03.06.2017, Europe.
Dr. Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor, the president of the European Jewish Congress (EJC), said on June 2 that the European Parliament adopted a working definition of antisemitism proposed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) with a majority of votes, TASS news agency reports.
The breakdown of the votes was as follows: 479 total votes cast, with 101 against and 47 abstained.
According to the accepted working definition, antisemitism is “a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
The head of the EJC welcomed the decision of the European Parliament, calling it long-awaited. He also urged the EU countries to adopt the definition and apply it in a real world.
“This is a monumental day for the fight against hate and the protection of the rights of European Jews. For too long, Jews were deemed unique, with hate defined by the perpetrators and not by the victims. The only people who will be dismayed by this decision are those who wish to continue the culture of anti-Semitic impunity and who believe that Jews should not be afforded protection under the law,” said Dr. Kantor.
“We are delighted that European institutions and nations are fully cognisant of the need to protect Jewish communities and we are grateful for their cooperation with the EJC to ensure that this is placed high on their agenda … and we look forward to ensuring that this vital step is implemented across the continent.” he added.
The level of antisemitism in Europe has increased significantly in recent years.
The peak of the reports of antisemitism in Europe fell on 2014-2015. France became the epicenter of ethnic strife. In 2014, France was the leader in terms of the number of people who immigrated to Israel, according to the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI). In this category, France even beat Ukraine, despite the pro-fascist regime seizing the power in Kiev. 5,840 people immigrated to Israel from Ukraine in 2014, from France – more than 7 thousand, according to the JAFI.
In 2015, after one of the resonant attacks on the synagogue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “been murdered again on European soil only because they were Jews. … Israel is your home. We are preparing and calling for the absorption of mass immigration from Europe”
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
