Sun Pulls Hate DVD

Nicholas Sinclair - Friday 22nd August 2008


Community leaders have praised Britain's biggest newspaper for swiftly removing an advert on its website for the most virulently anti-semitic film ever made.

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The Eternal Jew, a vile Nazi propaganda film released in 1940, had been available to purchase on DVD for £19.99 in the classified advertising section of The Sun newspaper's popular Sun Local website until it was taken down late last week.

Depicting Jews as wandering parasites the film, banned in most western countries including Germany, is one of history's starkest indications of Hitler's genocidal plans.

At the end of the hate film the narrator urges viewers to "break the Jews' power over us", adding: "We are the initiators of the fight against world Jewry, which now directs its hate, its brutal greed and destructive will toward us. We must win this battle for ourselves, for Europe, for the world."

The Sun newspaper's Lorna Carmichael said the advert was taken down as promptly as possible and the paper is now urgently reviewing how its automated classified service operates on the internet.

She told the Jewish News: "As soon as we were made aware that The Eternal Jew was being advertised on Sun Local it was removed. The Sun is now looking at how automatic feeds into Sun Local and will work with our service provider, Oodle, to ensure in the future only suitable content is presented under The Sun brand."

Mark Gardner, Director of Communications at the CST said: "This is the most virulent Nazi anti-semitic propaganda film, but CST is greatly heartened by The Sun's prompt actions in removing the film and appearing to implement policies to minimise the chances of any repetition."

He added: "Unfortunately, the internet has seen this kind of filth becoming quite widely available in comparison to the 1980s and early 1990s when it was sold by semi-underground PO Box-based companies".

Indeed, despite being removed from The Sun's website, The Eternal Jew can still be purchased elsewhere on the web on a military paraphernalia website based in Northern Ireland called Sigrune UK.

Board of Deputies Chief Executive Jon Benjamin also welcomed the paper's speedy reaction and action. He said: "We are pleased that The Sun has reacted so quickly and properly, but this remains a cautionary tale. There was a time when the evil nature of this kind of content would have been more widely known.

"Technology now means that material like this can more easily be widely disseminated and suppliers are not always immediately aware of the content they are making available. All suppliers should actively monitor what they are making available and guard against material that may incite hatred, endanger children or indeed offend against the criminal law in some way."

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