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Terror suspects’ phone had a photos of Mumbai Chabad centre 

Police in India have found photos of a Chabad centre in Mumbai on a phone that allegedly belongs to two terror suspects. 

The suspects, Mohammed Imran, 23, and Mohammed Yunus Saki, 24, were arrested on 18th July in relation to a planned attack in another location. 

They are believed to be members of Al-Sufa, an Islamist terror group. The group is reportedly being investigated by the Maharashtra State Anti-Terrorism Squad for potential links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). 

Earlier this year, Campaign Against Antisemitism wrote to all MPs calling on them to back the Government’s reported proposal to proscribe IRGC under the Terrorism Act 2000.

We have provided the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, and the Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat, and all MPs with a dossier on the IRGC, detailing its horrendous record of antisemitism and violence against Jewish people.

Following the arrests of Mr Imran and Mr Saki, police found drone equipment and explosives among the suspects’ possessions. 

The Centre was previously the target of an attack in 2008, which left eight people dead. The attack was part of a series of attacks that were orchestrated by Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamist group based in Pakistan. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism worldwide.

Image credit: Google

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New Bollywood film compares romantic relationship to the Holocaust 

“Bawaal”, a new Bollywood romantic comedy available on Amazon Prime, is under fire for making multiple comparisons between a romantic relationship and the Holocaust. 

According to the film’s synopsis, the film follows Ajay Dixit, a history teacher in India, navigating his “strained relationship with his newly-wed wife” while on a trip in Europe. 

Throughout the film, the Holocaust is used as a point of comparison for the couple’s relationship. 

At one point, the couple is told that “every relationship goes through its Auschwitz”. 

During another scene, Ajay says to his wife: “We’re all a little like Hitler, aren’t we?”

There are also scenes filmed at Auschwitz concentration camp. 

In one scene, the couple is trapped in a gas chamber, with what appears to be victims of the Holocaust, wearing striped clothing and being suffocated with pesticides. 

Varun Dhawan, who plays Ajay, said of his visit to the concentration camp that he “couldn’t bear to see the shoes and other belongings of the children there”.  

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “The Holocaust saw the systematic genocide of six million Jewish men, women and children. Its use as a cheap prop is sickening. This film has rightfully been criticised for its vapid imagery of the Auschwitz death camp. The writers, producers, funders and everyone responsible for bringing this to our screens should be utterly ashamed.”

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Antisemitic former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad welcomed by leading British Muslim groups

Numerous leading British Muslim organisations have welcomed an antisemitic former Malaysian Prime Minister on his visit to the UK.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad is a proud antisemite: in 2012 he insisted that he is “glad to be labelled as antisemitic…How can I be otherwise, when the Jews who so often talk of the horrors they suffered during the Holocaust show the same Nazi cruelty and hard-heartedness towards not just their enemies but even towards their allies should any try to stop the senseless killing of their Palestinian enemies.”

His record bears out this antisemitism:

  • In 2019, he declared in a speech to the UN General Assembly that the “Because of the creation of Israel, there is now enmity towards the Muslims and Islam.” He also reportedly claimed: “If you are going to be truthful, the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel. That is the truth. But I cannot say that.” 
  • In 2018, he said in a BBC Hard Talk interview that “If you are going to be truthful, the problem in the Middle East began with the creation of Israel. That is the truth. But I cannot say that.”
  • In 2012, he claimed in a speech to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference that “The Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them.”
  • He also described sympathy with Jewish victims of the Holocaust as “wasted and misplaced.”
  • In 2003, he argued at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit in Kuala Lumpur that “1.3 billion Muslims cannot be defeated by a few million Jews…There must be a way. And we can only find a way if we stop to think, to assess our weaknesses and our strength, to plan, to strategize and then to counterattack. We are actually very strong. 1.3 billion people cannot be simply wiped out. The Europeans killed six million Jews out of 12 million.”
  • In 1994, during his premiership, he oversaw a ban on the film Schindler’s List by Malaysia censors, reportedly saying in response to claims that the film was banned due to antisemitism: “I am not antisemitic but I am anti-Zionist expansionism and the conquest of Arab territories by the Zionists.”
  • In his 1970 book The Makay Dilemma, he said that “The Jews are not merely hook-nosed, but understand money instinctively” and that “they are hook-nosed. Many people called the Malays fat-nosed. We didn’t object, we didn’t go to war for that.”

