E/CN.4/2002/24 page 18 during 2000, until October, when neo-Nazis were arrested in Germany and Switzerland where it was discovered that they were stockpiling weapons for future actions in these countries and in others. Up to October some 90 cases of extreme right violence were recorded …” 40. The Tel-Aviv University report also described the manifestations of anti-Semitism in Eastern Europe and Russia as follows: “In Romania, the chauvinist anti-Semitic Greater Romanian Party became the second largest party in the parliament, with 21 per cent of the vote, following the general election of 25 November, although its leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor was defeated in the second round of the presidential elections. In December, two visitors, who demanded to see ‘Auschwitz soap’ with their own eyes, choked and seriously injured the security guard of the Jewish Historical Museum in Bucharest and vandalized the premises. “In recent years anti-Semitism has been a major political weapon of the nationalist and the communist opposition in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. The new Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has restricted the activities of the extreme right and hence the number of anti-Semitic incidents in 2000 was lower than in 1999. However, hundreds of anti-Semitic publications can be openly purchased, and Jewish leaders are concerned about Mr. Putin’s authoritarian regime, which might diminish the involvement of world Jewish organizations and of Israel in Jewish life in Russia. “In Eastern Europe, the extreme right media was very swift in linking traditional anti-Semitic motifs with the outbreak of violence in the Middle East. Nationalist and extremist parties and movements combined their bitter criticism of Jews and Israeli policies with a sympathetic attitude to the Arabs in general and to Palestinians in particular. The Greater Romania Party in Romania and the Hungarian Justice and Life Party have for years championed the Iraqis under Western attacks as well as the Palestinians, claiming that Israeli interests dominate and dictate United States actions. While the real attitude of these right extremists toward Arabs, Palestinians and Muslims may not be reflected in their verbal support for them, the intensity of their anti-Jewish feelings appear to overcome their racist and xenophobic aversion to Arabs and Muslims. “Anti-Semitic incidents in Eastern and Central Europe should not be connected automatically with events in the Middle East, although in some cases the link is evident. Racist violence against Jews in the region does not need a Middle East pretext, but it certainly acts as a catalyst.” C. Racist violence and activities of far-right, neo-Nazi and skinhead organizations 41. The Special Rapporteur has received and analysed information on racist violence and the activities of racist far-right movements and organizations in the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.