Combating antisemitism

Today, the European Commission is presenting the first-ever EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. With antisemitism worryingly on the rise, in Europe and beyond, the Strategy sets out a series of measures articulated around three pillars: to prevent all forms of antisemitism; to protect and foster Jewish life; and to promote research, education and Holocaust remembrance.

Ex Ante Publicity for Negotiated Procedure for Low Value Contrat (JUST/2021/PR/CCHI/RIGH/0047)

17 September 2021 – To address the rise of antisemitism in Europe and the security threats it poses to the Jewish communities, the European Commission together with OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the World Jewish Congress are organising a series of events to build effective communication between National Security Institutions and Jewish communities.

L’Shanah Tovah U’Metukah!

31 August 2021 - POLITICO interviewed the Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, Katharina von Schnurbein, ahead of the adoption of the first-ever ambitious and comprehensive Strategy on combating antisemitism by the European Commission. The interview touches upon the online antisemitism and its consequences on real life, the Israel and Europe relation, the need for strategies at national level, the importance of preserving the memory of the Holocaust and of raising awareness about Jewish life as well as the danger of antisemitism for our societies.

19 August 2021 - Katharina von Schnurbein addressed the European Union of Jewsih Students (EUJS) Summer U General Assembly that took place in Italy, in front of young Jewish activists from Europe and beyond. She congratulated the newly elected EUJS President, Elias Dray, and offered Commission's support in the fight against antisemitism.

22 July 2021 - The Commission published a study entitled 'Heroes and scapegoats: Right-wing extremism in digital environments'. The study focusses on the different aspects of digital violent right-wing extremist (VRWE) content, i.e., textual or visual messages that express acceptance, condoning, justification or acclamation of violence for the sake of a radical nationalistic ideal. The study, among other groups, focusses thereby on Jews as a target of VRWE.

13 July 2021 - The ESJF-European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative organised the final event of the European Commission-funded pilot project “Protecting the Jewish Cemeteries of Europe”.

09 June 2021 - The Commission decided to send letters of formal notice to Greece, the Netherlands and Lithuania as their national laws do not fully or accurately transpose EU rules on combating racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law (Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA). The purpose of this Framework Decision is to ensure that serious manifestations of racism and xenophobia, such as public incitement to violence or hatred, are punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties.

9 June 2021 - The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed thousands participating in the 2021 American Jewish Committee (AJC) Virtual Global Forum. She reiterated the Commission’s commitment to fighting antisemitism, fostering Jewish life, Holocaust remembrance and strong EU-Israel partnership.

3 - 4 June 2021 - The European Commission organised its 5th meeting of the Working Group on combating antisemitism as a key event to consult Member States and Jewish communities on their ideas for the first-ever EU Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. The strategy will be adopted by the European Commission by the end of 2021. The objective of the meeting was to gain input from national authorities and stakeholders on the most important issues that the strategy should address and concrete actions to tackle them. Vice-President for promoting our European Way of life, Margaritis Schinas, presented the work that paved the way in the fight against discrimination, racism and antisemitism.

7 June 2021 - The European Commission together with the OSCE ODIHR and the World Jewish Congress organised the training on 'Raising Awareness and Building Effective Communication between National Security Institutions and the Jewish Community in Croatia'. Katharina von Schnurbein, Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, gave an opening speech in which she highlighted the rise in antisemitism and the need to combat it, including through the upcoming Strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in the EU. Wester Meijdam, Policy Officer, gave an overview of the challenges faced by today's Jewish community in Europe and the EU policies to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish life. He focused on the need to improve data collection and recording of antisemitic incidents, and highlighted funding opportunities to combat antisemitism.

The Commission has published the findings of the study “The rise of Antisemitism online during the pandemic”, conducted by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), on the occasion of the 5th European Commission Working Group on combating antisemitism. The study analyses online content in French and German. Comparing the first two months of 2020 with the first two of 2021, the findings show a seven-fold increase in antisemitic content on Twitter, Facebook and Telegram in French, and over a thirteen-fold increase in antisemitic content in German.

26 May 2021 - Today, the Commission publishes its guidance on how the Code of Practice on Disinformation, the first of its kind worldwide, should be strengthened to become a more effective tool for countering disinformation. It sets out Commission expectations, calls for stronger commitments by the signatories and foresees a broader participation to the Code.

25 May 2021 - The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, delivered a video keynote speech at the 16th World Jewish Congress Plenary Assembly.

14 May 2021 – The European Commission expressed solidarity with European Jewish communities as a response to the rise of antisemitic attacks, which followed the escalation of conflict in the Middle-East. President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the indiscriminate attacks by Hamas on Israel and stated that violence “must end now”. Vice-President Věra Jourová joined in calling on Member States to remain vigilant while expressing her solidarity with the Jewish community. She also indicated that there is no excuse for violence on European streets and that antisemitic hate crime and hate speech has to be brought to justice.

19 May 2021 – The Commission’s Coordiantor on Combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, Katharina von Schnurbein, opened the Educational Webinar: “Practical implementation of the three Non-legally binding IHRA working definitions in multicultural societies: lessons learned, best practices, steps forward”. The multilateral Webinar was organised jointly by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria, and the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

13 May 2021 – At the Third Ecumenical Kirchentag event that took place in an hybrid format (online and Frankfurt, Germany), the European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, Katharina von Schnurbein, joined the President of the Jewish communities in Germany, Dr Josef Schuster, and others in answering the question “What can we do against antisemitism?”.

11 May 2021 – The EPP Working Group on Intercultural and Religious Dialogue held a seminar on ‘Antisemitism in Europe’ chaired by MEP Jan Olbrycht, where coordinators on combating antisemitism as well as civil society Jewish organisations were invited to present the worrying rise of antisemitism in Europe, the actions to combat this trend and the ways to address antisemitism at political level. Katharina von Schnurbein, Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, presented the work carried out by the European Commission in this fight and the EU Strategy on combating antisemitism, which will be adopted at the end of 2021.

10 May 2021 - At the annual commemoration of the Shoah that took place at the 'Monument of Jews deported from Antwerp', Katharina von Schnurbein, Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, joined Regina Suchowolski-Sluszny, Holocaust survivor and President of the FORUM der Joodse Organisaties, H.E. Amb. Martin Kotthaus, Ambassador of Germany to Belgium, and Bart De Wever, Mayor of Antwerp, in remembering the victims of the Holocaust and reflecting on how to commemorate the Shoah in a digital era, when direct witnesses will no longer be with us.