World Jewish Congress Applauds Council of the European Union’s declaration to
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[[link removed]]WJC Friend,

After years of working with the leadership of the European Union on codifying
measures to fight antisemitism at the European, Member State and local levels, the World Jewish Congress applauds the Council of the European Union’s adoption
yesterday of a declaration to mainstream the prevention and countering of
antisemitism in all its forms.

This critical step comes under the leadership of the German presidency of the
Council. The Council of the European Union is comprised of government ministers
from the 27 EU Member States, who meet to make laws and coordinate policies. The
ministers have the authority to commit their governments to the actions agreed
upon by the Council, the main decision-making body of the EU. The declaration
makes the fight against antisemitism a priority of Europe’s executive branch.

As part of its ongoing work to combat antisemitism, the World Jewish Congress
has for years worked closely with European government authorities and
institutions, as well as Jewish communities across the continent, to emphasize
the importance of EU leadership in this area, resulting in the development of
the declaration.

World Jewish Congress President Ambassador Ronald S. Lauder welcomed the declaration: “Europe has a serious and terrifying
antisemitism problem, and it’s high time that the European Union, its Member
States and local authorities direct real resources to it. The adoption of this
declaration by the Council of the European Union demonstrates that Germany in
its Council presidency and the EU leadership as a whole recognize the danger
that antisemitism and hate create and the threat to society and safety when left
unaddressed.

“This declaration is a significant step forward in making Europe a better place
for Jews. The responsibility now falls on Member States to apply the policies
and understanding laid out by the European Union in each of their countries, to
ensure that the scourge of antisemitism is dealt with, that perpetrators are
prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law, and that our next generation
learns that hatred is unacceptable.”

The declaration calls antisemitism “an attack on European values,” reading: “Any
form of antisemitism, intolerance or racist hatred is incompatible with the
values and aims of the European Union and its Member States and must be
addressed through decisive action at European and national levels.”

The declaration affirms that it is Member States’ “permanent, shared
responsibility to actively protect and support Jewish life.” It acknowledges the
increasing prevalence of antisemitism in Europe, particularly in the context of
the COVID-19 pandemic, and that “an increase in antisemitic incidents and hate
crime is a cause of great concern.” The declaration calls on Member States to
engage in “continuous dialogue with the Jewish community with a view to ensuring
appropriate levels of security awareness, specific training for security staff
and law enforcement officers, exchange of best practices and thorough
implementation of appropriate measures to ensure the security of Jewish
institutions.”

Regarding the growth of antisemitic hate speech, particularly its dissemination
online, “crimes committed online should be punished just as crimes offline are
and must be adequately addressed by means of effective prosecution and other
measures,” the declaration reads. “Illegal hate speech and terrorist content
online must be removed promptly and consistently by internet service providers,
in accordance with the relevant legal and non-legal framework.”

The declaration also calls for the systematic collection of data on antisemitic
incidents so as to “develop, implement and monitor progress on tailored
comprehensive strategies and education instruments,” and for increased Holocaust
education as “one of the most important tools to prevent antisemitic
prejudices.”

The European Council is expected to formally adopt the declaration at its
December 10-11 meeting.

This declaration comes two years after, and reaffirms, the Council of the
European Union’s December 6, 2018, declaration, under the leadership of the
Austrian presidency of the Council, on the fight against antisemitism and the
development of a common security approach to protect Jewish communities and
institutions in Europe. As per the new declaration, the European Commission
Working Group on antisemitism will continue to support Member States in
implementing the 2018 declaration.

Your support for World Jewish Congress, American Section, plays a vital role in
the WJC’s urgent efforts to fight back against the rise of antisemitic hatred in
Europe and across the world, rallying governments and world bodies to our cause.
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Thank you.

WJC


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