Speaking to the Oxford Union in 2019, he was pressed on his views on Jews and said: “We talk about freedom of speech, but yet you cannot say anything against Israel, against the Jews, why is that so? If we are free to say what we like, we can say something that is regarded as antisemitic by the Jews, that is their right, to hold such an opinion of me. It is my right to tell them, also, that they have been doing a lot of wrong things.”

In 2019, at the Cambridge Union, Dr Mohamad said when asked about his past comments about Jews: “I have some Jewish friends, very good friends. They are not like the other Jews. That’s why they are my friends.” On his views on the Holocaust, he said: “The Israelis should know from the sufferings they went through in the war not to treat others like that.” He denied previously stating that only four million died in the Holocaust, although he had made that comment on the record. According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis” is an example of antisemitism. On antisemitism, he said: “Of course if you say anything against the Jews, you are labelled antisemitic. No other race in the world labels people like that, why is it forbidden to criticise the Jews when other people criticise us?” He added that: “The Jews do a lot of wrong things, which force us to pass comment.”

Notwithstanding his record, Dr Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister who was in office for 22 years from 1981 to 2003 and then again between 2018 and 2020, was greeted as an honoured guest on his UK visit last month. He delivered an “exclusive private briefing” at the Asia House think tank and attended an event with British Muslim community and business leaders.

The schedule was organised by the UK-based Islam Channel, which was fined £20,000 by Ofcom in 2020 for broadcasting a programme that included “antisemitic hate speech”. The channel said: “We were all inspired by the insightful conversations and impactful moments shared by one of the world’s esteemed leaders.” Its founder, Mohamed Ali Harrath, who interviewed Dr Mohamad, told him: “We can’t see you passing by London without seizing the opportunity to speak to you and benefit from your wisdom.”

Dr Mohamad also reportedly held a meeting to discuss “governance, development, civilisation, leadership” with a group that included Mohammed Kozbar, who is the Chairman of the Finsbury Park Mosque and a former Vice President of the Muslim Association of Britain, which courted controversy last year when it mourned the death of the antisemitic Islamist cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Mr Kozbar reportedly wrote on Facebook that he was “honoured” to meet the Malaysian leader. He added: “What an inspirational figure, a fruitful and constructive dialogue about Muslims in the West, I really benefited from his wisdom and experience.”

The former Prime Minister also held a “lunchtime lecture” at the Dar Ul-Isra Mosque in Cardiff, hosted by the Muslim Council of Wales, which said that it was “honoured” by his visit and his “inspiring” lecture.

At the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK at Cardiff University, he was presented with a Welsh translation of the Quran etched onto slate.

A Cardiff University spokesperson told the JC: “A roundtable event attended by the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad was held at Cardiff University in June. The event was jointly organised by the Muslim Council of Wales, Perdana Foundation, and the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK and attended by a range of civil society Muslim leaders from across Cardiff. It’s important to stress that the event was focused on a variety of subjects including development and leadership. At no point were such comments made nor were they a focus of any discussion. For the avoidance of doubt, the hosting of the former Prime Minister is not in any way an endorsement of the antisemitic comments attributed to the former Prime Minister and we condemn such comments in the strongest possible terms.”

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Antisemitic abuse heard at scene of riots in Manipur, India

Antisemitic abuse was reported at the scene of riots in Manipur, India.

Two synagogues and 210 Jewish homes were burned down in the riot this week. Members of the Bnei Menashe community in Manipur reported that rioters shouted “go back to Israel where you belong” while attacking their community. 

There has been ongoing violence in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur since the start of this month following ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki tribes over Government benefits and quotas. The Bnei Menashe are part of the wider Kuki tribal umbrella. Local Government Minister Awangbow Newmani reported that six people have been killed, one of whom was a Jewish father.

The Indian Government has imposed a curfew on the area and suspended internet service in a bid to quell the violence.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism worldwide.

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Hitler’s birthday celebrated at restaurant in central Taiwan 

A group was spotted celebrating Hitler’s birthday and posing with Nazi flags at a restaurant in central Taiwan. 

