Germany took part in its first military encounter since World War II. German-Israeli relations began with tension, but a friendly atmosphere developed between the two countries later in the year. Although right-wing extremist violence fell, violent crimes committed by skinheads and neo-Nazis rose. Germany witnessed a large number of Jewish immigration from the Former Soviet Union. Instability plagued Austrian politics as the far-right Freedom Party became the second strongest political party, edging out the mainstream conservative People's Party. Austrian-Israeli relations remained friendly. 1999 marked the 10th anniversary of the fall of Communism in Europe. Jewish communities in post-Soviet countries continued their transformation into "normal" communities. Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian Federation, resigned. Israeli foreign minister Ariel Sharon visited Moscow in an effort to end Russia's cooperation with Iran on dual-use technologies. There were several attacks on Jewish institutions over the course of the year. There was a dramatic increase in Jewish emigration from the Former Soviet Union.
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Gitelman, Zvi. Gruber, Ruth E. Caplan, Greg. Gordon, Murray. Review of the Year (2000) in Foreign Countries: Central and Eastern Europe. American Jewish Year Book. American Jewish Committee (AJC),Jewish Publication Society (JPS). 2000: