Anti-semitism rising in Spain
The latest of a couple disturbing incidents in Spain includes the government's disqualifying the Israeli team in an energy contest:
According to this Jerusalem Post article (via The Astute Bloggers):
(IsraelNN.com) The Spanish Government has disqualified the Israeli team from the bi-annual Solar Decathlon because the team is located in “occupied territory” - Samaria. Engineers, architects, solar experts and other visitors to the Solar Decathlon will thus be denied the opportunity to study and benefit from the solar-powered energy-economical “Stretch House” designed and built by students of the Ariel University Center of Samaria.Honestly, if this is how they're going to behave, it's probably better not to go. Maybe the Israeli government should intervene and demand that they cut that out, but with people like that in charge in Spain
The Solar Decathlon, organized by the U.S. Department of Energy, has taken place until now in Washington, D.C., but is to take place next month in Spain under the terms of a 2007 agreement between the U.S. and Spain.
The competition features 20 teams from universities around the world that have worked for two years to design and build self-sufficient houses using solar power as their only source of energy. The Israeli team even received a large monetary grant to subsidize the project. With the political elimination of Ariel University from the competition, the entire Middle East is left without representation in the Decathlon.
According to this Jerusalem Post article (via The Astute Bloggers):
Anti-Semitism in Spain is on the rise, according to a recent report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). A statement released by the Jewish watchdog group on Tuesday cited an increase in public expressions of anti-Semitism, and a "greater acceptance of virulent anti-Jewish attitudes."Wow. The influence of socialism is really driving that country to hell. Honestly, they are not worth visiting.
The report noted "viciously anti-Semitic" cartoons published in major Spanish newspapers such as El Pais and El Mundo, as well as opinion pieces which equate Israel with the Nazi regime. The ADL took care to note that the European Union's racism watchdog defines such statements as anti-Semitic.
Also cited in the report was a 2009 ADL poll, which found that 75 percent of all Spaniards believe Jews possess "too much power" in financial markets, and more than half think Jews have "too much power in business," echoing classic anti-Semitic sentiments.
The report detailed the occurrence of anti-Semitic placards at anti-Israel demonstrations in Spain, as well as the "all too common" incidence of Israeli flag burning.
In terms of anti-Semitic acts, the report noted three incidents so far this year: "The vandalism of a Chabad House in Barcelona on January 11; a violet attack against an employee of a synagogue in Barcelona on January 30; and the harassment of Israel's ambassador to Spain, who was verbally assaulted on the street on May 5 by three men who shouted 'dirty Jew,' 'Jew bastard' and 'Jewish dog.'"
Labels: anti-semitism, Europe, Israel, Spain
