robert andrew baker thank you very much for being with us today so we'll start with a terminal question what do you think is anti-semitism rising or is it falling well it's sort of hard to give a simple answer except i would say a decade ago we imagine anti-semitism was. diminishing and we had hoped it would be more of an historical issue than a contemporary one unfortunately i think over these last ten years we've seen something very different we have seen a resurgence of anti-semitism we're in countries where we wouldn't have expected it in western europe we've seen it nevertheless persisting in many other parts of the world so i think we've given more attention to it during these last years it's still with us unfortunately what do you think some of the factors driving to

increase anti-semitism well again i think it varies from country to country clearly one aspect that has emerged more recently has been the vents in the middle east the state of israel essentially triggering anti-semitic incidents in various places particularly in the west but we've also seen what some people would call a new form of anti-semitism and that's where the state of israel itself is the is brought into question is the clear to races state essentially where that itself becomes a new form of anti-semitism so you do think that the ongoing stalemate in the middle east is affecting antisense and globally well at the very least we can certainly demonstrate that conflicts in the middle east may trigger anti-semitic events elsewhere and particularly in europe western europe where you have growing arab and muslim community. they have become

a source of anti-semitic incidents at least elements of those communities so that's clearly one aspect but then i think even in public discourse there is something about the state of israel that has engendered very antagonistic reactions that cross over from a point of being mere criticism and to become something else but i think. settlement building people around the world actually suffered dislike sometimes because of that you know i wish it were so simple as saying the issue is only settlements are no advocate of settlements but i think we're the middle east conflict has sparked a. spike in anti-semitism it off in rages people who have no love for the state of israel in any for so to blame settlements to blame israel itself is almost akin to what had been a more traditional notion of blaming jews for it i said this and jews behave in

this fashion in this fashion don't play people would say bring it on themselves of course we know it's anti semites that be a responsibility for anti-semitism not jews and in the same way israel is not a response so if holding jews collectively responsible for the actions of israel is considered anti-semitism why does israel want to sanctify character of the state well i think from the very beginning the notion of israel was to be a jewish state to be a jewish state but also a democratic state with full rights for all of its citizens to which were no engineers i think in all of the world to have one state that isn't free by jewish tradition and by the spirit of judaism is feeling it appropriate i mean many countries have a stablish state church is. be a good church it is a send it in great britain but no one would suggest that. in the u.k.

there's. freedom and democracy. rights for all of its citizens recently for foreign ministers put off the decision to recognize palestine how does this set back your mission well i think personally i would say my view shared by many others is that palestinian state should come out of direct negotiations between the palestinian authority in the state of israel and i hope that happens at some point soon but i think that's the way the state of palestine should emerge not by. recognition or decree from. recently replace the an interior ministry official denying the holocaust and the calder legend and this sort of cases what impact protecting the holocaust have. i think you mean laws that would prohibit holocaust denial and it's something that we're all concerned about in the case of lithuania

in fact shortly after this official wrote this article was published. he lost his job and me in theory of ministry. and with the way he had a very strong statement about this i think that's important that we never discuss and of denial or question of the holocaust emerges there should be a quick and swift response in some cases some countries have laws they can be employed sometimes they work many times they take a very long time before they are implemented or before a prosecution leads to a conviction so it's all the more reason that political leaders need to speak quickly and strongly also nasa commemorations were allowed in the baltic countries over the past few years and these are the countries who are members of the european union. why do you think this organization want to do more to fight anti-semitism in

their membership well you know you you point to a very i think a very serious issue and a problem that really began in the early ninety's after the openness freedom reestablishment of democracy in these countries you did have in the last few years for example former walk for the s.s. veterans parading in their uniforms and in those early years government officials received there and i think this has been very much part of the discussions even as these countries we see in membership in nato before the new extension and i think there has been much progress i don't think in any case is the progress always complete but these groups do continue to march but they're not received by by governments they don't really condemn it they mean they they're not for or against it they don't come out condemning it well you know i don't i don't think that's really entirely so i think you need to look more carefully we had many. discussions

for example with president lee to friedberger during her term terms in office and i think she became a very strong voice both in recognizing the holocaust that took place in latvia the importance of commemorating it and of making sure that these kinds of groups yes they do more actually. you know. they're not received. they're commanded by the government leadership they do they do criticize them but let's be honest too there's a segment in the society where the still remains and this kind of populism that plays on that fascist era passed not only in the baltic states it's present in slovakia and remaining in other countries that had a difficult history during the nazi era this is something we need to keep working but you do believe as of today politicians are showing. enough leadership on such a fundamental issue i don't think i'd ever see. they're showing enough leadership

because i think there's always more that political leadership can do and unfortunately it's the nature of politics that in too many cases leaders are calculating what they say or do based on voting or support in their localities. calculations in their countries i think what we do find more and more is that leaders know the difference between what is right and what is wrong and the importance is to get them to speak clearly about what they already know so your concerns for the rise of online anti-semitism have been heard recorded pretty thing is to blame the media is it is it that media that's responsible or the legislators fail to protect the society you know this is a real challenge everywhere i think the last thing we want is to say somehow governments need to control media need to somehow prohibit wholesale this kind of expression but there really need needs to be concerted efforts to figure out how to