James Curly (姆士捲), a Taiwanese social media influencer, posted an image of the group holding up Nazi flags on his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Mr. Curly told Taiwan News that he saw the men greet one another with Nazi salutes and overheard that they were celebrating Hitler’s birthday, which falls on 20th April.

Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism worldwide.

Image credit: James Curly

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“He said the Holocaust is a hoax on live TV…it destroyed my heart”: Rabbi of Indonesia’s only synagogue on bringing Holocaust education to his country

Rabbi Yaakov Baruch, the rabbi of Indonesia’s only synagogue, Shaar HaShamayim, appeared on the most recent episode of Podcast Against Antisemitism to discuss why he feels compelled to create education on the Holocaust for his country.

Rabbi Baruch discussed how, in partnership with Israel’s Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center, he created Indonesia’s first ever Holocaust exhibition. His motivation behind the creation partly stemmed from his desire to commemorate his own relatives who were killed during the Holocaust, stating that his grandmother lost 40 relatives. Rabbi Baruch also wants to educate Indonesians about the Holocaust, which he believes is desperately needed. 

Rabbi Baruch said that he believes that many Indonesians are still either ignorant of the atrocities of the Holocaust or think that it may have not occurred at all, with some even posting swastikas and images of Adolf Hitler to their social media accounts. He revealed that many visitors to his Holocaust exhibition thanked him for his work, saying that they never imagined that such events could have taken place. Rabbi Baruch said: “Many Indonesians don’t know about [the Holocaust], and [those] who know the Holocaust know mostly from Holocaust denial groups.”

Rabbi Baruch told our host that during a televised appearance in Indonesia, he was confronted by a Holocaust denier. “When I was on local TV talking about the Holocaust museum…he said that the Holocaust is a hoax on live TV. It so destroyed my heart. But what I can do is, I can tell him that this is not a hoax, that’s why I’m doing this.”

Despite this, however, Rabbi Baruch is pleased that the exhibition has largely received positive feedback from locals of all backgrounds, including the local government, though some Muslim groups had criticised it and accused Rabbi Baruch’s exhibition of attempting to normalise relations with Israel. However, this has not deterred him.

“I tell them what we do is nothing to do with the conflict in the Middle East…the Holocaust happened before the State of Israel, before the [creation] of Indonesia, even. I just want to share the history,” he says.

The podcast with Rabbi Baruch can be listened to here, or watched here.

Podcast Against Antisemitism, produced by Campaign Against Antisemitism, talks to a different guest about antisemitism each week. It streams every Thursday and is available through all major podcast apps and YouTube. You can also subscribe to have new episodes sent straight to your inbox. Previous guests have included comedian David Baddiel, The Sunday Telegraph columnist Zoe Strimpel and actor Eddie Marsan.

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Indonesian Muslim groups allege country’s first-ever Holocaust exhibition is simply attempt to normalise Israel relations 

Indonesian Muslim groups have alleged that the country’s first-ever Holocaust exhibition is simply an attempt to normalise relations with Israel, calling for the closure of the exhibit.

The exhibition was launched to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January and was featured at Shaar HaShamayim, Indonesia’s only synagogue, located in North Sulawesi province. The exhibition, titled “Shoah: How is it Humanly Possible?”, was created by the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

Rabbi Yaakov Baruch, the synagogue’s rabbi, stated that “When I had this idea to build a Holocaust museum, the reason was to remember my family who died in the Holocaust on my grandmother’s side.” He also added that he wanted to “educate Indonesians on the danger of antisemitism, especially the danger of hate crimes.”

However, despite Rabbi Baruch’s personal connection to the exhibition, Muslim groups have called for its closure over allegations that the exhibition is an attempt to normalise relations with Israel. 

Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, the Head of Foreign Relations and International Cooperation of the Indonesian Ulema Council, a top Islamic scholar’s body also known as MUI, said: “We demand any exhibition be stopped and the museum be cancelled [and] discontinued.”

“Jewish communities and the descendants of Jewish people everywhere, including in Indonesia and North Sulawesi, should also see fairly clearly the brutal acts that have been perpetrated by Israeli Zionists against the Palestinian people since 1948.”

Objections were also raised by Hidayat Nur Wahid, Deputy Speaker of Indonesia’s legislative branch, the People’s Consultative Assembly, over the exhibition’s links to Israel’s Yad Vashem.

