By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium – The battle between Israel and Gaza has led to many casualties, mostly on the side of Gaza. The massive loss by the Palestinians, many of whom were civilians, has led to a growing anti-Semitic behavior across Europe.

With multiple strikes by Israel upon U.N. compounds in Gaza sheltering Palestinian civilians, the most recent occurring this past weekend, many nations have become angered by Israel. Even the United States, an ally to Israel, labeled Israel’s most recent attack as “disgraceful.” French President Francois Hollande also questioned the aspect of remaining neutral with a conflict of such magnitude raging on.

But governments are not the only ones who are upset with Israel as a result of this major conflict. While Israel is not without its own sizeable casualty list, with well over a thousand rockets having been fired at Israel over the past month or more, the Palestinian casualty count is nearly ten times as great. Specifically the high civilian casualty count in Gaza has led to a growing hatred towards Israel that appears to be spreading throughout Europe. A British poll goes as far as to call some of the attacks by Israel against Gaza “war crimes.”

Within Belgium, a doctor refused emergency care to a Jewish woman. In Spain, a writer called for expelling a Jewish community. In Italy, philosopher Gianni Vattimo harshly states how he would like to shoot “Zionists.” A teenager in Germany firebombed a synagogue. In France, anti-Israel protestors attacked a synagogue. Even in Ireland a councilman urged the shelling of Israel.

While given that a large portion of this new brewing dislike is a result of Israel’s actions and it is likely that most of these remarks and attacks are the result of political distaste, it has given fuel to an underlying anti-Semitic minority. Germany is a strong advocate of educating people as to the atrocities that occurred during World War Two, and has always been quick to stomp out any hateful protests.

However, amid condemnation by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck, anti-Semitism has seen a recent violent increase in Germany. This fear has spread not only among Jewish citizens of Germany, but many other European countries as well. France has seen a large emigration of its Jewish citizens to Israel as of late.

With anti-Semitism across Europe slowly beginning to spread and boil as the Israel-Gaza conflict drags on, the safety of Jewish citizens in Europe is becoming more unsure by the day.

For more information, please see:

Daily News – Behind Europe’s anti-Semitic slurs – 4 August 2014

The Washington Post – How Israel is losing Europe – 4 August 2014

The New York Times – Anti-Semitism Rises in Europe Amid Israel-Gaza Conflict – 1 August 2014

The New York Times – Number of French Jews Emigrationg to Israel Rises – 20 June 2014

By Kyle Herda

Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

KIEV, Ukraine – Following the downing of a commercial airliner carrying 298 people over rebel-riddled Eastern Ukraine, it was immediately unclear how the key players in this ongoing dispute would react. Over a week later, it is clear that this incident will escalate the fighting, rather than push both sides to step back and talk.

Caption. (Photo Courtesy of Source)

In just one week since the downing of flight MH17, the crisis in Eastern Ukraine has already managed to escalate. First, the rebels claimed they would back off and allow for an uninterrupted international investigation into the crash scene, but there are reports of rebels and Russians allegedly stealing parts from the plane or impeding the recovery of the bodies for identification and return to their families.

Second, although Russia has been cleared by the United States from direct cause of the plane’s disastrous crash, it is still believed that the plane’s finale came from a surface-to-air BUK missile fired by pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine. Separatist commander of the Vostok Battalion in Ukraine, Alexander Khodakovsky, has admit that the pro-Russian rebel possessed surface-to-air BUK missiles, but that the rebels may have returned the missiles to Russia to hide the evidence from international investigators. Further, pro-Russian rebels shot down another two planes this week, this time Ukrainian fighter jets.

Pro-Russian rebels have also detained a CNN freelance journalist in Eastern Ukraine on Tuesday. Anton Skiba was staying at a hotel in Donetsk covering the MH17 crash site when rebels abducted the reporter outside of his hotel.

Russia has also been accused by the United States and Ukraine of firing artillery into Ukraine. This would be a direct attack from Russia towards Ukraine and a “clear escalation” in the conflict, Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said.

All of the recent events have proven too much for Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, as he folded under the pressure and announced his resignation on Thursday. With escalations by Russia and uncertainty of the future and pressure on Kiev growing by the day, this resignation could not have come at a worse time for Kiev.

As the Dutch continue to fly bodies of MH17 victims out of Ukraine and Australia is attempting to secure the plane crash site in order to ensure a successful and untainted investigation into the crash, the rest of the European Union questions whether they should involve themselves more by imposing stricter sanctions on Russia. The United States is also tossing about ideas as to possible sanctions to impose onto Russia. While many countries were seeking earlier to keep out of the conflict, the scope of the crisis seems to be growing more and more with each new incident, and it is beginning to draw serious discussions throughout the globe as to whether leaving Ukraine and Russia to handle this on their own may not be the best solution afterall.

For more information, please see:

The Washington Post – Ukraine’s prime minister resigns as coalition falls apart – 24 July 2014

USA Today – Russian military fires artillery into eastern Ukraine – 24 July 2014

The Washington Post – If the West doesn’t do more for Ukraine now, it might soon be too late – 24 July 2014

Huffington Post – CNN Freelancer Abducted By Pro-Russian Separatists In Ukraine – 24 July 2014

TIME – Ukraine Separatists Had Surface-to-Air Missiles, Rebel Leader Admits – 24 July 2014

CNN – Ukraine: Two military jets shot down over Donetsk – 23 July 2014