New York, NY, November 6, 2008 … A headline in a mainstream Greek newspaper that declared the election of Barack Obama as "the end of Jewish domination" shows that "anti-Semitism remains alive in Greece today" and that political leaders need to take a clear stand against hate, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said today.

The headline, which appeared in the November 4 issue of Avriani, a mainstream daily newspaper, declared: "The anticipated victory of Obama in the U.S. elections signals THE END OF JEWISH DOMINATION.  Everything changes in the USA and we hope that it will be more democratic and humane."

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:

While hailing a new era for the United States, the editors of Avriani have themselves taken a backward leap to a time in the not-so-distant past when Europeans shamelessly wore anti-Semitism on their sleeves, and when public expressions of hate for Jews were the norm.
 
If anything, the headline should serve as a wake-up call that anti-Semitism remains alive in Greece today, even among those in the media who should know better than to exhume hateful canards about Jewish political manipulation.  Conspiracy theories of Jewish control have a long and sordid history, and have no place in a newspaper that serves as a source for news and analysis.

It is imperative that elected officials and civil society leaders in Greece speak out forcefully against anti-Semitism.  They must make clear that these dangerous canards have no place in society and that there can be no tolerance for hatred in Greece.

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.