However, criticism of the exhibition was not unanimous among Indonesia’s Muslim community, as Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organisation, not only in Indonesia but also the world, spoke out in favour of the exhibition. 

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Azerbaijan to commemorate International Holocaust Memorial Day for first time

The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has announced that for the first time, Azerbaijan will commemorate International Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27th. 

The decision reportedly arose after a meeting with New York-based rabbi, Rabbi Marc Schneier, who said of their encounter: “President Aliyev said in response, ‘We would very much like to do this, and to be a part of it,’ and said that he would instruct his Foreign Ministry to coordinate with Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan in planning the commemoration events for the day.”

“I think this is one more step, one more benchmark in Aliev’s unparalleled solidarity and commitment to his indigenous Jewish community, and to world Jewry and the State of Israel,” he continued.

President Aliyev also agreed to provide funding to the only Jewish school in Azerbaijan, the Chabad Ohr Avner Jewish school in Baku, the country’s capital.

Rabbi Schneier added: “All around the Muslim world, we are seeing miracles of a bold new support for Jewish life and partnership between our communities. This magnanimous demonstration by President Aliyev is truly an astounding example of goodwill at the highest level, and mirrors Azerbaijan’s wholehearted commitment to the embrace of its Jewish population. I express my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to President Aliyev for his profound commitment to interreligious cooperation and coexistence.”

Azerbaijani Chief Rabbi Schneor Segal, a leader of the Alliance of Rabbis in Islamic States, also praised the President’s pledge to assist the school financially. “Azerbaijan is taking the concept of tolerance to a whole different level than what we see anywhere else in the world,” said Rabbi Segal. “For decades, the Jewish community has enjoyed a comfortable and peaceful life, without experiencing any sign of antisemitism. The government is truly committed to supporting and strengthening the future of the Jewish community in Azerbaijan. We are thankful to President Aliyev for his constant care for the Jewish population.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has launched a new weekly podcast. New episodes of Podcast Against Antisemitism are available every Thursday and can be streamed here or downloaded wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Concern raised after Chinese state-run news outlet proposes “final solution of the Taiwan question”

Concern has been raised after a Chinese state-run news outlet proposed a “final solution to the Taiwan question”.

The term was used on Twitter by Global News, which is self-described as “China’s national English language newspaper”. It said: “The CPC’s warning against secessionism is not just talking the talk, and whether the final solution of Taiwan question will be peaceful or not, the secessionists will be judged, condemned and punished.”

Frank Müller-Rosentritt, a member of the German Parliament and its Committee on Foreign Affairs, compared the terminology to Nazi propaganda. The Final Solution (Die Endloesung), or the Final Solution of the Jewish Problem, is the name given by the Nazis to their programme to exterminate six million Jews during the Holocaust.

Mr Müller-Rosentritt said: “If a Chinese propaganda medium operates with historically loaded terms, then all alarm bells should ring for us against the background of our history.”

One Twitter user replied to the article by saying: “As a German living in Taiwan I never ever want to hear anyone talking about a ‘final solution’. This is disgraceful.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Outrage online after host club in Osaka holds Nazi-themed night

A host club in Japan has come under fire after holding a Nazi-themed night, it was revealed recently. 

Host clubs are a type of nightclub where female staff members are paid to drink and spend time with male customers. In some instances, customers are presented with a “menu” of available hosts.

Twitter users were dismayed to find out that the Unfair Club in Osaka chose to host a theme night in which staff wore Nazi uniforms. 

In addition to this, the event released promotional material advertising the night featuring swastikas. A photo of the inside of the club shows someone surrounded by bottles of alcohol that display swastikas on them, and is sitting in front of a large swastika that has been mounted on the wall.

One user wrote: “This is what the inside of the Nazi host club looks like. Ignorance and stupidity at its finest.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Chinese state news agency condemned for “antisemitic” cartoon of Antony Blinken

The Chinese state news agency, Xinhua News, has been condemned for posting an “antisemitic” cartoon of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is Jewish.

The tweet, posted on 30th July, depicted Secretary Blinken with devil horns and a nose that was exaggerated in size, a key feature in antisemitic Nazi propaganda. It also portrayed him towering over the Director of the World Health Organisation in a manner that seemed to imply global control, a common antisemitic trope. Accompanying the cartoon read: “U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Kuwait”

In a tweet on Friday, the American Jewish Committee condemned the cartoon as “antisemitic” and “despicable”. It added: “Xinhua’s depiction of @SecBlinken, a Jew and stepson of a Holocaust survivor, utilises overt tropes of antisemitism, including a large nose, devil horns, and accusations of global control. What a shameful display.”

