This year, we celebrate the 75th
anniversary from the end of the Second World War and the surrender of Nazi
Germany to the allied forces. However, as allied troops liberated Europe, they
came across the horrible atrocities of the Holocaust. Around two thirds ofEuropean Jewry were murdered. Their memory should lead
us to do everything in our power to never allow such savage acts to take place again. Unfortunately, we are witnesses to a rise in
antisemitic acts across Europe.
In 2018, the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU (FRA) conducted a big survey on discrimination and hatecrime against Jews. The survey covered 12 Member States, where the vast majority of EU’s estimated Jewish population live (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). It was the biggest survey of Jewish people ever conducted worldwide. Over one third of all respondents (39 %) experienced some form of antisemitic harassment. Antisemitic acts originate from across the political spectrum. When asked to describe the perpetrator, the respondents, in 31 % of the cases identified the perpetrator as someone they do not know, in 30 % as someone with Muslim extremist views, and in 21 % of cases as someone with left-wing political views.
Additionally, it is very worrying that most respondents (79 %) who experienced antisemitic harassment in the five years before the survey, did not report the most serious incident to the police or to any other organisation. Almost half of them (49%), said that they did not report the incident because they believed that nothing would have changed had they done so.
Because of these worrying developments on a European level, the ECPM decided to support an EU petition that asks for concrete actions against the rise of antisemitism. The EU petition is in 23 different languages used as official language in EU Member States. We ask for measures to guarantee the safety of Jewish communities and for the removal of any barriers for the reporting of antisemitic acts. Finally, we call for special attention to the Holocaust and the contribution of the Jewish communities in the field of education.
In 2018, the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU (FRA) conducted a big survey on discrimination and hatecrime against Jews. The survey covered 12 Member States, where the vast majority of EU’s estimated Jewish population live (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). It was the biggest survey of Jewish people ever conducted worldwide. Over one third of all respondents (39 %) experienced some form of antisemitic harassment. Antisemitic acts originate from across the political spectrum. When asked to describe the perpetrator, the respondents, in 31 % of the cases identified the perpetrator as someone they do not know, in 30 % as someone with Muslim extremist views, and in 21 % of cases as someone with left-wing political views.
Additionally, it is very worrying that most respondents (79 %) who experienced antisemitic harassment in the five years before the survey, did not report the most serious incident to the police or to any other organisation. Almost half of them (49%), said that they did not report the incident because they believed that nothing would have changed had they done so.
Because of these worrying developments on a European level, the ECPM decided to support an EU petition that asks for concrete actions against the rise of antisemitism. The EU petition is in 23 different languages used as official language in EU Member States. We ask for measures to guarantee the safety of Jewish communities and for the removal of any barriers for the reporting of antisemitic acts. Finally, we call for special attention to the Holocaust and the contribution of the Jewish communities in the field of education.
The generation that lived through the Second World War
and the Holocaust is gradually passing way. The duty therefore falls on us, the
newer generations, to ensure that such atrocities do not take place again in
Europe and anywhere in the world. The European institutions as well as each
Member State must take action so that the phrase we frequently use for the
Holocaust “never again” is not a mere slogan.
If you are an EU citizen and you want to raise your voice against antisemitism, you can sign the EU petition here.
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