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Rochelle Wilner |
Frank Dimant |
Prof. Stephen Scheinberg |
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Rochelle Wilner |
Frank Dimant |
Prof. Stephen Scheinberg |
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For more than a century B’nai Brith Canada has been monitoring the climate of intolerance in Canada, and documenting all reported antisemitic incidents in our Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents since 1982.
In 1999 there was an 11% increase in reported incidents, continuing a rising trend for the second consecutive year. In the past, antisemitic activities were often linked to specific events . For example, in the years of the Gulf War or the Quebec Referendum, there was a rise in antisemitic sentiments and conduct. Historically, the economy has also played a role in antisemitism — when the economy is up, Jews are safer and when the economy is down, Jews are often the scapegoat as are other minority groups. This year, however, there were no major Canadian events that could have led to this rise and the economy is booming in many parts of the country.
However, the use of the Internet to spread antisemitic ideas continues to proliferate. Websites and chatrooms are increasingly being used to spread the message of white supremacy. This could explain the increase in hate activities in smaller centres in Ontario and in the Atlantic Provinces. With the organization of anti-hate initiatives by larger police forces and subsequent arrests and trials tying up leaders of the hate movement in the larger cities, hate groups must look elsewhere to expand their ranks. Smaller cities in Ontario seem to be a favourite place to recruit, and Internet communication seems to effectively solve any distance problems between leaders and followers.
New recruits to white supremacist organizations, or even those newly indoctrinated with hateful ideas, are often young people. This could explain the prevalence of antisemitism in schools. With exposure to adults who bolster their views, whether teachers, parents, or those met on the Internet, high school students are increasingly choosing Jews as the targets for their adolescent rage and rebellion. Unfortunately, with cutbacks to antiracism initiatives by many school boards, these beliefs may go unchallenged and grow with these children into adulthood. Regrettably, we are noticing increasing racism and antisemitism even in elementary schools.
Numbers of reported incidents in the western provinces are down. It seems that hate- mongers rode the anti-immigration bandwagon and focussed many of their activities on racism this year instead of antisemitism. Some incidents targeted Jews as well as people of colour, such as when a leader of the Aryan Nations was caught putting AN business cards bearing the slogan "Save the White Race" in books and magazines at stores in Prince George, B.C. The Aryan Nations has a long history of violence and is considered to be among the most significant extreme right organizations operating today. In May, however, the Aryan Nations leader, Marty Olsen resigned his leadership role in Canada leaving the Canadian arm of the AN with no representation. A number of specifically antisemitic incidents in this area were a result of a backlash over the British Columbia Human Rights decision in February that found writings by Doug Collins likely to have exposed the Jewish people to hatred and contempt.
Higher numbers of reported incidents may mean a change in reporting patterns rather than an increase in antisemitism. This year, certain segments of the Jewish population reported antisemitic incidents more than previously, most notably in Quebec. Increased fear and vulnerability can lead individuals to seek assistance where previously they may simply have endured the daily indignities of antisemitic harassment and vandalism.
Boundaries between countries are becoming increasingly blurred due to global communication via television and the Internet. Hate themes are disseminated easily and events in one country create ripple effects in others. Over the past year, violence and right wing extremism has flourished in the United States and European countries. With up-to-the-minute news reporting, shots fired in California or Colorado are indeed heard around the world. In the examination of antisemitism and hate in Canada, therefore, it is more and more important to examine the political and social climate in other countries as well. Even in a year with a stronger Canadian economy and no significant Canadian catalytic event, international incidents and trends influenced the level of antisemitism in Canada.
1999 was a year marred by extreme incidents of antisemitic and racial violence in the United States. On April 20th, Hitler’s birthday, two young men went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. It is reported that these teenagers openly admired Nazi ideals, wore Nazi symbols including swastikas, and would give the Nazi "seig heil" salute from time to time. Evidence shows that these two received much of their hate indoctrination from Internet sites. This shooting influenced other subsequent acts of violence in Canada and the U.S.
June saw arson attacks on three Sacramento, California synagogues in one day. Leaflets were dropped at the sites blaming the "International Jew World Order" and the "International Jewsmedia" for the war in Kosovo. In August, Buford Furrow walked into the North Valley Jewish Community Centre in Los Angeles and began firing randomly, wounding three young boys, a teen-age girl and a 68-year-old grandmother working as a receptionist. Furrow told police that he shot up the Jewish Centre to provide a “wake-up call for Americans to kill Jews.” Later in his hate crime spree, he shot and killed Joseph Ileto because he was a minority (Filipino) and a federal worker.
Such violence and acts of hatred are felt throughout the western world. Targets of hate groups feel an increased level of fear caused by the knowledge that these acts of violence could just as easily have happened to them. Hatemongers are empowered and emboldened by the sensationalist news coverage and the exposure of their views across the media. Canadian Jewish organizations reacted to the Furrow shootings by increasing security in all Jewish institutions. Antisemites started using the concepts of “remember Columbine” and the “wake-up call” in their graffiti and hate mail.
Although violence is always shocking and hate motivated violence even more so, international political influences and changes also affect the climate of antisemitism in Canada. The gain in power by right wing parties in Europe bears close watching. Both strong showings in 1999 elections by Joerg Haider, an extreme rightist in Austria, and by István Csurka, an extreme nationalist recently elected in Hungary, are examples of a shift to the right in many European countries. Both these individuals have clear antisemitic leanings and are affecting the political climate in their respective countries. Antisemitism in Poland was reflected in Canada in 1999 by antisemitic writings in Polish language newspapers and by the visits of Polish antisemites who gave lectures on these themes in Canada. The attempts to quiet these voices by members of the Polish community have resulted in threats and intimidation.
