fund job discrimination and proselytizing. One of the provisions allows a charity preference in hiring from its own faith group for a government-funded position. Objectors included the American Jewish Committee and Hadassah national president Bonnie Lipton. She said the hiring provision "not only weakens our civil rights, but undermines the principles of separation of church and state."

Katsav to Germans:

beware the haters WUPPERTAL, Germany — mate the influence of racist Israeli President Moshe Katsav, fringe groups. Security was in Germany to dedicate a syna- tightened for Katsav after rightgogue, urged Germans to fight ist National Democratic Party anti-Semitism. Katsav warned called on supporters to demonthe Germans not to underesti- strate against him.

KENYA VICTIMS MOURNED— Israeli brothers 12-year-old Noy and 14-year-old Dvir Anter were two of the three Israelis killed by homocide/suicide bombers in Kenya.