ADL slams Greek anti-Semitism

In the aftermath of the killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, a series of political cartoons appeared in the Greek daily newspaper Eleftheroptypia. Several of the cartoons use vicious anti-Semitic imagery and swastikas to portray Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and President George W. Bush as fascist dictators. In one strip, a woman asks, "Why did the Jewish Government kill a religious leader?" A man replies, "They are practicing for Easter."

"These cartoons clearly cross the line from legitimate criticism of Israel to base anti-Semitism," said ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman.

In a letter to Prime Minister Konstandinos Karamanlis, Foxman noted that while Greece enjoys a free and lively press, the government bears a responsibility for denouncing stereotypes and for setting a tone of tolerance in society.