Escalating Anti-Semitism as Turkey Embraces Iran

Escalating Anti-Semitism as Turkey Embraces Iran

Dear David,

For over 500 years, from the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 to the horrific years of the Nazi Holocaust, Jews have found a safe haven among the Turkish people.

Now a series of developments have created fear among Turkey's Jews and has led to

Tehran - October 27, 2009 
President Ahmadinejad said he "appreciates" Turkish PM Erdogan's support for Iran's nuclear program.

a deterioration in relations between Jerusalem and Ankara, and a crisis within NATO.

•Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly expressed support for Iran — "There is no doubt he [President Ahmadinejad] is our friend" even as he accused Israel's Foreign Minister Lieberman of threatening to nuke Gaza.

•Turkey barred Israel from a planned NATO military exercise on Turkish soil over "sensitivity on Gaza, East Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa mosque."

•"Separation", a miniseries about Palestinians (see below), broadcast on Turkish state-run TV and also seen throughout Europe, depicts young Israeli soldiers as Nazi-like murderers gunning down a Palestinian infant, and young children.

 

The SWC has protested directly to the Turkish Prime Minister. We need you to add your voice to send a message to Ankara to stop the hate.

Left unanswered, these events and trends will increase anti-Semitism, violence and even terrorism and call into question the future of a 500 year-long friendship between Turkey and world Jewry. Please act now!
  

From anti-Israel protests earlier this year in Istanbul: Left to Right : Grafitti'd wall "Dirty Israel";  burning the Star of David; sign in store: "FOR CHILDREN KILLERS ISRAELIS NO SALE NO ENTRY"