Anti-Semitism rises in Australia

SYDNEY, Dec. 10 (JTA) — Anti-Semitic incidents reached record levels in Australia during the year ended Sept. 30, according to the main Jewish umbrella group there. There were a total of 324 such incidents, a 22 percent increase over the previous 12 months and 16 percent higher than the previous record. On the positive side, the number of violent incidents and serious physical confrontations was well below average, a situation that the Executive Council of Australian Jewry attributed to increased security at synagogues and other Jewish institutions. The council gave good marks to the Australian media, which showed a decline of anti-Semitic reporting, commentary and published letters. The statistics, which were presented at the council’s annual meeting, indicated that the Internet is the leading growth area for anti-Semitic rhetoric and incitement. “Every reported incident has a victim whose quality of life has been diminished,” said Nina Bassat, who was elected president at the group’s meeting. Bassat, who was born in Lvov, Poland, is the first Holocaust survivor to be elected to the most senior position in the Australian Jewish community.