Jewish leader: Economic crisis main blame for European anti-Semitism rise

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Published: FEBRUARY 18, 2009 20:25
The leader of the European Jewish Congress said Wednesday the main blame for growing anti-Semitism across the continent was the economic crisis, not the Gaza war. Congress President Moshe Kantor said that what he believes to be anti-Semitism levels unseen since World War II had "nothing to do with Middle East things." "All these problems started before Gaza and continued afterwards," he said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Economical things trigger humanitarian tragedies," he said. Jews were made scapegoats for economic difficulties Germany faced in the 1930s, he said. "And this is the lesson."