President von der Leyen pledges EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life
date: 14/10/2021
See also: Full speech
She stated:
“I am proud that, last week, the Commission adopted the first-ever ‘EU Strategy on combatting anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life'. We will be ambitious when implementing our new Strategy. Because Europe can only prosper if the Jewish communities prosper, too.”
The President presented the Commission's aims as outlined in the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, which is built on three pillars:
I. Strenghtening and expending the fight against antisemitism
"Antisemitism is a threat to Jewish people, but it is also a poison for our democracies, our values and our open societies. We have to fight it offline and online. And hate speech, disinformation and the denial of facts are everywhere online."
II. Fostering Jewish life in Europe in all its diversity
"Among many other actions, we will for example ask those cities aspiring to become European Capital of Culture to spotlight the contribution of Jewish life and culture in their city. We will also make sure that Jews are free to follow their religious traditions. And we will increase funding to better protect places of worship all over our Union."
III. Preserving the memory of past atrocities
"Remembering the Shoah is our shared responsibility. And as the last survivors are passing away, we need to find new ways of remembering. This is why we will create a Network of Young European Ambassadors for Holocaust Remembrance."