Jewish-Americans Ask Schröder to Deal With Anti-Semitism

Germany needs to show more determination in fighting growing European anti-Semitism, Jewish-American leaders told German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder during a meeting in New York Thursday night. "The spread of hate propaganda in mosques has to stop," Rabbi Arthur Schneier, founder of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, said, adding that Thursday's suicide bombings in Istanbul should be considered alarm signals. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said it was intolerable that "pictures of children with suicide bombs are shown" at anti-Israeli demonstrations. Both men said Schröder had explained Germany's efforts to counter such actions to their satisfaction. Germany's position regarding Israel should be lauded as well, they said. But Europe needs to adopt a stronger stance against terrorism, Schneier and Hoenlein continued.