By Stan Goodenough
Mar 14, 2008
Antisemitism is increasing internationally, fomented by governments and by biased criticism of Israel in the media, according - ironically - to one of Israel's most consistent critics.
In a report tabled before the United States Congress, the State Department decried the fact that "[t]oday, more than 60 years after the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is not just a fact of history, it is a current event."
A particularly noteworthy observation in the "Contemporary Global Anti-Semitism" report was that, while traditional antisemitism is still around, "new antisemitism" is distinguished by "criticism of Zionism or Israeli policy that – whether intentionally or unintentionally – has the effect of promoting prejudice against all Jews by demonizing Israel and Israelis and attributing Israel's perceived faults to its Jewish character."
While such prejudice is prevalent in Muslim countries, it is also fueled by the behavior of the United Nations, which has passed more resolutions condemning Israel than against any other country on the globe.
Various UN agencies are asked each year to investigate what are often "sensationalized reports of alleged atrocities and other violations of human rights by Israel," the document said, according to Ynetnews.
The relentless criticism of Israel "intentionally or not encourages anti-Semitism."