Jewish human rights group protests 'anti-Semitic' ad in Nihon Keizai Shimbun

The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Los Angeles-based human rights group, on Monday issued a protest to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun-sha over an advertisement appearing in the Aug 2 edition of its Tokyo edition that it alleges to be anti-Semitic.

In a press release also posted on its website, the Wiesenthal Center’s associate dean Abraham Cooper blasted the Nihon Keizai Shimbun for having “broken a longstanding commitment to desist from running advertisements that promote anti-Jewish stereotypes, by running an advertisement for two books that promote the canard of Jewish control over the global economy.”

The advertisement for “Why did the Jewish financial system collapse?” (author: Kotaro Nada), which appeared on page 6 of the Tokyo edition, was placed by publisher Apple Shuppan. The ad asks rhetorically, “Is it true that the Rothschild family controls the global economy?” and purports to explain what was behind the failures of Lehman Brothers, AIG, Citibank and Bear Stearns.

The ad also touts a second work by Nada titled “Jewish Money: Why are they able to continue to move the global economy?”

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun boasts a claimed daily circulation of over 3 million copies. It is often compared to The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.

The Wiesenthal Center had made previous efforts to dissuade the Nikkei from providing space for offensive ads.

“In 1993, our center protested to the Nikkei for running ads,” Rabbi Cooper pointed out. “That led to a commitment never to return to such practices. That commitment was shredded by the running of this advertisement.”

Cooper was referring to a one-third page ad placed by publisher Daiichi Kikaku Shuppan that appeared in the Nikkei in July 1993. Festooned with a Star of David, pentagram and various satanic symbols, that ad claimed to reveal that the distorted image of Mt Fuji reflected on Lake Kawaguchi on the now-defunct 5,000 yen banknote was actually Mt Sinai—evidence that the Bank of Japan, Ministry of Finance and other institutions had been infiltrated by a “Jewish conspiracy” aiming to “destroy Japan.”

The vernacular Nikkei did not apologize for the 1993 advertisement, but issued a disclaimer asserting that it in no way “agrees or supports the expressions used in the advertisement.” A spokesman at that time also reaffirmed the company had “no bias whatsoever toward the Jewish community.”

Works touting Jewish conspiracies can be found for sale in most major book chains in Japan and via Amazon.com’s Japanese site. While the popularity of such works appears to have declined in recent years, the SWC and other Jewish organizations may fear a new resurgence.

“Japan should not return to its status as the number-one producer of anti-Semitic books which legitimized . . . the most insidious conspiratorial anti-Jewish stereotypes,” Cooper remarked. “Considering the sorry current state of the world economy and the spiking of anti-Semitism across Europe, Nihon Keizai Shimbun and Nikkei company have an obligation to cancel any future ads of this nature, apologize to its Japanese-language readers for this outrageous misstep and educate its current leadership about anti-Semitism.”

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Klein2 at 11:04 PM JST - 8th August

Ok. Haha. I have seen the comparisons of katakana and the Hebrew. The Hebrew is stylized in a crazy fashion, and not because it is ancient or anything. That is not evidence of any connection. Certain word combinations, even cognates, are not rare. That is no evidence. If there were many of them, then it would just reflect the influence of the Silk Road, not bible stories.

I see rabbis claiming that palanquins are proof of some connection, but that is absurd. Why Japan? Why aren't the rabbis jumping up and down for Chinese to be thought of as a lost tribe of Israel? If the evidence is so strong, why are Japanese seen as gentiles by any reasonable Jewish person?

Looking at it another way, if the tribe had made it all the way from the mideast along the silk road, why did it not stop at someplace more like home along the way? How would it get to Japan? Crossing the East China Sea or even the Sea of Japan is a different technological task than crossing the Red Sea, after all. And if the tribe landed, it would have been square in the middle of Yayoi, with other strong clans surrounding it. Why would a clan use the newcomers' kana to read Chinese? Why would such a tribe then use only some Hebrew characters but not all?

You know, if the evidence were more interesting, it would be fun to think about, but I see a lot of unsubstantiated opinions and pontificating by religious figures, which is usually a clue that there is no more to see here. Thanks Moonbeam. You said a common person would not undertand the similarity. You were certainly right. Looking at the evidence, I think it takes a pretty special person to believe it.
illsayit at 05:12 PM JST - 10th August

I think when you look beyond all the questions, I wonder if it isnt more lifestyle choices, and priorities?
ironchef at 08:25 AM JST - 11th August

if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.....
LIBERTAS at 10:11 PM JST - 11th August

"Well, "Mein Kampf" it isn't, nor is it Luther's "On the Jews and their Lies," but speaking of quacking ducks, where there is smoke there's usually fire. Jews have historically run the financial system since the 15th century. (My supporting link was objected to by the moderator.) Remember, calling a spade a spade does not make anyone anti-Semitic. Only promoting hate of semites does that. The Nikkei does the first but not the second. The SWC has been shown to be a bunch of charlatans, whose founder lied through his teeth. It should rather focus on hate speech in its own ranks, and hateful actions by the country whose religion it has nationalized, (My supporting links were objected to by the moderator.) I agree with what ironchef says,

"if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck....."
USARonin at 10:18 PM JST - 11th August

The book should be burned.

