Anti-semitic Propaganda Published in Arab States Being Distributed World-wide, Ajcommittee Reports

Anti-Semitic propaganda of the most scurrilous sort is being published in the Arab states and distributed world-wide on a scale that compares with the worst efforts by the Nazis, according to a report released by the American Jewish Committee here this weekend. The study, titled “Political and Religious Anti-Semitism: Weapon in the Arab-Israeli Conflict.” found that “there are now more editions of the notorious forgery “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ published in Arabic than in any other language.”

The report was made public at the closing session of the four day annual meeting of the AJCommittee’s National Executive Council which ended Sunday. It noted that anti-Jewish propaganda, including the “Protocols” is currently being introduced into Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In 1968 the Islamic Institute in Beirut, printed 200,000 copies of the “Protocols” in French and 100,000 in English for export. Editions in other languages, in large printings, have appeared throughout the Western world and excerpts have appeared in textbooks for Arab school children and in armed forces indoctrination manuals, the report said.

It found “even more disquieting” the “perversion of religious thought to political ends” in Moslem countries. “Although Islamic tradition holds Judaism to be a religion of true revelation, and the Bible a holy book for both Jews and Christians, Moslem scholars have recently misrepresented and slandered the Hebrew Scriptures and attributed all manner of crimes to the Innate depravity of Jews and their religion.” the report stated.

BLOOD LIBEL CHARGES STILL PROPAGATED

A report in a similar vein from the AJCommittee’s European Office was made public at an earlier session of the National Executive Council meeting. It stated that blood libel charges leveled against Jews in medieval times still are being commemorated in ceremony or art in several Western European countries.

Legends alleging Jewish “ritual murder” of Christian children or profanation of holy wafers supposed to have bled or produced miracles continue to be propagated in several Spanish cities and towns and are associated with the annual festival of Lorenzo of Marostica near Vicenza in Italy, the report said.

While Catholic authorities have taken steps to eliminate or attenuate blood libel celebrations, requests to the Spanish Bishops Committee on Ecumenism to abolish the cults of Domingo del Val in Saragossa and of Nino de la Guardia. in the village of that name near Toledo have been unsuccessful, the report said. The objects of both cults are venerated as alleged victims of ritual murder.

The report noted that art works attributing ritual Crimea to Jews are still on public view in the cathedral of St. Michael-St. Gudule in Brussels; in ceiling frescos in the Tyrol village of Judenstein; and in paintings in the church sanctuary in the Vienna suburb of Korneuberg. Jewish ritual crimes are depicted in a stained glass window in a Paris church chapel where children are taught their catechism, the report said.