JERUSALEM (EJP)--- New figures released by the Global Forum Against Anti-Semitism on Sunday have revealed a concerning rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Europe as well as worldwide.

According to the forum - a joint venture by the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Prime minister’s Office-, Russia and Austria were two of the countries with the biggest increase, 20 and 60 percent respectively.

The statistics were released at a press conference held at the Jewish Agency’s headquarters in Jerusalem attended by Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni and Jewish Agency chairman Zeev Bielski.

At the press conference, Jewish Agency official Amos Herman particularly highlighted the problem of anti-Semitism in Europe. According to the Forum’s figures, there were 360 reported incidents in France in 2006 compared to 300 the previous year and Scandinavian countries saw 53 incidents in last year, compared to 35 in 2005.

Although numbers for Germany as a whole were not included, the Forum’s report cited a 60 percent rise in the Berlin area. It however showed a decrease in incidents in the UK from 321 to 312.

Nazi comparison

Herman said anti-Semites in Europe are using the comparison of Israel to the Nazis to encourage people to think that “the Jewish nation has no right to exist, because the Nazis, according to international consensus, have no right to exist.”

He also said that last summer’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and in particular the mistaken bombing of an apartment block in the town of Qana which reportedly left dozens of innocent Lebanese dead, fuelled anti-Semitism.

"There is no doubt the recent Lebanon war and the Qana incident led to the most severe incidents in the past decade," Herman said.

Speaking at the press conference, Bielski expressed his concern at the situation. “Anti-Semitic phenomena in Europe are very grave and countries like France and England are struggling to handle them," he said.

Thousands of French Jews have immigrated to Israeli in recent years with many saying the rise in local anti-Semitism has made them feel unsafe.

Open invitation

Bielski stressed that Israel is always open to new Jewish immigrants from anywhere in the world. "All of Europe’s Jews know they can come to the sole Jewish State of Israel, which has the Law of Return," he reiterated.

The report also noted the influence of Iranian anti-Semitism, and especially the recent conference held in Iran which denied the Holocaust as well as comments by the country’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Two years ago Ahmadinejad also called for Israel to be wiped off the map and said the Jews should return to Europe where a new state should be created for them.

Addressing this issue, Livni said: "It is not enough for the United Nations to condemn this. These statements must not be acceptable in the world."