The European Commission published this week its first progress report on the first ever EU strategy on combatting antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in Europe with an emphasis on good examples from the Member States.
The strategy was adopted in 2021 and shows that all EU Member States have taken action against antisemitism but some countries are still lagging behind. Since the strategy was adopted, the situation for Jews in Europe has dramatically worsened, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, commented.
“We need to do our utmost to ensure that all Jewish Europeans can go about their lives, free from fear.” Since the Hamas terrorist attack on 7 October 2023, antisemitic incidents have skyrocketed across Europe, according to the progress report.
Contemporary antisemitism was found to be present in radical and fringe groups espousing right-wing, left-wing or Islamist extremism, it can hide behind anti-Zionism, but it can also be found in the centre of society. Already in 2019 more than half of Europeans stated that the conflict in the Middle East has an influence on their perception of Jewish people in their country.
The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine exacerbated antisemitic attitudes and stereotypes across the EU. According to a survey by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on antisemitic experiences by Jewish people, conducted in the first half of 2023, almost all Jews in Europe have encountered antisemitism either online or offline.
Most say that antisemitism has increased in recent years and avoid carrying or displaying items in public that would distinguish them as Jews. A policy brief commissioned by the European Commission showed an upsurge of hate speech content online after 7 October 2023 of social media. In a random sample, around 45% was antisemitic content and 15% related to anti-Muslim hatred.
The war in the Middle East has led to levels of antisemitism unprecedented since the founding of the EU. Acts include the firebombing of Jewish premises, such as synagogues, and physical attacks on Jewish persons, homes, restaurants and shops. Across Europe, Holocaust monuments have been defaced with false comparisons of Jews and Nazis, thereby trivializing the Shoah.
The progress report follows the structure of the EU strategy and shows how the 90 initiatives in the strategy have been implemented so far. Member States were supposed to adopt national strategies for combating antisemitism, appoint a special envoy or national coordinator and to endorse the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) non-binding working definition antisemitism.
The borderline between antisemitism and legitimate criticism of Israel and its government is often blurred and has become politicized. The definition draws a red line between legitimate criticism against Israel and denial of the right of the state of Israel to exist, Vice-President Margaritis Schinas explained when the strategy was adopted.
Criticism of Israel like that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic, but calling for the killing or harming of Jews, stereotypical allegations of the power of Jews and holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel are among the manifestations of antisemitism included in the definition. Such allegations are witnessed in the EU on a daily basis.
National strategies
Most Member States, with the exception of Belgium, Latvia and Poland, have adopted national strategies, either as alone-standing policies or included in broader strategies against racism and extremism or to promote human rights.
20 Member States have appointed a special envoy or national coordinator on combating antisemitism. Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia have not done it yet. 25 Member States have adopted and/or endorsed the IHRA working definition of antisemitism - Ireland and Malta have not done it. Two countries – Slovenia and Luxembourg – adopted the definition without any examples.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo replied earlier this year to an open letter from Jewish communities in Belgium that he is taking the fight against antisemitism seriously while at the same time reserving the right to criticise the current Israeli government for its handling of the war in Gaza.
However, according to the progress report, Belgium still lacks a strategy, at least on the federal level, in contrast to other federal countries like Germany and Austria. De Croo responded that he and Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt favour appointing an independent national coordinator. However the Commission has said it is not aware who this is.
Council declaration
The progress report concludes that antisemitism is a threat to European democracy and the security of the EU. Antisemitic conspiracy myths, hate speech and disinformation attacking the Jewish community are polarising, with a negative effect on the public debate. This ultimately affects the democratic sphere altogether.
Following the Commission’s progress report, the Council approved on Wednesday a declaration on fostering Jewish life and combating antisemitism. Like the Commission, the Council is deeply concerned about the alarmingly high levels of antisemitism across the EU. The declaration gives political guidelines to the Commission and the Member States.
“We deem it crucial to go beyond merely responding to antisemitism alone; we should continue our efforts, and step up action to actively prevent and combat it in all its forms. The fight against antisemitism therefore needs to be mainstreamed across all relevant policy areas, ensuring the full enjoyment of fundamental rights for all and preventing radicalisation, extremism, and terrorism.”
"The council declaration on fostering Jewish life and combating antisemitism adopted under the Hungarian EU presidency is an important step and shows the determination of the EU and all Member States to address antisemitism across the EU with determination," Katharina von Schnurbein, EU’s coordinator against antisemitism, told The Brussels Times.
“It’s complimentary to the progress report on the implementation of the EU strategy adopted by the Commission which shows that there has been significant structural progress and an increase of actions."
Some good examples from Member StatesBelgium: To improve the recording of antisemitic incidents, Belgium has revised the applicable instructions to make it possible to mention an “antisemitic” motive when recording discrimination and hate crimes. Finland: Freedom of religion and belief is safeguarded in new animal welfare legislation by permitting methods of religious (kosher and halal) slaughter as long as the act is performed in slaughterhouses in the presence of an inspection veterinarian. This legal principle is crucial for the Finnish Jewish and Muslim communities. Italy: To address antisemitism in sports, Italy's new “Declaration of Intent on combating antisemitism in football” explicitly bans players from wearing the number 88 (‘Heil Hitler’) on shirts, and foresees in case of antisemitic acts during football matches the immediate suspension of the matches. Bulgaria: The authorities have renovated, with financial support from the EU, the Vidin synagogue, which is one of the biggest synagogues in the region which had fallen into disrepair during the Communist period. Estonia: In Tallinn the site of the destroyed Old Jewish Cemetery has been reopened as a memorial area and park. The cemetery was destroyed by the Soviet authorities in the 1960s. France: France has introduced memorial visits about antisemitism, racism, or antigypsyism for all pupils. Romania: From the 2023-2024 academic year, Romania introduced the “History of the Jews: The Holocaust” as an optional subject for the 11th or 12th grades, making Romania the first EU country to do so. Croatia: The Government has decided to modernise the Jasenovac Memorial site, by bringing it in line with remembrance practices laid out in the IHRA’s Charter for Safeguarding Sites. Jasenovac was a concentration camp which was established by the Ustaše regime during WWll for Serbs, Roma and Jews. Greece: The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs has started to teach all its diplomats at the Diplomatic Academy about the Holocaust and antisemitism. To get acquainted with Jewish history and contemporary life, they pay visits to the Jewish Museum of Greece and Athens' Synagogues. Poland: Convinced that people-to-people contact helps to create mutual understanding, the Polish government has signed an agreement with Israel for study visits of organised youth groups. |
