Adolf Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' to be republished in Germany

Adolf Hitler's autobiography "Mein Kampf" is to be republished in Germany in 2015 for the first time since being banned under the country's constitution at the end of the Second World War.
Under the post-1945 German constitution, the dissemination of Nazi philosophy has been a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment.

But the copyright, held by the state of Bavaria where the Nazi movement began life in the 1920s, expires in 2015, 70 years after the death of its author in his Berlin bunker.
On Thursday the Munich-based Institute of Contemporary History (IfZ) pledged to publish an "annotated version" with historical notes that it hopes will see the book used in schools and colleges.

The finance ministry in Bavaria said it had still not decided whether to give its permission but it is understood that with the lapse in copyright, the IfZ will not need the green light from it. "Besides, we think our version, with sensible notes and comments pointing out the falsity of much of what he wrote, will be far better than neo-Nazis putting out their own versions," said the IfZ.
Jewish leaders in Germany have already pledged their support for the project, saying they believe it "would prevent neo-Nazi from profiteering from Mein Kampf. while an aggressive and enlightening engagement with the book would doubtless remove many of its false, persisting myths".
The IfZ wants the agreement of the finance ministry in Bavaria before the 2015 deadline so as to begin work on the project right away.
Mein Kampf became a better seller than the Bible in the Third Reich.
Hitler became a multi-millionaire through royalties while newspapers around the world, including some in the UK, serialised his work.
It was written when he was sentenced to five years in jail for attempting to overthrow the government in 1924. It is filled with the prejudices and hatreds of an uneducated man and within its pages are endless rants against the Jews, who he would soon attempt to eliminate altogether.

In another passage he foretells his plans for the conquest of Russia, writing: "We must eliminate the disproportion between our population and our area...... Some of this land can be obtained from Russia. We must secure for the German people the land and soil to which they are entitled."

Over 12 million copies were sold in Nazi Germany. Recently an edition of the book became a best seller in Turkey.
the Telegraph

Anti-Semitic attacks against Jews 'rise in the UK'

Attacks on Jews in the UK reached record levels in 2009, according to figures compiled within the community.
The Community Security Trust (CST) said it had recorded 924 incidents over the year, 55% more than the previous high of 598 incidents in 2006.
The organisation, which monitors incidents against Jewish people and organisations, said the rise was linked to last year's Gaza conflict.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown described the figures as "deeply troubling".
The CST is a Jewish community organisation which collects figures on attacks and advises organisations such as synagogues on security.

INCIDENTS BY AREA

London 460

Manchester 206

Hertfordshire 48

Leeds 35

Source: CST

It works closely with the police and government on combating racial and religious hatred.

The organisation says the record rise follows two years of falling figures, with the majority of the incidents occurring during or immediately after the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.

The two-month Gaza conflict began in December 2008 and the CST said acts of anti-Semitism shot up in January and eventually levelled in April.

The vast majority of incidents were abusive behaviour, but 124 of the reports were acts of violence. Some 37 incidents were targeted at children on their way to school, the organisation said.

'Stand firm'

In a statement issued through the CST, Gordon Brown said: "The increase in anti-Semitic incidents recorded by CST in the early part of last year is deeply troubling and I want to be unequivocal today.

"I am a proud friend of Israel and welcome a robust debate about how we ensure both a secure Israel and a viable Palestinian state existing side by side.

"The debate is welcome, but no strength of feeling can ever justify violent extremism or attacks and we will stand firm against all those who would use anti-Israeli feeling as an excuse or disguise for anti-Semitism and attacks on the Jewish community."

One incident included strips of bacon being placed on the door handles of a Leeds synagogue. On another occasion, a 12-year-old girl, the only Jew at her school, was surrounded by other pupils who chanted "death to Jews".

Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said: "Every one in public life - politicians, media figures, academics and community leaders - has to recognise that this growth in anti-Semitism is a stain on our society.

"History tells us that whenever Jewish individuals feel less safe, society as a whole is becoming less free. We must learn the lessons of the past."

And the Liberal Democrat's home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: "We must do everything we can to prevent foreign conflicts from spilling over on to British streets and campuses."

The police and government agencies do not use the CST's figures and instead rely on statistics for recorded offences and convictions in courts.

The most up-to-date figures on hate crimes suggest there was a fall in racial and religiously-aggravated incidents between 2007 and 2008.

Some police forces calculate local trends for religiously motivated incidents, but there are no national figures for hate crimes against any specific group, such as Jews or Muslims.

Last month, researchers at Exeter University called on Muslims to start counting their own figures in a similar fashion to the CST, saying there was evidence of an under-reporting of anti-Muslim hatred

Police launch investigation into anti-Semitic Facebook group

Police have launched an urgent investigation into a horrific Facebook group that gave graphic details of anti-Semitic incidents perpetrated by its members against Ilford's Jewish community.

The group, created by a student at Loxford School of Science and Technology, attracted more than 500 members in two weeks following its launch last month and featured teenagers boasting about engaging in anti-Semitic behaviour.
It featured messages from youths using language rife with spelling errors, profanities and teenag colloquialisms.

