The report was issued last week as required by the recently-passed Global Anti-Semitism Review Act. The law was sponsored by Congressman Tom Lantos, a Californian Democrat and Holocaust survivor. Prominent political and cultural leaders helped Lantos overcome the State Department's opposition to the bill, the Wyman Institute said.
However, the State Department concentrated on anti-Semitism in South America and Europe, while virtually ignoring inflammatory propaganda from Arab sources. The 37-page report describes anti-Semitism in Iceland in 387 words - noting one one cartoon and one incident of anti-Semitic harassment.
Saudi Arabia, in contrast, was given only 182 words, and only 86 words described similar material from the Palestinian Authority (PA). Half of the PA citation dealt with a PA television sermon urging tolerance, without mention of Jews. Encouragement for suicide bombings and the destruction of Israel has been rampant in the PA media. The institute noted that PA broadcasts often deny the Holocaust, yet the State Department report did not mention any anti-Semitism in the PA press.
In the American government's first official definition of anti-Semitism, the report states, "The demonization of Israel or vilification of Israeli leaders, sometimes through comparison with Nazi leaders, and through the use of Nazi symbols to caricature them, indicates an anti-Semitic bias rather than a valid criticism of policy concerning a controversial issue."
However, the State Department concentrated on anti-Semitism in South America and Europe, while virtually ignoring inflammatory propaganda from Arab sources. The 37-page report describes anti-Semitism in Iceland in 387 words - noting one one cartoon and one incident of anti-Semitic harassment.
Saudi Arabia, in contrast, was given only 182 words, and only 86 words described similar material from the Palestinian Authority (PA). Half of the PA citation dealt with a PA television sermon urging tolerance, without mention of Jews. Encouragement for suicide bombings and the destruction of Israel has been rampant in the PA media. The institute noted that PA broadcasts often deny the Holocaust, yet the State Department report did not mention any anti-Semitism in the PA press.
In the American government's first official definition of anti-Semitism, the report states, "The demonization of Israel or vilification of Israeli leaders, sometimes through comparison with Nazi leaders, and through the use of Nazi symbols to caricature them, indicates an anti-Semitic bias rather than a valid criticism of policy concerning a controversial issue."