ANTI-SEMITISM WATCHDOG SAYS HOLOCAUST DENIAL HAS BECOME RAMPANT

From Worldwide Faith News <[email protected]>
Date Mon, 15 Nov 2010 16:31:30 -0800

GOVERNMENT'S TOP ANTI-SEMITISM WATCHDOG SAYS
HOLOCAUST DENIAL HAS BECOME RAMPANT IN PARTS OF THE WORLD

Contact:  Sharon Bender
202-857-6699 or [email protected]


(Washington, D.C., Nov. 15, 2010) - Hannah 
Rosenthal, the U.S. Department of State's special
envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, told
the B'nai B'rith International Policy Conference
that the very real challenge of her job is how to
make it clear that anti-Semitism "is a disease
that was not cured after World War II."

Noting that anti-Semitism is on the rise
globally, she said her job monitoring and
combating anti-Semitism has been integrated into
all aspects of the State department's work.

Rosenthal talked about the major trends she's
observed, noting, "We see Holocaust denial every
day as an obsession." Holocaust glorification - where 
images of Holocaust victims are shown while 
clerics say the annihilation of the Jews will be 
completed soon - has become rampant in some parts 
of the world. Something she described as "bone 
chilling."

Rosenthal's overriding theme was that diplomacy
does work, albeit slowly at times.

Working at the Department of State, Rosenthal
said she sees the many aspects and trends of
anti-Semitism play out in the world, including
how the global economic downturn could be
dangerous for Jews. She told a story of an
ambassador from a European country to the United
States who reached out to her during recent
economic problems in his country, telling
Rosenthal that when there is unrest and economic
insecurity, someone will be the scapegoat and it
is usually the Jews. But the ambassador said his
government would not tolerate anti-Semitic acts
as a response to troubling times. This, she said, 
"is good progress."

She said of her job the "hardest thing is to
figure out what does success look like? We won't
eradicate the oldest hatred on earth." But to
Rosenthal, success is getting others - people,
communities, nations - to condemn anti-Semitism.
She said each voice that's added is a step forward.

B'nai B'rith International, the Global Voice of
the Jewish Community, is the oldest and most
widely known Jewish humanitarian, human rights,
and advocacy organization.  For 167 years, BBI
has worked for Jewish unity, security,
continuity, and tolerance.  Visit www.bnaibrith.org.
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