Oh, wait. If we start burnin' books, the next think ya know we'll start burnin'...

=O
ut4ever at 03:42 AM JST - 15th August

Why blame the Japanese everyone knows America is the the most racist country and if anyone else does something wrong its only because the U.S. is to blame. If you are American you have no moral right to judge other counties like Sudan, Cuba, etc. Oh wait Obama president now maybe were allowed to be critical of some of our friends and not just Israel the other root of all evil in the world.
sfjp330 at 06:28 AM JST - 15th August

Why blame the Japanese everyone knows America is the the most racist country and if anyone else does something wrong its only because the U.S. is to blame.

In Japan, they really don't understand the meaning of casual or blatent racism because you rarely have friends who are outside of your own race. They still have to be in their own group to be comfortable. If you had a personal experience in understanding why certain issues or subjects are considered derogotory and hurtful to other cultures, you develop a wider awareness and you become sensitive to the steps you take to improve race relations. In U.S., most educated people understand the fine lines being what is acceptable and what is not. Athough, U.S. still has the race problem, but over the last 30 years, they have changed in a positive direction. U.S. is more based on individual capability and race is of less factor. Obama is a good example of minorities or blacks who can achieve top position. Do you think Korean-Japanese of fourth generation can ever be considered or become a Prime Minister in Japan? Probably never and you talk about America being the most racist. I doubt Japan will ever change.
isthistheend at 02:47 PM JST - 15th August

Well put sfip330. I know a shall we say "typical" Japanese person in his 40's who says surprising things like "Oh, we have no predjudices in Japan, especially against blacks like you have in USA", or when locating my neighorhood on the google after my return home, "Oh, all American houses look the same".. I rest my two cents on these comments, of which its just too hot today to refute.
guuzendesu at 02:48 AM JST - 23rd August

I wish everyone could just get over it. I thought around the 2nd grade you were supposed to be taught not to let other people's words bother you. Oh well.
notimpressed at 03:01 PM JST - 27th August

Its like when you say anything about something that America has done, which may or may not be accurate, you are labelled as anti-american. It is not anti-anything to discus a hypothesis, it is only anti if you are drawing the conclusion that, therfore, they are bad/ lesser as a group.

What is negative about saying that someone is rich, and in control of finances? is it negative hate speech and anti american to say America holds the most miltary power in the world? Is it anti-summer to say that summer is hot? You could always take it as a compliment that people can see what has been acheived by Jewish people. Maybe they are jealous of those rich families. I know I am. I also know not all Jewish people are swimming in a vat of gold coins and hundred dollar bills like Uncle Scrooge. Its all about perspective, which gets distorted when you play the victim card, as Japan does in its own ways.

By the way, I like how Klein says most 'reasonable' Jewish people consider the Japanese to be 'gentile'. A word synonymous to infedel, heathen etc. So most resonable Jewish people are Anti-Japanese!!! No wonder there is so much bad blood.

Man, sometimes people need to get over themselves. Claiming conspiracy theories against ones-self, is akin to a conspiracy theory in itself. No son, everyone is NOT out to get you. Take your damn medication.

Of course I deplore true anti-semetism, as much as anti-nonsemetism or true anti-any-group of people. almost as much as I deplore those who cry wolf.I haven't read the book though, so maybe the wolfish Jew hater Japan really is at the door.

I myself however, am deeply anti-semantic, and fear I have just contradicted myself.
notimpressed at 03:30 PM JST - 27th August

LOL - Do I really have to ask you to read it again? I hope you can figure out where you got it mixed up there.
USARonin at 03:33 PM JST - 27th August

ROTFLMAO, no, notimpressed. You don't have to do that.

Check the dates. This thread ended days ago.
notimpressed at 03:45 PM JST - 27th August

So glad you know the differnece between semantic and semitic. Glad I noticed my spelling mistake there too. I hadn't noticed the dates no, but my late 2cents are there now. But obviously at least you were still reading it.
notimpressed at 03:46 PM JST - 27th August

grrr...difference*
USARonin at 04:25 PM JST - 27th August

No, I'm not still reading it.

I just go to most 'recent' comments and there you were.