A/HRC/7/19 page 17 Europe, but is spreading insidiously to other regions of the world both through declarations by politicians and through publications that perpetuate old stereotypes. The denial or questioning of the extermination of Jews in Europe, or the Holocaust, during the Second World War is the latest manifestation of this deep-seated anti-Semitism. In the course of his visits and investigations, the Special Rapporteur came across serious, silent but deep-seated anti-Semitism, the expression of which is veiled and repressed by image or power-related considerations and strategies. 59. The racial, rather than political, interpretation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the particularly serious situation of the Palestinian people give rise to new forms and manifestations of anti-Semitism in certain communities. The confusion of the State of Israel with Jewish communities of the diaspora or living in Israel, the stereotyping of the Jewish people and the non-recognition of their cultural, religious and political diversity are the root causes of this new form of anti-Semitism. 60. Christianophobia is spreading in a disturbing manner, driven by the twin forces of: (a) the association of Christianity with the West, resulting from their historical closeness during the era of European colonization and current political and intellectual rhetoric about the Christian identity of Europe, and notably opposition to Turkey’s admission to the EU; and (b) the proselytism of certain evangelical movements, particularly in South America, Africa and Asia. 61. Hinduism and Sikhism have also fallen victim, in certain regions of the world, to historical discrimination and the modern rejection of diversity. The religious and spiritual traditions of indigenous peoples and communities of African descent still suffer from historical discrimination and demonization by other religions. D. Rejection of multiculturalism 62. The ideological, cultural and political resistance to ethnic, cultural or religious multiculturalism is one of the underlying reasons for the upsurge in racism and xenophobia. The intellectual and cultural strategy to combat racism must focus on the acceptance and promotion of a democratic, egalitarian and interactive multiculturalism. Multicultural societies are the result of long-term historical processes that have brought peoples, cultures and religions into contact with each other. The organizational machinery of these societies has, in general, been based on an identifying, rallying and unifying factor: national identity. The correlation between the concepts of identity and nation is embodied in a political and legal concept - the nation State - which has structured most modern societies. The main problem in most modern societies lies in the profound contradiction between the nation State - the expression of an exclusive national identity - and the dynamic of multiculturalization at work in these societies. 63. The issue of discrimination in the context of the multicultural process has two main dimensions. The most visible dimension - political, economic and social - is characterized by the correspondence between the map of marginalization and the ethnic, racial or religious map of a multicultural society. But, at root, the identity issue in the multicultural process is illustrated by efforts to counter discrimination in the arenas of memory and value systems, where the strongest resistance to multiculturalism is found. This dimension, often ignored by political leaders, reveals the need for the legal anti-racism strategy to be accompanied by an ethical and cultural strategy to identify and combat the root causes of old and new manifestations of racism and