The Jerusalem Post Feb 28, 2001

David Duke stirring antisemitism in Russia

By Melissa Radler

NEW YORK - White supremacist leader David Duke is conducting an antisemitic campaign in Russia, says an Anti-Defamation League report released Monday, entitled "David Duke in Russia."

The ADL report says that Duke has traveled to Russia several times recently to meet with nationalist leaders, including former Communist lawmaker Albert Makashov, and to promote his book, My Awakening, entitled The Jewish Question Through the Eyes of An American in Russian.

"There is an underbelly of antisemitism in Russia which David Duke is hoping to add to and exploit," said the ADL National Director Abraham Foxman in a press release. "Duke has detected an opportunity to spread his hatred of Jews and other minority groups among like-minded bigots," said Foxman.

On his official Web site, Duke describes Russia as the "the key to white survival," and describes the ADL as an "organization that supports Jewish ethnic and religious supremacy."

According to Reuters, Duke's personal assistant Roy Armstrong called the ADL report "bulls--" and "pure defamation," and said Monday that Duke was in Russia to expose "Zionist Jewish figures involved in Mafia activities, organized crime, and prostitution."

The report was released by the ADL's Center on Antisemitism and Extremism in Russia. Center director Lev Krichevsky said in the release, "Duke's activities may be a sign of an apparent willingness of Russian leaders to tolerate the views and activities of ultra-nationalists."

The ADL also issued its first audit of antisemitic incidents in Russia, reporting 18 major attacks on Jews and Jewish property in at least nine cities during 2000, compared to seven cities in 1999. Incidents included a September raid on a Jewish Sunday school in Ryazan by neo-Nazis, a November fire-bombing in Volgograd of a Jewish-run newspaper, and the March beating of three Orthodox Jewish school children in Moscow.

Vandalism of Jewish cemeteries decreased from six incidents in 1999 to two last year, while harassment increased from one incident in 1999 to six in 2000.

Russian antisemitism on the Internet is up, says the report, with racist and hate propaganda being disseminated by at least 64 Russian Web sites and three large Web portals.

-- Lars (larguy@yahoo.com), February 27, 2001