Berlin Hosts Anti-Semitism Conference

[Kellanved]

German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has called for the international community to become more active in efforts to combat anti-Semitism as a major conference on the topic gets underway in Berlin.

Speaking on the eve of an anti-Semitism conference sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Schröder warned that it was a mistake to view anti-Jewish sentiment and violence as a fringe issue. "It is a serious danger for the democratic rule of law and for the human dignity of every individual," said the chancellor on Tuesday.

Around 400 delegates representing 55 countries are taking part in the two-day conference in Berlin. Participants are seeking to adopt a declaration and action plan to fight xenophobia and racism against Jews. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is the highest-profile guest of the OSCE event -- a follow-up to a similar meeting in Vienna last June.

Just ahead of the conference, the U.S. Anti-Defamation League (ADL) published the results of its latest poll on anti-Semitism in Europe. The 10-nation survey found that while anti-Jewish sentiment has decreased across the continent, negative attitudes toward Israel are on the rise in most Western European countries.

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