BRUSSELS (EJP)—For the first time, an official body of the European Parliament dealt with the issue of rising anti-Semitism in Europe and the need to make the fight against this phenomenon a priority.
The topics were discussed in Brussels at the first meeting this year of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Israel.
‘’Following the recent anti-Semitic attacks and especially the terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, I felt compelled to open an urgent debate in the European parliament on the risk of a new wave of anti-Semitism in Eurpope,’’ said Fulvio Martusciello, the Italian MEP who chairs the delegation.
“The tragic events in recent months show that anti-Semitism remains a security challenge in the European Union. In spite of the prohibition of discrimination on racial, ethnic and religious ground, which is the basis of many international conventions, we see an alarming increase of exclusion, threats and violence,’’ Martusciello said.
‘’This meeting serves to reflect on the measures that the EU can take against these dangerous developments but also provides the ability to stimulate a constructive dialogue to avoid any form of religious radicalization, discrimination and violence against persons or communities”.
During the hearing, a senior American Jewish Committee official urged European Parliament members to quickly develop an action plan to confront the rising tide of anti-Semitism in their respective countries and change the reality of Jews living in fear in Europe.
‘’What must come first is the will of European leadership to assure the security and the European future of Europe’s Jews, and to defend the values, the security and the future of Europe as a whole,” Jason Isaacson, AJC Associate Executive Director for Policy, told the European Parlialent delegation for relations with Israel in Brussels.
“Jews throughout the European Union are facing a personal quandary and making wrenching personal decisions” about sending children to Jewish day schools, attending services in synagogues and Jewish communal events, as well as weighing whether to stay or leave their countries of residence,’’ he stressed.
Isaacson called for “an action plan to combat anti-Semitism” to be implemented country by country across Europe. “Heads of state must speak out clearly and sincerely,” said Isaacson, adding that the first step, “already taken by many national leaders, including German Chancellor Merkel and French Prime Minister Valls, is to express at the highest levels that fundamental commitment to fight anti-Semitism.”
“Jewish communities and the general public need to hear directly from European leaders that anti-Semitism violates core European principles and will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that ‘’civil society, including faith leaders must be summoned to carry the message that anti-Semitism is socially, politically and religiously unacceptable.”
‘’European governments should step up and better organize the collection of data on anti-Semitic incidents and perpetrators in order “to know as precisely as possible the dimension and the source of the threat we’re facing,” he said.
Isaacson called on the EU and its member states “to formulate and implement broad-ranging counter-radicalization programs, working in partnership with Muslim and other faith and civil society leaders.”
He stressed the need to halt “radical preachings now commonly disseminated in European prisons” and offered several recommendations for improving the teaching of tolerance and democratic values in European schools, adding that “educators must be encouraged to develop accessible new curricula imparting the core message that anti-Semitism is incompatible with fundamental European values.”
Isaacson also called on European governments to consider modifying existing laws to allow for shutting down of websites and social media accounts that promote and share anti-Semitism.
He urged governments to take steps to prevent European jihadists from traveling to and from Middle East conflict zones, substantially bolster security of Jewish communal sites, and institute other safeguards against anti-Semitic violence.
Other speakers included Stéphane Teicher, Vice- President of B’nai B’rith France and Jane Braden-Golay, President of the European Union of Jewish Students.
‘’The fact that anti-Semitism becomes ordinary to the eyes of the civil society is a matter of concern,’’ said Teicher, who noted the indiffrerence of the population. ‘There was no mass reaction in France following grave anti-Semitic developments of, protests in Paris during last summer Israeli Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in Gaza.
In 2014, 851 anti-Semitic acts were reported in France, twice more than in 2013 and ten times more than in 2000.
But Teicher sees also matters of hope, cirting the ‘’very strong commitment of the French government not to tolerate anti-Semitism and its actions,’’ the fact that the January attacks in Paris against a kosher supermarket and in Copenhagen against a synagogue ‘’clearly showed the clear link between radical Islamism and anti-Semitism.’’
‘’Muslim leaders understand that the French Muslim community is under threat too,’’ Teicher added.
Braden-Golay insisted on the need to build a stronger civil society alliances in combating anti-Semitism and other forms of racism and intolerance, and to combat ignorance towards Jews. ‘’Holocaust education must remain part of national curricula around Europe,’’ she said.
During the discussion, Belgian MEP Frederique Ries insisted that the security of the Jewish population is the first right to be protected. ‘’We hope very much to have a European Commissionner that would have the fight against anti-Semitism in his competences,’’ she said.