control this kind of hatred that is spreading as you've identified particularly on the internet these days and that means engaging internet providers that means developing good practices that means of course working with media so they recognize the responsibilities they have here the fact that what is reported what is misreported can often have real consequences but i think the goal is to engage media the goal is to engage the companies that provide internet services to try and get them to be more responsible i think governments legislators need to do what they can to enforce it least where there are clear violations of existing laws but it's something that everyone needs to really be a partner in to address. naturalists to. rally. kremlin

recently what are your concerns for russia you know i think this was very troubling to to observe in fact and we've so even as i'm here in moscow and mail it here again i think it's a challenge for the government and for leadership these kinds of voices we see in the hope parts of the room. the real test of new measures is how you dress them in the short term obviously at the faults people police put in the long term and washy you see it in this sense very much like america every heterogeneous multi cultural diverse society. it brings we've got a lot of problems i think it also brings with it a lot of benefits it makes life much more i think enriching and full and a society that can embrace its diversity with full rights for everyone and respect for everyone is strengthened by to me this is

a long term challenge that russia faces i hope certainly there are people i meet they give me reason to hope that it will measure up to read by baker thank you very much for this thank you very much. more news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. giant corporations are all today. british.

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of the photo and how would. the. presidential elections. is the clear favorite to win. three consecutive terms sixteen years in. russian national groups in the caucuses forces. to take preventive security measures to avoid a new wave of clashes. this week as a result of. in various parts of the sense of. nationalism and justice for among the. issues that came up at me for discussion of the subjects company included social security police reform and property prices.

and european speak out against governments in the methods used to deal with volatile economies the single currency is increasingly being seen as the root of the problem this came as leaders agreed to set up a permanent fund to rescue trading using its. love you've got more news for innocent fifteen years from now in the meantime kate is next with the latest from the world of sport. thank you for joining me for the sports update and here's what we have coming up ice and easy channel one cup winners russia russia and sixteen to end the tournament undie. well so whether rafa under pressure when he says claims his fast taking it into the last second to themas on day two with the club world cup. and so near yet so far fighting veteran bernard hopkins just misses out on

becoming the oldest champion saying. that start with us like if they were russia have ended the channel one cup in style that's just love because ben secured the trophy with a victory over the czechs on saturday and finished the tournament by beating the finns sixteen to keep their one hundred percent record intact robots that onion reports. the fans will break as the trophy comes back home the title was secure and certainly when russia claimed their second victory winning the general one cup a game early although the hosts still had some unfinished business on sunday. last year's tournament winners finland recently proved to be one of the toughest opponents just love big of man but this done it turned out to be a different story ten minutes in and alexander a dual score the opener to send them back in a good sport arena wild. and muster peace was to blame again and

again. the visitors for back and their furious pressure was soon awarded. billing at home in front of russia's goal and levelling matters one one. zero over the two sides soon restore their lead in a poll play to russia's first line making it to one. in the second period and that's when the show started the red machine gear allow to entertain the home crowd with a variety of goals in a trio of finishing his teammates ever is with american we shot three one soon and there are a dual and sergei mazak in easily two on one chance into gold for one and the goal first continued with two more by hosts six one by the second intermission. finland finally managed to get a score shoot in the final period but to know with mail as russia rolled down six

two winners. were none of this in the first two games but as with already fulfilled our main task of taking the title we just loosened up so today we could just produce the best game especially after we scored the first two goals. the first period was a bit tough for us as the game had started pretty early so we needed some time to wake up older when the second period we had big and scored five goals i'm sure this big tears enjoyed the way we played after their olympic dreams was shared in the disappointment of the world championships this triumph from home ice was a nice near present for the russian fans who are both well known or to be muscular . and in the late again the czech republic came back to beat sweden for one in the final match of the china one cup that they trade means the czechs finished second at the top with five points from three games four points behind winners russia

swedes with thirty three points off in only one and ended in a disappointing fourth. thing on to football and european champions into milan have won the club well cup after three nil when over t.p. mazembe a from the democratic republic of congo into saying took off openings at will and took the late in the thirteenth minute goran pandev saw to the ball and set up by some letter. and then fall. when it's later it's i was on the scoresheet himself i think the most expected to cross and how he is an essay to make it so you know. and that's how it stays to half time and after the break into continued to surge forward maicon going close after solo run. but it was wrapped up in the closing minutes jonathan beer bionic giving them and in fact take three know when it's the fourth consecutive time or european club has lifted the trophy and provided some response manager rafael benitez to sideline

a disappointing seventh syria on this and i was proud to be the first african team to reach the final where they said i complained to face about biased referee and let me tell it if the christian tradition of the players they were really focused she was talking about how to play against a team that physically was very strong and we knew that we had to work together and stay compact because we were not physical at the national level because we had too many players coming back from injury so tactically eating was well organized and the commitment of the player was really good and what he. wanted to also during the cup like everyone who prepared ourself. i think they tried their best and know what is making their most or lose this game was the referees and i think that if they can check i'm not a journalist this time i saw against muslim boys too much that really is not good for people i talked. to the president to say they have to check referees with cause

