Joint Statement

The 10th EU-Israel Seminar on Combating Racism, Xenophobia and Antisemitism convened in Jerusalem and the north of Israel on December 13 – 14, 2016, bringing together representatives from the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission, the European External Action Service, the Fundamental Rights Agency, Members of Knesset, and experts from the Israel Ministry of Education, research institutions, NGOs and technology companies.

The EU and Israel agreed to continue their close cooperation in combating Antisemitism, in particular through new educational initiatives towards minority communities and population at large, and in countering dangerous cyberhate.

In his opening statement, Akiva Tor, Head of the Bureau for World Jewish Affairs and World Religions at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs said:

"In the face of rising intolerance in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere, government and public servants must find their way to develop new tools for confronting fresh challenges. We need to be proactive and creative in developing innovative tools for education towards tolerance, and we need to become more vigilant against the use of high technology for the spread of the basest hate."

Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism said:

"This past year, Europe has faced many challenges. Rising Antisemitism is one of them and it has repercussions on society at large. We need to join forces to combat Antisemitism and all other forms of racism in a holistic way, with solid policies, law enforcement on hate crimes, tackling illegal online hatred as well as with preventive measures such as education and coalition building. Our common values are under attack and we need to fight for them together."