AJC Calls for Emergency Meeting of European Ministers, Details Urgent Steps That Must Be Taken to Thwart Antisemitism

American Jewish Committee (AJC), the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, is today calling for immediate action from European government ministers in response to surging and increasingly violent antisemitism on the continent. To protect Jews in Europe - and the European way of life - AJC is calling for an emergency high-level meeting of relevant ministers from across Europe and for these officials to implement new enforcement, protection, and justice-related actions in the fight against antisemitism.

Specific measures include:

1. Enforcement of National Action Plans Against Antisemitism: Countries with national action plans against antisemitism must create internal monitoring and enforcement mechanisms that can evaluate how the plans are being implemented, where the gaps are, and create accountability.
2. Protection of Jewish Communities: European countries must do more to safeguard their Jewish communities. This will require further coordinating and learning regarding best practices and getting ahead of threats. Nations with national action plans should establish an intergovernmental taskforce on antisemitism to increase information sharing, coordination, and training among law enforcement officials across Europe.
3. Justice for Perpetrators of Antisemitic Violence: Antisemitism must have consequences. Governments must adopt zero tolerance for antisemitism policies that include full prosecution of hate crimes with clear penalties that are communicated to the public at large, sending a clear message that antisemitism will not be accepted in European societies.

"It shouldn't take the return of 'Jew hunts' to convince European leaders to take further action to stem the tide of surging antisemitism," said AJC CEO Ted Deutch. "If they don't take decisive action now to enforce their own national action plans, protect their Jewish communities, and adopt a zero tolerance policy for antisemitic violence, they will have failed their Jewish citizens and the European values they seek to uphold and defend."

"Europe is at a reckoning point," said Paris-based AJC Europe Managing Director Simone Rodan-Benzaquen. "Europe's leaders can't just issue condemnations of antisemitism and sign onto agreements and plans to combat Jew-hatred and think their job is done. We are presenting the EU with key, tangible steps that they can and must take if they are truly committed to countering antisemitism in their countries."

In the aftermath of the Jew hunt that took place on the streets of Amsterdam just over a week ago, AJC's eight European offices mobilized across the continent, engaging with European leaders at the highest levels regarding the substantive next steps that must take place to effectively address this unprecedented, dangerous moment. AJC's advocacy for these urgently-needed steps is a direct result from these consultations and builds on the agency's decades of experience in fighting antisemitism in Europe. In addition to the call for an emergency convening, AJC is in discussion with European governments on a bilateral basis to ensure the implementation of these new measures as quickly as possible.

In addition to the categories outlined above, AJC will be seeking action on specific measures including:

• Appropriately recognizing when anti-Zionism crosses the line to antisemitism and acting accordingly by outlawing incitement symbols and prosecuting calls for Israel's elimination or the justification of terrorism;
• Integrating training on identifying modern antisemitism - including certain manifestations of anti-Zionism - into school curricula, training educators to address antisemitic incidents, and monitor hate crimes in educational settings;
• Enforcing the Digital Services Act to hold platforms accountable for promoting antisemitism and demanding transparency on algorithms that promote hate; and
• Creating stronger transparency and accountability mechanisms for foreign funding, restricting media outlets which spread antisemitism, and expelling individuals from institutions which incite hate or commit hate crimes.

For decades, through extensive relationships with European leaders and decision-makers and partnerships with local Jewish communities, AJC has led the fight to combat antisemitism and extremism in Europe. More than 20 years ago, AJC was the first to sound the alarm about the resurgence of antisemitism on the continent and in in 2005, AJC assisted experts in Europe in drafting the Working Definition of Antisemitism, a comprehensive description of what constitutes antisemitism, including antisemitism as it relates to Israel. The definition was later adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) and endorsed by the European Parliament. The Working Definition has now been endorsed by more than 1,000 governments, civil society organizations, and other entities.

AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts - 8 across the European continent - as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC's mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. With offices in Berlin, Brussels, Paris, and Warsaw, and representatives in Budapest, Prague, Rome, and Sofia, AJC Europe maintains deep ties across the continent.

For more, please visit www.ajc.org .

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