Extremists use Internet to spread anti-Semitism

Extremist groups are turning to new methods of spreading anti- Semitic propaganda, such as the Internet, in order to sanitise it and avoid legal obstacles, according to a survey published today.

The report on global anti-Semitism, by the London-based Institute for Jewish Policy Research, also voices concern about the electoral success of far-right political parties such as the National Front in France and Austria's Freedom Party.

However, it says that overall, incidents of hostility and violence towards Jews continued to decline worldwide in 1996, reversing an upsurge in the late 1980s.

Antony Lerman, director of the institute, said yesterday: "Contemporary anti-Semitism, despite its occasionally violent form and its deeply unpleasant nature, poses little threat to Jewish existence. It is clear that anti- Semitism does not resonate with significant sections of the public in the way that it once did, and that it cannot be used to mobilise anything other than small, insignificant fringe groups."

Militant action against Jews by Islamic communities in a number of countries, including Britain, is an area highlighted by the report. In Britain, decisive action by police has led to a fall in the number of the anti-Semitic incidents for the third consecutive year, it says.

Mr Lerman said new ways were being found of "packaging" and disseminating anti-Jewish sentiment; dressing it up as opposition to Zionism, for instance, or disguising it as pseudo-academic debate in the form of Holocaust denial. "This is because extremists are finding that they cannot get their message across in the traditional forms," he said.

The report, produced jointly with the American Jewish Committee, says the Internet is a growth area for the publication of neo-Nazi material. But this is counterbalanced by the large number of anti-racist Web sites.

The zeal with which racists have embraced the Internet has also facilitated the task of monitoring them, according to the survey. Outlining other developments in 1996, it says there was an anti-Jewish backlash in response to allegations about the conduct of Swiss authorities in relation to gold expropriated from Jews by the Nazis and deposited in Swiss banks. However, the level of hostility provoked was not as great as had been feared.

In the 60 countries where anti-Semitism is monitored, the number of incidents fell in 1996, except in Australia. In general, there was less violence in the form of attacks on people and property, and a greater incidence of verbal threats and anti-Jewish graffiti. This, says the report, was a reversal of the situation a few years ago, and partly the result of improved policing. Among politicians such as Jean Marie Le-Pen, it says anti-Semitism has been displaced by other forms of racism with more populist appeal. "Jews clearly occupy a low place on the list of propaganda targets, and are simply one element of a xenophobic world view." The report says the trends identified in 1996 tend to be "specific problems occurring in a climate in which anti-Semitism remains socially unacceptable".