Source: Haaretz
Wire Service: Reuters
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/572491.html
On May 2, 2005 Reuters reported, "Anti-Semitic violence and vandalism hit a 15-year high worldwide in 2004, driven mostly by a rise in attacks by marginalized Muslim immigrants in developed countries, a new Israeli study said yesterday. In its annual report, Tel Aviv University's Stephen Roth Institute accused Russia, Ukraine and Belarus of not doing enough to combat anti-Semitism but said the European Union had stepped up its efforts. The study cited frustration among young Muslim immigrants in countries such as France, Britain and Canada as the main factor in increased anti-Jewish incidents, but said anger over Israel's handling of a Palestinian uprising had also contributed. Researchers recorded 482 anti-Semitic incidents in 2004, including physical assaults and desecration of Jewish graves, plus a further 19 'major attacks' - defined as intent to kill - such as shootings and arson. This compared with 330 incidents and 30 major attacks in 2003, a combined increase of 39 percent. The 2004 figures showed a more than sixfold rise since 1989, when the institute began collecting statistics. There were 31 major attacks that year."