they don't have to discourage young teams coming i think all these things is very important you agreed. to ac milan and therefore in the cup and you did our best to what i've been playing you know meanwhile the third place match was found by brazilian side internacional ten and south korean side china fault too. so open for the south american athletes after a quarter of an hour and alexander go at it a second fifteen minutes later then the asian champions task was made even more difficult after so one junk was sent off just before half time it's enough to now made the most of the extra man early in the second half and those that are some very needed three know and alexandro netted his second for nil with twenty minutes left john did fight back with two goals in the last ten minutes from mauricio molina but it was too little too late last year out sealed third place.

we can was going i think that the main difference today was that we scored the goals and even more so i think that in the first game masala technically the way we played and today with due respect to the korean team that made life easier for us i think it was a good game with good quality but our team is used to playing with the rhythm and if we had had the luck to score during the last game then of course today we would be in another situation but life goes on and we have to be humble enough to realize we made mistakes in the first game and all of us could have created something different for today in the car boot camp. staying with football as the winter weather has forced the press bowman's of all three matches shadowed for this sunday in the english premier league those three matches included black against this place taught them middle and darby of west brom versus second bottom walls and the big matches stamford bridge between chelsea and leaders manchester united well one thing the weather couldn't stop worsts around expects and becoming manchester

united's longest serving manager despite the game of chelsea being called off a sixty eight year old scott has passed record of twenty four years one month and fourteen days ferguson has won twenty six major trophies since arriving at old trafford in the event been one hundred eighty six we had two spells in charge of united between one nine hundred forty five and one nine hundred sixty nine one hundred seventy and one hundred seventy one one and. the club's first european cup as well as spitefully titles. one started i mean to get in survived sunderland went six after a one nil win over bolton danny welbeck scored the first half when of steve bruce like remains unbeaten at home while struggling west ham two one one it manager as blackburn junior stannis last necking equaliser after a run nelson said i think rovers however the point still leaves the hammers bottom of the table at christmas and the eighteen clubs from being bottom of the premier league on december the twenty fifth only one has avoided relegation that was west brom in two thousand and five. thousand after that despite minutes over the weekend

third place not just the city help the chance to go top of the table at christmas for the first time since one thousand nine hundred twenty nine if their home much on monday does go ahead and sleep as it is everton. now into sports american lindsey vonn has taken her second straight well cup victory by winning the super combined race of valdez there in france the olympic champion put together a great performance in super g. and an assured slot a run to win by just under half a second to austrians is about to go gold and nicole haas in second and third respectively three time world cup champion also sees the overall lead from release of germany who finished fifth. wow over in italy ted ligety has extended his domination of the world cup giant slalom by winning his third straight race to take the lead in the overall standings the american finished fourteenth hundreds of the second ahead of france's superior ryszard another frenchman from the completed

the podium. now american bernard hopkins has just missed the chance to become the oldest boxer to hold a major world title after the forty six year old light heavyweight fight with john pascal was declared a draw hopkins seen here the way it was not done by pascal in the first and third rounds but he rallied after that and went on to last the distance and although one judge ruled the vet. had edged his opponent hundred fourteen points to one hundred twelve the other two judges said the pair were inseparable and the fight was to tread on the draw to draw a line past twenty two years hopkins junior to keep his double rio and i do see bouts. and finally politicians artists and foremost sportsmen have been attending a goddess ceremony here in moscow to celebrate the achievements of a charity called under the flag of good the organization raises money for children who need medical treatment while holding various sporting events as president and that his assistant. explains. just what the sixth year of the shirty variant turned

out to be very successful before announcing medical support to help two hundred children in over those six years for felt more than a thousand children this is our modest but i suppose very important contribution to developing churchy work in the country and of course the main result is the happy faces of the children who go on to live full and available lives and there are very grateful to everyone who took part in the event. and that's all the sports news for this bulletin.

the latest headlines in the week's top stories here in the polls close in belarus is presidential elections with alexander lukashenko looking set to claim a fourth term in office. from the belorussian capital minsk i'm catherine is our will bring you all the details in just a moment's. ethnic tension between russian nationalists and groups in the caucuses forces moscow authorities to take preventive security measures to avoid a new wave of clashes. service no topic was off limits as prime minister took the hot seat for his annual q. and a session with the public nationalism and justice were among the issues that came up in the for discussion.

europeans speak out against their governments and the methods used to deal with volatile economies the single currency is increasingly being seen as the roots of the problem. with a look back at the week's top stories and the latest developments this is. in moscow and the next president about a rule says alexander lukashenko it's only a prelim result but with all except polls suggesting the currently to receive more than seventy percent of the votes in sunday's election it's unlikely to change well let's get the latest on that election which is just ended from. katrina we understand that police used stun grenades to disperse.