December 12, 2024 — Brussels, Belgium
More than 40 Jewish and non-Jewish elected officials, leaders, and organizations from across the EU joined American Jewish Committee (AJC) in signing a letter urging European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and other EU Council members to prioritize combating antisemitism. The letter calls for this issue to be central to the agenda during the European Council Meetings on December 19 and highlights the need for a holistic response as a key priority for the incoming European Commission.
“Specifically, we call on the European Council to prioritize combating antisemitism as a strategic issue for Europe and to mandate the European Commission, under President Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership, to develop and implement urgent measures to address this crisis at an EU-wide level,” the letter states. “This is not a time for complacency — it is a time for decisive leadership. Europe must act swiftly and decisively to stem this crisis before it is too late.”
As the letter notes, this call comes at a time where there is a recorded 1,000% increase in antisemitic incidents in France in 2023, 250% in Germany, 245% in the Netherlands, and similarly alarming spikes across Europe.
Signatories include Former Prime Ministers of France Manuel Valls and Bernard Cazeneuve, Former President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev, Acting Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria Borislav Sarafov, Italian Member of Parliament Marco Scurria, and Mayor of Pescara, Italy Carlo Masci, as well as representatives from major international communal organizations and European Jewish communities including European Jewish Congress, World Jewish Congress, B’nai B’rith International, and European Union of Jewish Students.
The letter also calls for deploying adequate resources, means, and political support to bolster the work of the European Commission Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life. Supporting and expanding this role are pivotal in the effort to develop and implement urgent measures to address this crisis at an EU-wide level.
The EU-wide effort behind this letter comes just days after AJC CEO Ted Deutch and AJC President Michael Tichnor completed a week-long mission to London, Paris, and Amsterdam, where they urged government leaders and elected officials to adopt and implement new enforcement, protection, and justice-related actions to combat antisemitism. They also engaged with Jewish community leaders to strengthen efforts in this critical endeavor.
Last month, an emergency high-level meeting with ministers, permanent representatives, and ambassadors to the European Union was held after AJC Europe called for immediate action in response to the pogrom in Amsterdam. Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, AJC Europe Managing Director, represented AJC at that convening—the only non-governmental organization (NGO) invited to present. Rodan-Benzaquen detailed AJC’s call for enforcement, protection, and justice mechanism:
- Enforcement of National Action Plans Against Antisemitism: Countries must create internal monitoring and enforcement mechanisms that can evaluate how the plans are being implemented, where the gaps are, and create accountability.
- Protection of Jewish Communities: European countries must do more to safeguard their Jewish communities by establishing an intergovernmental task force on antisemitism to increase information sharing, coordination, and training among law enforcement officials across Europe.
- Justice for Perpetrators of Antisemitic Violence: 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.
A PDF of the letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other EU officials is available here.
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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