This is not the first instance of Chinese state-affiliated media being charged of antisemitism. In May, China Global Television Network (CGTN) was accused of airing a programme that expressed “blatant antisemitism”. Presenter Zheng Junfeng discussed the motivation behind the United States’ support for Israel, stating that “some people believe that US pro-Israeli policy is traceable to the influence of wealthy Jews in the US and the Jewish lobby on US foreign policy makers.” Persisting with the antisemitic stereotype, Mr Zheng went on to say that “Jews dominate finance and internet sectors…so do they have the powerful lobbies some say? Possible.”

In June, Secretary Blinken called for reforms of UNRWA textbooks including “taking steps to ensure the content of all educational materials currently taught in UNRWA-administered schools and summer camps is consistent with the values of human rights and tolerance and does not induce incitement.” He stated that UNRWA “disseminates antisemitic and anti-Israel material in its curricula,” and advised that the State Department would be “looking very, very carefully” at the processes UNRWA uses to deal with hateful educational materials.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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South Korea adopts International Definition of Antisemitism

South Korea has adopted the International Definition of Antisemitism.

The news was revealed last week when South Korea’s Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong informed Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid during a phone call that the country would be adopting the Definition.

Akiva Tor, Israel’s Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, tweeted the news and said that the two ministers “had a great conversation.”

Currently, South Korea is the first and only country in Asia to have adopted the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism applauds the decision. Britain was the first country in the world to adopt the International Definition, something for which Campaign Against Antisemitism and Lord Pickles worked hard over many meetings with officials at Downing Street. Last month, we reported that Switzerland had adopted the Definition.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Jemima Goldsmith calls out leading Pakistani politician for antisemitic comment about her children

Jemima Goldsmith has called out a leading Pakistani politician for making an antisemitic comment about Ms Goldsmith’s children.

Pakistani Prime Minister and former cricketer Imran Khan, who has two sons with his former wife, Ms Goldsmith, recently spoke at a rally in Kashmir in which he made reference to the son of Maryam Nawaz, the Vice-President of the Pakistani Muslim League and daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Mr Khan accused Ms Nawaz’s family of corruption, attacking her son for playing polo at the University of Cambridge in the UK, saying: “The common man cannot play polo – a kings’ sport. You need a lot of money to keep a horse and play polo. So tell us where this dear grandson [of the former Prime Minister] got this money from. It’s the people’s money.”

Ms Nawaz responded by noting that her son is the team captain and brings honour to his country, adding: “He is Nawaz Sharif’s grandson, not Goldsmith’s, and he is not being raised in the lap of Jews.”

Ms Goldsmith reacted on Twitter saying “I left Pakistan in 2004 after a decade of antisemitic attacks by the media & politicians (& weekly death threats & protests outside my house). But still it continues” 

Responding on Twitter, Ms Nawaz said: “I have absolutely no interest in you, your sons or your personal lives because I have better things to do and say but if your ex drags in families of others out of spite, others will have nastier things to say. You have only your ex to blame.”

Earlier this year, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister was accused of casually peddling an antisemitic trope live on CNN.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Olympics opening ceremony director fired day before event for making Holocaust joke

Kentaro Kobayashi, the Director for the Olympic Games’ opening ceremony, has been fired the day before the ceremony is scheduled to begin for making a joke about the Holocaust.

The joke in question occurred in 1998 when Mr Kobayashi, a former comedian, performed a live sketch in which he held up paper dolls and said to his comedy partner that they were “the ones from that time you said ‘let’s play the Holocaust’.”

A video of the sketch surfaced on Twitter yesterday, prompting outrage.

Mr Kobayashi has released a statement in light of his release as Director which read: “Entertainment should not make people feel uncomfortable. I understand that my stupid choice of words at that time was wrong, and I regret it.”

Last year, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) apologised for posting a tweet that appeared to celebrate the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games hosted by Nazi Germany.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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TikTok antisemitism increases by 912% according to new study

Antisemitic content on the social media platform TikTok has increased by 912%, according to a new study.

