There’s a lot more to the story of the anti-Semitism on display at the Frankfurt Book Fair:

This year isn’t the first time that anti-Semitism has raised its ugly head at the Fair.

(1) Merit Publications, Cairo is selling copies of “Sins of the Jews & Judaiism” with a cover showing a Hasidic Jew, wearing a Star of David, furtively turning into a dark street. (2) Horus Publications of Egypt exhibits three books calling for the destruction of Israel. Among them is a volume announcing the extinction of the Jewish State in the year 2021 as the Divine Word of the Holy Koran. This is accompanied by a CD-ROM for schools. (3) At the Al-Ahram (Egypt’s official daily newspaper) stand is a book proclaiming Israel’s control of the United States, placed between two smiling photos of President Mubarak. (4) Displayed prominently by Printing, Publishing, Distribution Egypt Joint-Stock Co., Cairo, are two Stars of David and Menorah-bedecked books on the World Jewish Conspiracy. (5) Atlas Publishing and Informative Production Giza, Egypt promotes three volumes on the “Global Tentacles of the Mossad,” ostensibly written by Egyptian intelligence agent, Farid al Faridi. (6) Arab Scientific Publishers, Beirut is marketing a laudatory tribute to the late HAMAS terrorist leader, Sheikh Yassin. (7) The official stand of the Syrian Arab Republic’s Ministry of Information shows a poster of “the Israeli destruction of Qeneitra.” (8) Alongside, the Dar Tlass Publishing House of Syrian Defense Minister, Mustapha Tlass (notorious for his antisemitic blood-libel “The Matzoh of Zion”) is marketing two texts on “The Jewish Role in the 9/11 Destruction of the World Trade Center.” (9) The official stand of Libya is distributing Colonel Khaddafi’s white paper, “Isratine,” calling for the end of Jewish sovereignty. (10) The tandem stands of Palestine Publishers and the German-Palestine Friendship League feature a map showing all of Israel as Palestine and a propaganda poster of Israel’s defense barrier as a winding serpent.

Would the German Chancellor Schroeder show himself in public with a Holocaust-Denier like David Irving? Would he seek a dialogue with him? Last Tuesday has proven that he has at least not that great fear of contact with these kind of people. After Chancellor Schoeder held a speech at the opening event of this year Book Fair in Frankfurt, the notorious Mohammad Salmawy delivered a greeting message of Nobelprice Winner Nagib Machfus, who was not able to visit the Book Fair. This year’s guest of honour at the book fair is the Arab League. In advance a variety of Right’s organization expressed their outrage about the fact, that the Fair was planned together with the Arab League, representing Governments in the Arab World, who are all accused of a wide range abuse of Human Rights, promotion of anti-Semitic publications and even support of Terrorist activities. Since years it is well known, that Mohammed Salmawy, editor of the French magazine Al Ahram Hebdo, publicly denies the Holocaust and praises Suicide Bombers in Israel. Al Ahram Hebdo is property of the Egyptian government. He wrote in that magazine: “There are no findings to indicate the existence of mass graves, because the size of the ovens makes it impossible for many Jews to have been killed there. According to the lists presented by the Soviets to the Germans, no more than 70,000 Jews were registered as having been at Auschwitz.”