BRUSSELS—The fight against anti-Semitism in Europe must become a priority for European governments and for the EU collectively, says the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in a action plan for governments across Europe.
The plan, which was first issued by AJC three years ago following a conference in Brussels in 2015, has now been updated.
“Ongoing challenges to effectively combat anti-Semitism today are just as severe, if not more so, than three years ago. This pervasive evil that threatens not only Jews, but European society, should compel urgent, concerted action by governments,” said Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs.
“We appreciate that several of the AJC recommendations were implemented, but we remain concerned that most have not been given the attention needed in order to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat this hatred as it continues to metastasize,’’ he added.
The AJC action plan calls on European governments to make the fight against anti-Semitism an urgent priority for individual countries, and collectively for the entire EU.
It specifies steps for governments to assess the severity of the problem, provide for the security of Jewish institutions and communitie, invest in education that imparts European values, take on purveyors of anti-Semitism on the Internet and in social media and recognize that vilification of Israel too often is a cover for expressions of anti-Semitism.
“The issue of security remains at the top of the agenda” for Jewish communities across Europe, notes the updated AJC plan. There has been “a steady erosion of European Jews’ sense of physical security,” as “incidents of verbal and even physical harassment have been commonplace in major European cities.”
The AJC plan commends the European Commission for appointing a special coordinator for combating anti-Semitism and the few EU member states that created and filled similar positions. Establishing a senior level position in governments across Europe was a key recommendation in the 2015 AJC Call to Action.
To combat anti-Semitism, the plan emphasizes both the need to define the problem and to establish protocols to monitor it.
The plan reiterates as a priority adoption of the Working Definition of Anti-Semitism which ‘’offers a concise definition and set of examples that illustrate the multi-dimensional nature of the problem.’’
Several more governments have adopted the definition, recognizing that it “is an important educational tool for both civil society monitors and governments, where it can inform the work of police, prosecutors and judges.”
But the capability of EU member states to collect data continues to be inadequate. “To understand the problem and to devise the proper counter-measures it is necessary to have a detailed picture that fully describes the incident of anti-Semitism and where possible also provides information on the perpetrators of those incidents,” says the plan. “Only a minority of EU Member States collects comprehensive and disaggregated data on anti-Semitic hate crimes.”
Civil society organizations play a critical role in monitoring and raising awareness and engaging the problem on a grass roots level. But recognizing that these groups are generally underfunded, AJC encourages governments to provide them with direct financial support.
Given recent political trends, the updated AJC plan notes with deep concern the rise of far-right and xenophobic political parties, long a part of the European landscape and a traditional source of anti-Semitism. “As governments become more populist and nationalistic, anti-Semitic incidents are also increasing,” it states. “In some countries where political leaders should otherwise be the first to challenge such language they are instead employing it for their own partisan goals.”
To counter purveyors of hate who are using social media is another major concern. “The internet and multiple forms of social media have allowed for the instant and universal dissemination of anti-Semitism,” says the AJC plan.
AJC has urged social media companies to police their sites and supports the EU code of conduct signed with social media companies last year.
“While most governments will monitor and report anti-Semitic hate crimes, few do the same with the Internet and social media postings.’’ The plan warns that ‘’anti-Semitism in the virtual world can quickly lead to anti-Semitic incidents in the real world.’’
The plan also emphasizes “the importance of education in the fight against anti-Semitism.” It recommends that teachers be trained to teach about various forms of anti-Semitism, including conspiracy theories about Jews, and to be alert to its presence in the classroom. Holocaust education and education about Jewish life in Europe, historically and present day, is critically important in the fight against anti-Semitism.
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