New York, N.Y., October 3, 2002 ... The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today called on government leaders in Greece to speak out against anti-Semitic depictions of Israelis and Jews in the Greek media, an issue recently raised in a meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Yeoryios Papandreou. The League contacted the Foreign Minister to bring attention to a recent example of anti-Semitism in the media.

In a letter to Mr. Papandreou, Glen A. Tobias, ADL National Chairman, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, said:

We were pleased to have had the opportunity to meet with you in New York and appreciate your positive response to our concerns, particularly of the depiction of Israelis and Jews in the Greek press. Unfortunately, many articles and caricatures appearing in Greek newspapers cross the line from criticism of the State of Israel into blatant anti-Semitism.

One recent example is a cartoon that appeared in the newspaper, Eleftherotypia on September 24, 2002, portraying a Nazi-like Israeli soldier with a Star of David on his helmet. The soldier informing the Nazi officer next to him that: "Arafat is not a person the Reich can talk to anymore," is clearly an offensive comparison between Israelis and the Nazis of the Third Reich. The response of the Nazi officer, "Why? Is he a Jew," diminishes the horrors of the Holocaust by comparing Arafat's plight to the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.

Such depictions in the media create an environment of hostility towards Israel and Jews in Greece. Even in nations like Greece where the press is free, it is essential that the government take responsibility to set a tone of tolerance and speak out strongly against these anti-Semitic, hateful sentiments. We hope you will do so in light of this most recent manifestation of anti-Semitism.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.