Antisemitism strikes at the heart of the European Union
New members of the European Parliament need to break the cycle of antisemitism in the European Union, writes Robin Sclafani.
Robin Sclafani is director of CEJI-A Jewish Contribution to an Inclusive Europe. CEJI is a long-term member of the European Network Against Racism.
The European Union was set up with the aim of ending the frequent and bloody wars between neighbours, reeling from the shock of what conspired in the Holocaust during World War II.
As the new European Parliament and European Commission take shape, protests invoking “death to the Jews” have hit the streets of many European cities while social media facilitates a barrage of hate speech. Arguments that these incidents are caused by the exchange of fire between Hamas and Israel are invalid as we have witnessed an escalation of violent attacks against Jewish people and places over the last year, such as the murders at the Brussels Jewish Museum in May. For at least the last decade, it is simply not safe for a person to publically display symbols of their Jewishness in some parts of Europe, including in Brussels, the capital of the European Union.
New members of the European Parliament need to take responsibility to break the cycle of bias and bigotry, in Parliament as well as within home constituencies and with colleagues. Regarding antisemitism, this means:
more: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/antisemitism-strikes-heart-european-union-307934