Anti-Semitism climbs worldwide

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BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Panelists at a conference to combat anti-Semitism at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., worried about a worldwide epidemic of anti-Jewish attitudes.

Hannah Rosenthal, the U.S. State Department's special envoy for anti-Semitism issues, said at the Monday panel that there has been a steady increase in such attitudes, The South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

"We are seeing old-fashioned anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, blood libel, age-old stereotypes continuing, like the Holocaust never happened," she said. "We're seeing Holocaust glorification, where people are calling for a new Holocaust to finish the job."

Howard Berger, senior adviser for external affairs at the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, said the Internet only exacerbates the problem.

"You go on the Internet today and put in the word 'Holocaust' and come up with not just a few, but with thousands and thousands of Web sites that push hate against Jews," he said.

Rosenthal agreed the Internet is "used to promulgate hate to an alarming degree."