In 2012, 28% of all discrimination incidents were aimed at Jews. This is what emerges from the report “Figures in Pictures” (Data Presentation) that the state attorney published yesterday regarding discrimination data for 2012. A total of 151 cases of discrimination reached the state attorney, out of which 42 cases have an antisemitic background. Almost half (48%) of the antisemitic cases occurred in the area of ‘Sport’.
The antisemitic incidents occurred not just on the sports field, but also in the ‘street/other public place’ (19%) on the internet (14%) and in residential areas (10%). Most of the cases were oral exclamations (60%); 21% were in writing. A threat of violence against one person was reported once. “Individual, white people” were the suspects in most of the antisemitic incidents (38%). If one examines the discrimination motivated by antisemitism, in 95% of the cases the suspect is “a white, individual person”.
“Figures in Pictures” is a report about incidents that reached the state attorney and that were handled in accordance with the articles of the Law. Discrimination, as defined in the articles of the Law, is based on “race, sex, religion, homosexual or heterosexual inclination, as well as physical, psychiatric or mental handicap”. Antisemitism is not defined as discrimination by the law, but it appears separately in the state attorney’s report. An antisemitic incident could appear under the heading “race” or “religion”. From the CIDI reports it turns out that antisemitic expressions are usually not directed at the Jewish religion but against phenomena typical of Jews in general.
The state attorney agrees that the use of the term “race” for humans is undesirable, but it is not possible to avoid the use of this term since the legislator has used it in the law. In international treaties the category “race” refers to color of the skin or national and/or ethnic origin.