Another international influence has been the antisemitic libels issued by the Palestinian Authority that even found their way into official documents of the United Nations. Despite official apologies for the libel that Israeli doctors infected 300 Palestinian children with the AIDS virus, the accusation is still in the historical records of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Another example occurred when Suha Arafat publicly said to Hillary Clinton that Israelis regularly use poison gas against Palestinians and that this causes increased incidence of cancer among women and children. Despite apologies for Suha Arafat’s comments, she was widely defended in the official and unofficial Palestinian press and by some spokespersons for the Palestinian Authority. These claims then found their reflection in the rhetoric used by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in their vicious attacks against Jews in general. Other types of hate propaganda, like The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the antisemitic forgery by the Russian Secret Police at the end of the nineteenth century, travel across the World Wide Web and are being slowly spread and filtered into all parts of Canada.
There have also been continued attempts to link hatred of Jews with hatred of abortion or homosexuality. For example, the Reverend Fred Phelps, from Topeka, Kansas, singles out gays and lesbians as his primary targets, but also devotes a small space to the promotion of hatred against Jews on his website. He was a no-show in his threat to burn the Canadian flag in front of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa in July. He avoided a huge demonstration at that time, but snuck into town to conduct his mischief a few weeks later. He also failed to appear in Toronto in November when he was supposed to come and show his condemnation for a local gay and lesbian scout troop, although a counter demonstration was there in full force. It is no surprise that some of his local supporters are also Holocaust deniers.
Supporters of antisemitic conspiracy theories find themselves side by side with supporters of alien conspiracy theories and UN or US government conspiracy theorists. This has sometimes led to the alliance of those who support action to attack big business, the banks and the multinationals with those who seek to promote hatred against Jews and even with those who believe humans are in a fight to the death with aliens who seek to dominate our life.
Speakers like David Icke from Great Britain provide a case in point. Supporters of the Heritage Front, of the Christian Identity beliefs of the Aryan Nations and Holocaust deniers are drawn to speakers like Icke, who came to Canada in October, 1999. Icke takes elements of his beliefs from almost every conspiracy still current, including elements from antisemitic conspiracy theories. Even though he has admitted The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a forgery, he claims the document still reveals “the truth” that “alien shape shifting reptiles” dominate our lives through elite groups such as “the Illuminati” (Icke’s sly word for the "Elders of Zion" as a way of trying to avoid the antisemitic label).
Icke claims modern Jews are “really” Khazars, despite the fact that the Khazars converted to Judaism over 1200 years ago before many European peoples had converted to Christianity. Christian Identity movements such as the Aryan Nations share this belief with Icke and their followers commonly support him. The fact that Buford Furrow was a member of the Aryan Nations confirms for many Jews that antisemitic ideas, no matter how bizarre, can have terrible real world consequences. They typically further hold that, today, the “real” Jews are the Aryans or the British or some such variant.
Another noticeable trend this year was the number of complaints received about workplace and institutional polices and practices. Even those who would vow that they were not racist or antisemitic, sometimes have absorbed cultural norms which result in systemic discrimination and bias. In Canada, where Jews are a small minority, the tenets of Judaism are often misunderstood or ignored completely. Children’s sports play-offs or graduation ceremonies are scheduled for Friday night when some Jewish children may not be able to participate. Exams are scheduled on the Sabbath or on religious holidays, and accommodation is not always readily or amicably offered. Work places may give a hard time or even threaten dismissal to an employee requesting time off to observe holy days. While Christmas, Easter, and the Christian calendar New Year are mandated by government to be time off, Jews still have to fight to have the time to go to synagogue on Rosh Hashanah or to observe Passover. Christian cultural symbols are supposed to be acceptable for everybody, while the presence of a Jewish symbol is seen as special treatment. For example, in 1999 a Toronto condo association would not allow a menorah to be placed beside a Christmas tree in the lobby arguing that this that would be giving special treatment to Jews. The condo board has revisited the question and, in spite of media pressure, has stuck by their refusal to allow more inclusive decorations.
Stereotypes about Jews are so widely accepted that people do not even realize the views they hold are not objective truths. When Jews fight for their human rights in a society where they are often overlooked, they are accused of being whiny or demanding. When Jews support each other against an often hostile world, they are labelled cliquey. When a few Jewish names appear in the names of people who run companies, then “Jews control the world.” “All Jews are rich.” “All Jews are stingy.” The shame of these biases is that Jews, like other negatively stereotyped groups, can internalize these messages. When they hear these opinions they may not even be perceived as antisemitic. Not only does this directly affect individuals’ self-esteem, but also influences the number of incidents reported for purposes of the Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW
| DEFINITIONS AND DATA COLLECTION
| SUMMARY OF DATA
ANTISEMITISM IN CANADA — REGIONAL CLIMATE AND TRENDS
| HATE IN CANADA: AN OVERVIEW
ANTISEMITIC BIAS AND SYSTEMIC DISCRIMINATION
| CONVERSION CRAZE — MILLENNIUM MADNESS?
THE STRUGGLE AGAINST ANTISEMITISM AND HATE
| APPENDIX A: The Jewish Community in Canada — A Brief Overview
Table 1: NATURE OF ANTISEMITIC INCIDENTS BY YEAR
| Table 2: GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF INCIDENTS
Figure 1: Nature of Antisemitic Incidents by Year
| Figure 2: Three Year Average of Incidents
| Figure 3: Antisemitic Incidents by Region