One girl wrote: "Jews are the ones that killed prophets in the past. Dirty filthy scum-bags. No wonder they have the curse of Allah upon them. Burn Jew burn."

Another stated: "OMG! ii Saw a Jew Todaii ii Swearr downn Weariingg Dahh Hatt He Lookedd At Me Liike Man Knowsz Me [sic]."

She went on to describe screaming obscenities at the man and rudely telling him to go away.

In a further disturbing post, a girl bragged about aggressively confronting

a Jewish woman in Argos after she was "looking at me". She wrote: "Looool i Had a Fight Wif 1 Urgh in Argos [sic]."

The Jewish News was informed about the group, created by a student at Loxford School, by a private investigator in Australia. It has since been removed from the popular social networking site.

The group was described by a Community Security Trust (CST) official as "one of the most shocking things I have ever seen".

A spokeswoman from Redbridge Council, speaking on behalf of Loxford School, said the school was contacted about the group and then immediately reported it to Facebook and the police.

The spokeswoman said: "The student concerned has been dealt with and the school has taken disciplinary action. There is an ongoing police investigation so we are unable to comment further."

Ilford police confirmed it had "received an allegation regarding anti-Semitic material being published on a social networking website".

A spokeswoman told the Jewish News that the police are investigating and inquiries continue.

Several comments on the vile Facebook site include misguided references to Islam and the Koran as justification for targeting Jews. #

One female youth wrote: "We hate Jews for the sake of Allah as he has told us to do in the Koran."

The group page included offensive jokes invoking pejorative stereotypes about Jews and money as well as an anti-Semitic cartoon. There was also a link to a YouTube video entitled "Kill All Christians and Jews".

In addition several members expressed anti-Israeli sentiment. There was a photograph of graffiti saying "Jihad 4 Israel" and a link to another YouTubev video of "a brave Palestinian girl standing up to Israeli soldiers".

Mike Gardner, director of communications at the CST, said he was left "utterly chilled" by the casual way that the youths displayed their anti-Semitism.

He said: "It shows how new media is now facilitating the most shocking anti-Semitism among groups of youngsters, as if hatred and violence and gross ignorance were all just a part of their normal lives.

"Anybody who wants to understand how anti-Semitism can be transmitted today should study this online group closely, but they will need a strong stomach to do so."

The CST, which is due to release its latest findings on anti-Semitism in the UK this week, has previously reported 609 incidents in the first six months of 2009, more than in any other entire year. A report released by the Jewish Agency last month revealed that there were more anti-Semitic incidents in Europe in 2009 than in any year since the Holocaust. Mike Gapes, the local MP for Ilford South, urged the authorities to take

"very strong action". Gapes told the Jewish News: "I am deeply concerned. Incitement to hatred is a crime and we must stand very firm and take action against anyone who incited racial or religious hatred. Anti-Semitism has to be opposed."

Lee Scott MP for Ilford North also denounced the site, saying: "It is shocking and I condemn it."

A Facebook spokeswoman said that the group was removed because it breached the company's policies. She said: "We want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others." She added that users should report groups that they feel violate Facebook's rules.

Spencer Lewis, the headteacher of local Jewish high school King Solomon said: "We have had no problems at all with Loxford that I am aware of and we have a very good relationship with the school." Have you encountered anti-Semitism online?

Tell them about it by emailing newsdesk@thejngroup.com
TotalyJewish.com

NAZI DEATH CAMP SURVIVOR RECOGNISES JOHN DEMJANJUK (Germany)

John Demjanjuk is accused of being a guard at Sobibor camp in occupied Poland and aiding the murder of 27,900 Dutch Jews who were gassed during his alleged time there. "I remember him, I remember them all," Alexei Vaitsen, 87, told Czech Radio. "He was a guard. I saw him leading a group of prisoners to work in a forest." Mr Vaitsen, a Jewish veteran paratrooper who is seriously ill after several heart attacks, was shown a photograph of John Demjanjuk by a reporter. Mr Vaitsen is the first living witness to positively identify Demjanjuk, who is on trial in Munich in what is likely to be the last major case dealing with war crimes by the Nazi regime. Demjanjuk, 89, claims that he was a prisoner of the Germans for the whole of the war and has not said a word since the trial begun last month. He was arrested, tried and sentenced to death in Israel 20 years ago but was cleared when new evidence surfaced. "I'm glad he was put on trial," said Mr Vaitsen, who lost his entire family in the war and escaped from Sobibor after a rebellion in late 1943. "But can you really call that a trial when he refuses to communicate with the judge? "I would like a real trial for him, one that he couldn't escape again." Efraim Zuroff, chief Nazi-hunter at the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem, told Czech Radio the discovery was "great news" but said it had to be verified. Prosecution lawyers are using testimony from survivors to prove that if Demjanjuk was a guard at the camp, he would have played an active role in the mass killings there.
the Telegraph