According to research from Dr Gabriel Weimann of the University of Haifa and Natalie Masri of IDC Herzliya’s Institute for Counter-Terrorism, antisemitic comments on TikTok grew 912% from 41 in 2020 to 415 in 2021, and the platform saw 61 antisemitic postings so far this year compared to 43 last year. 

Antisemitic tropes and images that were used in video content included Nazi salutes, diminishing the impact of the Holocaust, and propagating caricatures of Jews with long, hooked noses. 

Antisemitic usernames, such as “@holocaustwasgood” and “@eviljews”, increased a staggering 1,375% from four in 2020 to 59 in 2021. 

Dr Weimann expressed concern that the platform’s algorithm lends itself to suggesting further hateful content to users who may have clicked on dangerous videos, rather than restricting them. He said that “TikTok’s catering to young, impressionable and naive audiences, combined with bad-faith actors who are posting hateful content online, is something that should be taken very seriously,” before warning that some users may fall down “a rabbit hole of hatred.”

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism said: “This dramatic increase in antisemitism on TikTok is an urgent concern, particularly because of the platform’s appeal to younger users.

“Social media platforms can act as hotspots for the dissemination of racist tropes and conspiracy theories. Technology companies, therefore, have a responsibility to enforce their own policies, ensure their algorithms do not promote antisemitic material and remove dangerous posts and ban repeat offenders.

“Last year, a TikTok Director declared the company’s intention to intensify its removal of antisemitic content. Instead, the reverse appears to be the case. TikTok must prove it is serious about tackling antisemitism not with empty words but with real action.”

This report follows a similar one released last year which revealed that the social media platform was infested with far-right antisemitism and Holocaust denial.

In May, Lily Ebert, a Holocaust survivor and educator, had her TikTok videos targeted by antisemitic trolls praising Hitler.

In October of last year, a director at TikTok told a Knesset Committee that hatred had “no place” on the video-sharing platform and that they would increase their efforts to remove antisemitic content.

Last summer, we reported that numerous users of the social media video platform were pretending to be Holocaust survivors in an abominable new antisemitic trend dubbed “trauma porn”.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has long called for tougher regulations on social media sites and that social networks proactively search for and remove hate speech from their platforms.

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Chinese state TV programme accused of “blatant antisemitism” after anchor claims “Jews dominate finance and and internet sectors”

Chinese state TV has been accused of airing a programme which expressed “blatant antisemitism”.

Last week on the China Global Television Network (CGTN), presenter Zheng Junfeng discussed the motivation behind the United States’ support for Israel, stating that “some people believe that US pro-Israeli policy is traceable to the influence of wealthy Jews in the US and the Jewish lobby on US foreign policy makers.”

Persisting with the antisemitic stereotype, Mr Zheng went on to say that “Jews dominate finance and and internet sectors…so do they have the powerful lobbies some say? Possible.”

According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Making mendacious, dehumanising, demonising, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions” is an example of antisemitism.

CGTN is the international division of the state-owned China Central Television (CCTV).

The Israeli embassy in China tweeted: “We have hoped that the times of the ‘Jew’s controlling the world’ conspiracy theories were over, unfortunately antisemitism has shown its ugly face again. We are appalled to see blatant antisemitism expressed in an official Chinese media outlet.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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United States “deeply concerned” by Pakistan Court ruling to release Daniel Pearl’s Killers

The United States has expressed deep concerns over the recent Sindh High Court ruling to release several convicted terrorists responsible for the abduction and murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl.

On 24th December 2020, the Sindh High Court issued an order for the release of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Fahad Naseem, Sheikh Adil and Salman Saqib as their convictions were overturned.

Mr Sheikh was sentenced to death by a Pakistani court in 2002 for organising and leading the kidnap and murder of Mr Pearl. The four accused have been in jail for the last eighteen years after the Jewish Wall Street Journal reporter was brutally murdered in the country’s capital in January of that year.

In April 2019, a lower court had commuted Mr Sheikh’s sentence to a seven-year prison term and advocated for his immediate release. Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled that his detention should be extended for a week and it would then rule on his potential release while the case was appealed.

The Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs of the US State Department tweeted that the accused have not been released at this time and that the case is ongoing. The four are reportedly being held under the emergency orders of the local government throughout an ongoing appeal against their acquittals.

