greece 2003-4

 

The pattern of desecration of Jewish sites, such as Holocaust memorials, noted since the beginning of the second intifada continued. Demonization of Israel and the Jews in the media and by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis also persisted.

 

the jewish community

The current Jewish population of Greece is estimated at approximately 5,000 out of a total population of 10 million, 3,000 of whom live in Athens. The Kentriko Israilitiko Symvoulio (Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece – KIS) is the governing body of the Jewish communities.

 

political organizations and extra-party groups

The nationalist, xenophobic and antisemitic LAOS (Popular Orthodox Herald) party, won a seat in the June 2004 European Parliamentary elections. The seat has been taken by George Karatzaferis, leader of the party. It should be noted that LAOS has joined multi-lateral structures such as Euro-Parliament’s Union for Europe of the Nations (UEN) and the broader Alliance for Europe of the Nations which also includes Ireland’s Fianna Fail of former EU president Bertie Ahern, Italy’s Allenza Nazionale and Portugal’s CDS – Popular Party, as well as Israel’s Likud party.

            Chrissi Avgi (Golden Dawn), the main neo-Nazi organization in Greece, publishes a newspaper under the same name. A few ultra-nationalist and/or xenophobic publications (newspapers and magazines) regularly provide a forum for antisemitic views. In addition to Chrissi Avgi and Alpha Ena (the LAOS weekly publication), these include Stochos (traditional extreme right weekly), Orthodoxos Typos (unofficial Greek Orthodox Church fundamentalist Christian weekly), and Eleftheri Ora and Neoi Anthropoi (daily and weekly owned by Gregory Michalopoulos, which defends the military junta that ruled Greece, 1967–74). Similarly, radio programs and national (such as TeleAsty) and local (such as Thessaloniki – also owned by Karatzaferis) TV channels are regular purveyors of antisemitism. These have a low audience rating.

 

antisemitic activity

The pattern of vandalism of Jewish sites noted since the outbreak of the second intifada continued in 2003 and the first half of 2004. In February 2003 swastikas were sprayed on the Holocaust memorial in Thessaloniki. In August neo-Nazi symbols and slogans were painted on the walls and doorframe of the synagogue in Ioannina (Epirus), and two months later the Holocaust memorial at the cemetery in Ioannina was desecrated with slogans such as “Death to the Jews” and “Jews Out.” No one was arrested.

            The Greek media, as well as Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, continued to demonize Israel and Jews (see ASW 2002/3). At a press conference in November Theodorakis called the Jews “the root of all evil.” After strong protests from the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and the Israeli government, a Greek government spokesman said the Greek government did not share the composer’s views. Director of Yad Vashem Avner Shalev described the silence of the ministers of education and culture of the previous PASOK government (Panhellenic Socialist Movement – which was in office then) who were present at the press conference as more damaging than Theodorakis’ words.

            Some articles and cartoons compared Israeli conduct to Nazi practices. Following the assassination of Ahmad Yasin in March 2004, the major dailies Eleftheorotypia and Ta Nea published cartoons (on 23, 24 and 27 March) depicting Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as a butcher in Nazi garb and inferring that the Easter assassination was reminiscent of the Jews killing Jesus.

            In May 2004 Kostas Betinakis, former foreign editor of Ta Nea, the largest newspaper in Greece, accused Greek Jews of being puppets of the Israeli government and of censoring criticism of Israeli policies, which Betinakis labeled “fascist.” His comments were a response to the letter of protest written by the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece to the Journalists Union about antisemitism in the media, following the series of cartoons defaming Ariel Sharon. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other Jewish organizations also sent letters of protest to the Greek government over antisemitic expressions in the Greek press.

On 19 June a regular columnist in Alpha Ena, the weekly organ of LAOS, wondered why “Jews who are as numerous as Greeks in the world are sweeping Nobel prizes and world chess championships.” The article offers various conspiracy theory explanations, including the claim that “Jews – who used to be shepherds as opposed to Greeks who were the founders of three empires –stole ancient Greek occult manuscripts allowing them to be 100 times smarter today.” The writer also referred to the US as “Zionist dominated.”

 

Attitudes toward the holocaust and the nazi era

The date 27 January was established by the government as Memorial Day for Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust, following a unanimous decision of all political parties in the Greek parliament. Over 2,000 people attended a ceremony held in the Athens Music Hall inaugurating the day.

The exhibition “Anne Frank, A History for Today,” of the Anne Frank House of Holland was shown in Ioannina (Epirus) from February 2003 and in Preveza (Epirus) from April 2003.

On 27 October 2003, Greek President Konstantinos Stefanopoulos unveiled a monument in Thessaloniki in honor of Greek Jewish soldiers who were killed during the 1940–41 Greek-Italian War. Three days later, another monument was unveiled in Larissa (Thessaly) in honor of Greek Jewish soldiers killed during the same war.

After laying a wreath at the Holocaust memorial in Thessaloniki, on 29 May 2003, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew condemned the extermination of the city’s 50,000 Jews in World War II. He was declared an honorary member of the Thessaloniki Jewish community.

 

responses to antisemitism

In a letter to the World Jewish Congress in mid-November 2003, Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou criticized the terrorist attacks on two Jewish synagogues in Istanbul and expressed his condolences to the bereaved families. He said he planned to set up a commission of Jews and non-Jews to follow up antisemitic incidents and suggest means to combat them.