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Switzerland: Jewish family chased by knife-wielding man shouting antisemitic abuse

An Orthodox family in Zurich, Switzerland, have been left shaken after a man chased them with a knife whilst shouting antisemitic abuse at them.

The attack place in Zurich’s 3rd district on Saturday evening. The man started towards the family with the knife and followed them after they fled.

According to the father, the man had approached him in a playground and became aggressive. He look his family home, only to emerge to the man waiting for them with a knife.

A neighbour was able to subdue the attacker until the police arrived. However, the attacker was released after only a day.

Astonishingly, the police have claimed that the “man did not pose a real danger to them, since he was too far away” despite the fact that he had followed them to their home.

The police also said that there is “no clear motive behind the incident, as he is neither a Nazi, nor an Islamist”.

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Swiss neo-Nazi jailed for two years for assaulting Orthodox Jew

A Swiss neo-Nazi has been jailed for 2 years for attacking an Orthodox Jew in Zurich.

The 30-year-old was sentenced yesterday, after attacking the man in 2015. He was also fined 1000 Francs.

The neo-Nazi thug had performed a Nazi salute and verbally abused the Orthodox Jewish man before spitting on him and attacking him.

He has a previous conviction for a similar attack, for which he served 12 of an original 30 months..

There has been a notable increase in antisemitic incidents in Switzerland in recent years, and antisemitic attitudes appear to be relatively common in the country according to ADL research.

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Antisemitic banner displayed at Swiss train station

The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs has intervened after an antisemitic placard was displayed at a Swiss train station.

The advert at the main train station in Zurich shows a girl, who symbolises Europe, kneeling to kiss the feet of Benjamin Netanyahu. The Ministry have requested that the poster is removed.

The image is accompanied with text which translates to “We are breaking the international law by stealing land, expulsion and apartheid but our joker is the conscience of Europe”.

Portraying European countries, amongst the most powerful and prosperous in the world, as bending the knee to Netanyahu rests on the idea that Israel has some undue influence in world affairs. Only by appealing to the idea that Israel is able to manipulate world governments can one suggest that Europe is behaving in such a way. Yet such an idea is inherently antisemitic, playing directly upon antisemitic conspiracy theories to portray Israel in a similar light. According to the definition of antisemitism, “using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g. claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterise Israel or Israelis” is antisemitic.

The poster also calls for sanctions on Israel.

It is unknown whether this is a one-off incident, or whether it is part of a concerted campaign, and if so, whether it has been explicitly allowed by the authorities.

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Youth branch of the Swiss Socialist Democrat party publishes antisemitic cartoon

Reports have emerged of an antisemitic cartoon published by JUSO (Young Socialists of Switzerland), a youth branch of the Socialist Democrat Party of Switzerland.

The cartoon, published on the organisation’s Facebook page, shows Johann Schneider-Ammann, the Swiss president and minister of commerce, being forced to feed a stereotypical Shylock character, complete with locks, Orthodox Jewish dress and large, protruding nose. The president is saying “And one for the international financial lobby!” as he feeds the Shylock figure, while a small child goes ignored and hungry. The cartoon is entitled “The federal council [Swiss government] like its verdict,” implying the Swiss government is under control of a Jewish lobby.

Accusations that Jews control world financial and political systems are popular and powerful antisemtic canards.

JUSO’s Facebook page has over 6,000 followers. The group has since removed the cartoon and published an apology, stating their regret that the cartoon “is open to an interpretation that does not reflect the core values of JUSO” and that it was not their intention to perpetuate antisemitism.

Sources: The New Antisemite, Watson

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Swiss leaflets claim Holocaust is a “myth” used to “extort billions of euros from the German people”

Swiss police are investigating following the discovery of typewritten antisemitic leaflets delivered through mailboxes in Kreuzlingen.

The leaflets were titled “The Myth of the Holocaust” and claimed that the Holocaust was “a deliberately invented lie” spread by “Zionists” and “many Jewish-paid liars” in order to “extort billions of euros from the German people”.

Source: CFCA/Tachles