According to acting US Attorney-General Jeffrey Rosen, if efforts to reinstate Mr Sheik’s conviction are not successful the United States “stands ready” to take custody of him to stand trial.

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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Kaifeng Jews suffer under Beijing’s religious crackdown

China’s crackdown on unapproved religions is impacting Kaifeng’s Jewish community, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Despite numbering barely 1,000, the Jewish community of Kaifeng is reportedly falling foul of Beijing’s campaign to erase non-sanctioned religions. An ancient well and stones marking a 12th-century synagogue have been removed or have vanished beneath cement as the authorities strive to erase Jewish history from the area. The authorities have also reportedly torn down the Hebrew signs indicating “Teaching Torah Lane” while a building used for holding services has a security camera directed at its entrance and it has been plastered with posters about China’s “management of religious affairs” and reminders that Judaism is prohibited.

Jewish schools have been closed and exhibits documenting the history of Jews in Kaifeng have also disappeared from a museum and a historic guild hall.

Unable to obtain Jewish religious materials, members of the Jewish community pass around dog-eared pamphlets compiled when Jewish scholars, rabbis and tourists flocked to Kaifeng as China opened up in the 1990s. Now, one resident explained, “no print shop dares to help us copy these”.

Groups such as the Sino-Judaic Institute and Shavei Israel had previously set up centres and helped some to emigrate. But both groups were among the first targets of the Government crackdown and expelled a few years ago.

Jews first settled in China’s historic former capital over 1,000 years ago. Of the 1,000 Kaifeng residents who claim Jewish heritage only around 100 are practising Jews. Yet the Jews in Kaifeng are remarkably resilient, and have found ways to keep their faith alive. Each week, meetings are supposedly held in secret to celebrate Shabbat, and candles to mark Chanukah were lit over the festival. “Whatever we do, we’re always very careful to make sure the authorities don’t find out,” one man said.

A local man, who said he dreamed of training in Israel to be a rabbi, claimed it was “Government policy” to “make sure the next generation doesn’t have any Jewish identity.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.

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American-Jewish leadership appeals to US and Pakistan to keep Daniel Pearl killer behind bars

Amid uncertainty over the continued detention of the Islamist terrorist convicted in Pakistan of the murder of American-Jewish journalist Daniel Pearl, a statement by a leading American Jewish organisation said that Mr Pearl’s murderer “should be behind bars for the rest of his days”.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations, issued its statement after it appeared that Mr Pearl’s murderer, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh  –   a British national  –   could be released imminently.

Mr Sheikh was sentenced to death by a Pakistani court in 2002 for masterminding the kidnap and murder of Mr Pearl. The Jewish Wall Street Journal reporter was murdered in the capital, Karachi, in January of that year.

However, earlier this year, a lower court commuted Mr Sheikh’s sentence to a seven-year prison term and argued that he should be released immediately as he had already served eighteen years.

Responding to an appeal from the Pearl family’s lawyer, Faisal Siddiqui, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled that Mr Sheikh’s detention should be extended for another week. The court will then rule on whether to release Mr Sheikh or keep him in custody while his case is again appealed.

Following the hearing and noting that the appeal “could take years”, Mr Siddiqui told the AP news agency that he was pressing for Mr Sheikh’s continued incarceration during the appeal process.

Mr Siddiqui added that there was “ample evidence” to dismiss Mr Sheikh’s appeal. “There is eye-witness evidence, there is forensic evidence, there are confessional statements,” he said.

In a statement welcoming the Pakistani Supreme Court’s decision not to release Mr Sheikh, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations said: “This killer should be behind bars for the rest of his days. Anything less would be a painful insult to the Pearl family. They have suffered enough in the years since this atrocity occurred.”

Those responsible for the death of “an American citizen” who affirmed his Jewishness with his last words, were “motivated by their hatred of who he was and must be held accountable, the organisation said, adding: “We call on the US government to do all it can to ensure that justice is served in this case.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist us with this project.

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Campaign Against Antisemitism is a volunteer-led charity dedicated to exposing and countering antisemitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law. Everything that we do is done by people who volunteer their time, using donations contributed by members of the public. Join the fight against antisemitism by subscribing to our updates, volunteering, or donating.