Ursula von der Leyen addressed the alarming rise of antisemitism in Europe in the wake of the war in the Middle East. ”This is unacceptable and there is no justification for that,” she said.
‘’No war and no political argument can excuse antisemitism.Let me be very clear: antisemitism is a threat to our democracy. It is a cancer that questions the very foundations of our European Union. We shall never allow it,’’ she stressed.
Days after the barbaric massacre committed by Hamas terrorists in communities in southern Israel on the 7th of October 2023, , European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen showed solidarity and support for Israel by travelling to the Jewish State together with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
On Mondy evening, she recalled her visit to Kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the communities that suffered most from the terror attack, in an address to a memorial ceremony marking one year since the most hideous attack committed against Jews since the Shoa, as she described it.
Wearing a yellow badge pinned to her jacket to symbolize support for the 101 hostages still captives in Gaza, she spoke in a packed Great Synagogue of Brussels at an event organized by the Jewish Consistory of Belgiul and also attended by European Commission Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Israel’s ambassadors to Belgium and the EU, respectively Idit Rosenzweig-Abu and Haim Regev, as well as families of Israelis killed or kidnapped on October 7.
‘’I was in Kibbutz Kfar Aza. I saw the burnt-out houses. The bullet holes in the walls.
I saw a baby seat, covered in blood. Everything was silent,but it felt like the stones and trees were still screaming in horror,’’ von der Leyen said.
She added, ‘’ Kfar Aza used to be a lively kibbutz with 750 inhabitants. Hamas’ terrorists turned it into a ghost town, until today. They murdered over 1,100 people in cold blood and kidnapped hundreds more. Women. Children, Holocaust survivors. For one reason, and one reason only, Hamas terrorists killed or abducted them because they were Jews. Because they were living in the State of Israel.’’
In a comment, Politico.eu noted that Ursula von der Leyen ”defended her post-October 7 trip to Israel” while at the time, she ”was strongly criticized by political opponents for her support visit and for not publicly calling on Israel to respect international law in its war in Gaza.”
‘’Our thoughts are with all those for whom time has stopped on October 7th.The 101 hostages, who are still held in captivity by Hamas. And the families,who’ve been waiting in angst to be reunited with their loved ones. Our thoughts are with all the innocent victims of the tragic chain of events, that was set off by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7th,, she said.
She stressed that ‘’it is time for the bloodshed to end.’’ It is time to break the dangerous cycle of attacks and retaliation, with de-escalation across the region.’’
‘’At the start of this New Year, may the violence finally end. May the hostages finally come home. And may there be finally peace and security for the people in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon alike,’’ she added.
The President of the European Commission also addressed the alarming rise of antisemitism in Europe in the wake of the war in the Middle East. ‘’Synagogues have been vandalized, people have been attacked just for wearing a kippah, students could not go to university because they didn’t feel safe, hate chants against Jews suddenly resonated in Europe’s streets.’’
She called this ‘’unacceptable’’ and said ‘’there is no justification for that.’’
‘’No war and no political argument can excuse antisemitism.Let me be very clear: antisemitism is a threat to our democracy. It is a cancer that questions the very foundations of our European Union. We shall never allow it,’’ she concluded.
In his speech, Israel’s ambassador to the EU and NATO, Hai Regev, expressed his ‘’deepest gratitude to the European Union for its unwavering support.’’
He said that von der Leyen’s ‘’commitment to Israel and the Jewish community has been in-valuable.’’
‘’The solidarity the EU have shown reinforced our shared values and demonstrated a profound commitment to peace and security,’’ he added.
Regev stressed that the European Commission President’s visit to kibbutz Kfar Aza just days after October 7 ‘’remains vivid in our memory.You stood with Israel when we needed it at most. It was a light of hope during our darkest days.’’
‘’You were the first world leader, to come to Israel after the massacre and your clear message “Europe stands with Israel” was deeply appreciated by the Israeli people,’’ the ambassador said.
He said she ‘’demonstrated courage and leadership.Israel will never forget your support.’’
Tomas Sandell, Founding Director of European Coalition for Israel (ECI) wrote that ”whereas many EU member states have ended up on the wrong side of history during this civilisational moment, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have shown both moral clarity and great leadership in having expressed their solidarity with the Jewish state after October 7. This courageous stance deserves proper recognition and our full support.”
Israel’s ambassador to Belgium Idit Rosenzweig-Abu said that her country is in a battle for its existence. ”We are tired of war, we wish the war to end but Israel cannot and will not go back to the conceptions of Oct. 6th. Israel will not ceasefire in Gaza until all hostages are returned. The 7 October will never happen again.”