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Friday May 2, 2008

Shorts: World

Rally demonizes Jews

Far-right nationalists praised terrorism and demonized Jews at a rally in Moscow last week.

Police did not respond as about 400 far-right nationalists cheered as speakers called for the murder of various government officials, praised terrorist methods and demonized Jews.

The demonstrators held signs condemning “Jewish fascism” and the “Jewish mafia” and calling on Slavic women to “guard the purity of your race,” according to a report by the UCSJ: Union of Councils for Jews in the Former Soviet Union. — jta

Will a Jewish woman represent Bahrain?

Huda Azar Nunu, a Jewish politician in Bahrain, will become that nation’s ambassador to the United States, according to a recent report in A Sharq al Awsat, a Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily published in London.

Bahrain, a Persian Gulf state sandwiched between Iran and Saudi Arabia, has a tiny Jewish population dating back two millennia. Nunu is descended from Iraqi Jews who migrated to the port of Manama in the late 19th century.

Jews in Bahrain have kept a low profile but generally have been treated well. — jta

Jerusalem resident elected to Italian parliament

Italy’s new parliament includes a resident of Jerusalem.

Florence-born journalist Fiamma Nirenstein, who has lived in Jerusalem’s Gilo neighborhood for the past decade, was elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies as a member of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right People of Liberty party.

The first session of the new parliament began this week. — jta

Czech auction sites selling Nazi items

Czech auction Web sites are offering thousands of Nazi-related items that have been growing in popularity.

For example, Aukro.cz recently had 1,335 items in its Germany 1933-1945 section.

Some buyers indicate their support for neo-Nazi ideas with their nicknames, such as Fritz88 and Pavel88, using the number symbolizing the Heil Hitler salute.

A police officer specializing in right-wing extremism said the Czech police monitor the sites. — jta

Young Jews to pledge to fight genocide

Young Jews will pledge to fight all genocide during a Yom HaShoah gathering at Auschwitz.

About 10,000 participants in the annual March of the Living will sign the pledge May 1 at the Nazi concentration camp in Poland.

The March of the Living pledge commits each individual, the majority of whom are ages 16 to 22, “to fight every form of discrimination manifested against any religion, nationality or ethnic group.” — jta

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