Publication of anti-Semitic propaganda, Holocaust denial and imagery of dominating and conspiratorial Jews and Zionists intensified, especially when World War II events were publicly debated. Because of its convenience and accessibility, the Internet has become the main vehicle of racist and anti-Semitic material. In the past year the number of hate groups on the Internet more than doubled in the US alone. The next few years will tell whether the Internet will begin replacing or causing a reduction in other forms of racist and anti-Semitic activity. While legislation in European countries, such as Germany and Denmark, curtails access to racist and pornographic sites, in the US such legislation is considered a violation of freedom of expression. Technical devices, meant to block entry to sites, could perhaps circumvent the lack of legislation.

One reason for the improvement in Christian-Jewish relations may be the attitude of the present pope, who issued a declaration regarding the responsibility of Christians and the guilt they bear for their conduct toward the Jews over the centuries, and especially during the Holocaust.

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In South America there were very few anti-Semitic incidents in 1997, and little change in membership of right-wing movements. In Argentina, a definite connection was revealed between police officers and the desecration of cemeteries, and more seriously, the AMIA building explosion. In Chile, the allegations that Israel had sent troops to occupy the southern part of the country, continued, with the authorities refusing to refute them. On the other hand, the new spirit in the Vatican was reflected in the new memorials and plaques in memory of the Holocaust, including one in the Buenos Aires cathedral.

In the former Soviet Union, economic circles used anti-Semitic motifs in their struggle against rich Jewish entrepreneurs, who are allegedly ruining the local economy, while the authorities failed to enforce existing laws prohibiting anti-Semitic expressions.

In Eastern Europe the level of violence was low, but the attempts to rehabilitate wartime leaders who headed and supported fascist regimes and orchestrated the killing of local Jews, proceeded with full force. The struggle between world Jewish organizations and the Swiss banks has been closely followed in Eastern Europe, strengthening the notion of Jewish world domination.

In Western Europe, a surprising and troubling increase of 15-20 percent in all types of anti-Semitic activities was registered in Germany. Government agencies and researchers are deeply concerned about the growing acceptance of right-wingers into society, first and foremost in eastern Germany, where one-third of the youth belong to extremist movements, and where "nationally liberated zones" are closed to foreigners and leftists, as in the old days of judenrein Germany. One reflection of this tendency is the alarming amount of neo-Nazi activity in the Bundeswehr.

In other West European countries, such as France, Denmark, Belgium and Austria, extensive right-wing activity in the political arena continued. Extremist organizations strengthened their contacts in Eastern Europe while displaying their support for the struggle of extremist Islamic groups against Israel.

In the English-speaking world -- the US, Canada, Australia and South Africa -- anti-Semitism diminished.

In 1997, the centennial of the first Zionist Congress, Arab writers wished Zionism all evil, compared it to Nazism and racism, and made wild allegations against Jews and Israelis. Still, brave new voices recommended mutual rapprochement. The use of Zionism as a term signifying world domination and covert manipulation increased within the Arab world and outside it.

In sum, the situation improved in the sphere of activities, but continued to deteriorate in terms of utterances and propaganda.

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The annual survey Anti-Semitism Worldwide -- 1997/8 provides information on anti-Semitic activities, ranging from propaganda to violent attacks, along with analyses of discernible trends, presented by experts in the field; these are included either in detailed articles, or in the regional analyses.

The informational material is divided according to region, since each part of the world has its own characteristic problems, in addition to those common to all countries. The chapters provide information and a general, country-by-country analysis of extremist movements, anti-Semitic activities, attitudes toward the Nazi period and the Holocaust, as well as responses to anti-Semitism and extremism. Countries where anti-Semitic activity did not occur in 1997, or was not reported, are not included. The survey presents anti-Semitism in the various countries without delving into their history, and focuses only on the situation in 1997. Consequently, a country with a long tradition of anti-Semitism but few anti-Semitic events in 1997 is likely to have relatively short coverage in the report, and vice versa.

Categorization of anti-Semitic activities sometimes varies from one source to another. Our classification scheme divides these activities into: a) all expressions and modes of propaganda, most notably Holocaust denial, b) violent acts without the use of a weapon, and c) attacks using violent means. It should be emphasized that the survey is based on reported cases only, and that the data presented in the appendices include only violent attacks intended to cause loss of life and cases of actual damage to property. In fact, several hundreds of minor incidents, such as graffiti, slogans and swastikas painted on walls, and personal insults and harassment, were registered by Jewish communities and individuals. In many cases, it is difficult to assess whether the injury or damage was motivated by anti-Semitism, or was merely an act of hooliganism, since the identity of the perpetrators is often difficult to establish.

It should be noted that linguistic problems related to the various areas dictated different approaches on the part of the authors and editors, thus ruling out complete uniformity in the presentation of the material.

Israeli and Jewish organizations and research institutes supply the relevant data and material, useful contacts, and above all the motivation, for combating anti-Semitism. This survey represents the joint efforts of Israel and the Jewish world in this regard. We conclude by expressing our deepest gratitude to all the bodies and individuals mentioned in the survey who have taken part in this undertaking.