E/CN.4/1996/72/Add.3 page 32 Anti-semitism The growth of anti-Semitism since 1980 In the early 1980s, several violent acts forming part of international terrorism were carried out against the Jewish community and Israeli offices in France: the attack on the Rue Copernic synagogue in October 1980, the murder of Yacov Barsimentov in April 1982 and the machine-gunning of the Rue des Rosiers in August 1982. There were hardly any cases of extreme-left or Middle Eastern terrorism after this wave of anti-Zionist violence and attacks on the Jewish community declined significantly, reaching their lowest level in 1986, when there were two incidents. Although anti-Semitism declined after 1982, there were some new incidents as a result of certain events that had a major impact in the media: 1987: the Barbie trial: 13 incidents and 133 threats. 1990: the desecration of the Jewish cemetery at Carpentras: 20 incidents and 372 threats. 1991: the repercussions of the Gulf war: upsurge of anti-Semitism, with 40 incidents, including 16 in January alone. This event, a new development in France, revealed the animosity of some Maghrebis towards the Jewish community. Various acts of aggression against synagogues - 16 in all - were carried out, none of them very serious (stone-throwing), by young North Africans. These malicious acts dropped off spontaneously once the hostilities ended, but did not disappear entirely. The first eight months of 1992, which were relatively calm, with 6 incidents, were followed by an increase, with 14 incidents for the last four months, in addition to 5 incidents attributable to Arab-Islamic groups. The new increase coincided with the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Herrlisheim (68): 193 graves were damaged on 28 August. This shows once again just how sensitive such violence is to contagiousness and imitation. The incidents reported the day after what had happened in Herrlisheim included the pro-Nazi graffiti scribbled on the wall of the Jewish cemetery in Lyon on 13 September and on a dozen or so Jewish graves. Six members of Lyon skinhead and hooligan groups who were arrested in early October later admitted their guilt. The desecration of the cemeteries in Freyming-Merlebach (57), on 8 September, and Schiltigheim (67), on 30 December, should also be noted. Hostile acts were also carried out against about a dozen synagogues in 1992.