AJC Urges U.S. to Press European Nations to Combat Anti-Semitism

American Jewish Committee
Wednesday, 22 May 2002

The American Jewish Committee today urged the U.S. to press European governments to deal more forcefully with rising anti-Semitic violence.

"There is without question a level of anxiety and concern and even fear among many Jews in Europe today that we have not seen in decades," Rabbi Andrew Baker, AJC's Director of International Jewish Affairs, told the Congressional-based U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

"Sadly, many European leaders still cannot accept the severity of the problem," said Rabbi Baker. "They need to hear from our government and from members of Congress emphatically that anti-Semitism is again a serious problem in Europe and they must address it."

Speaking at the Commission's hearing on Capitol Hill, Rabbi Baker cited "an alarming number of anti-Semitic incidents in Western Europe, particularly France." Over the past 20 months, he said, violent acts against Jews have occurred at the rate of one per day.

"The security of Jewish institutions and individuals must be increased, " Rabbi Baker said. "Criminal acts need to be identified as hate crimes and the perpetrators pursued and punished."

Rabbi Baker told the Commission that the often fiercely anti-Israel rhetoric in Europe deserves some of the blame for the rise in anti-Semitic incidents. While a European debate over Israeli policy does not by itself pose a danger to Jews, "there can be little doubt that biased, one-sided, and unrelentingly hostile attacks on Israel have contributed to a climate—much as we witnessed at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban last summer—in which the Jewish state is demonized and presented as a pariah among the nations," he said. "A sense of balance and historical accuracy must be restored."

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org