By Robert Levy

World Jewish Congress has welcomed YouTube’s decision to remove channels promoting extremist ideologies and conspiracy myths against Jews.

They include White French extreme political activist Supremacists including neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke and anti-Semiite Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala.

“There is still a long road ahead before hate speech is eliminated from social media,” noted WJC but the decision is an “encouraging step”.

A YouTube spokesperson reportedly said there were “strict policies” prohibiting hate speech.

WJC analysts search the web for hate speech and report offenders.

The organisation has called on other social media platforms to follow YouTube’s lead to ensure users who perpetuate hate speech, historical revisionism and anti-Semitism are identified and banned.

In related news, a memorial site honouring Jews deported to concentration camps during the Holocaust was unveiled in Würzburg Central Station last month.

The memorial by artist Matthias Braun displays empty suitcases and luggage as a symbol to over 2,000 Jews deported to death camps from the station.

Only 20 returned after the war to build a new Jewish community that now numbers 1,000.

The memorial is titled DenkOrt Deportationen 1941-1944.

The Union of Jewish Communities in Italy is creating the first listing of Hebrew books in Italy.

The catalogue of books is a” dream come true” Dr. Gloria Arbib, former UCEI secretary general reportedly said. It includes digitised volumes and search functions in Hebrew and Latin.

The project is expected to take three years but it is hoped initial results will be available in the new year.

Some 35,000 Hebrew books from 14 Jewish communities and 25 state-run institutions will be catalogued. New technology will help preserve texts.

I-Tal-Ya Books involves UCEI, the National Library of Israel, Rome National Central Library with support of the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe