The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia (FJCR) says the number of cases of xenophobia and anti-Semitism has decreased in 2007, but it calls on the authorities to fight these cases more actively.

“The statistics of anti-Semitism and xenophobia cases registered by our organization in 2007, shows that these phenomena are reducing,” FJCR PR department head Boruh Gorin said.

This tendency “completely contradicts the forecasts for 2007,” the year when many people expected a rise in xenophobic statements and publications, “because the nationalistic card was used at all previous elections in full measure,” Gorin said.

“One should realize that this is the first gain, because the reduction [of such cases] in 2007 can be qualified as reduction only against the background of unbridled, unpunished distribution of nationalistic ideas along many years,” he said.

Gorin said he hoped that the authorities “will not decrease their activities directed against xenophobia and anti-Semitism, but even intensify this struggle.”