AA16CR14ADD1

AS (2016) CR 14
Addendum 1

2016 ORDINARY SESSION

________________________

(Second part)

REPORT

Fourteenth sitting

Wednesday 20 April 2016 at 10 a.m.

Debate:

Renewed commitment in the fight against anti-Semitism in Europe

The following texts were submitted for inclusion in the official report by members who were present in the Chamber but were prevented by lack of time from delivering them.

Mr JENSSEN (Norway) – We still have a Europe in which many Jews ask themselves whether they are accepted as citizens, and whether they can feel safe from violent attacks, hate speech or discrimination. This is unacceptable.

In Norway, Jews are a national minority, but the term “Jew” is also used in a derogatory way by many Norwegians. I believe this is not because they are negative towards Norwegian Jews in general, but because they lack historical knowledge, and are influenced by critical views of the State of Israel, as well as the media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Norway has not been spared attacks on synagogues, but thankfully there have been no fatalities.

Parallel to our debate on anti-Semitism, we have an ongoing debate in Norway about the song lyrics of a popular rap group. They mention Jews in a string of derogatory words, which has raised the question of whether or not the wording has a negative impact on the image of the Jewish community – or whether it should be understood the other way round. What I find positive, though, is that the public debate on how to interpret the lyrics is being held in a respectful way, not as verbal trench warfare, as is so often the case. The name of the song nevertheless illustrates one of the problems we are facing: it is called “Attitude Problems”. Anti-Semitism is, nevertheless, more than just an attitude problem; it is also about deliberate actions by people who are fully aware of what they are doing. We should not be naive.

Norway is now developing a specific and targeted action plan on anti-Semitism. It was an initiative presented in the Parliament by the Christian Democratic Party and unanimously adopted. I believe Norway is one of, if not the, first country to produce such a specific plan addressing anti-Semitism.

In the resolution before us, one of the suggestions likely to be adopted is that of making the public denial, trivialisation, justification or praise of the Holocaust a criminal offence. I respect that many countries have found it necessary to introduce such legislation and that others perhaps will do so in the future. At the same time, I feel obliged to express the view that this, for the time being, is not a relevant question in the Norwegian legislative debate or the work carried out to fight anti-Semitism in our country. I support the important report before us and will vote in favour of the resolution, but, as I have stated, I do so with a certain reservation regarding point 7.1.2.

It is not, and should not be, the minorities' responsibility to fight other people's prejudices against them. It is obviously not the Jews’ responsibility to combat anti-Semitism. It is a common responsibility we bear as a society.

Lord BLENCANTHRA (United Kingdom) – Jamie Palmer, a freelance writer and independent filmmaker, recently wrote a brilliant essay called “The Holocaust, The Left and the Return of Hate”. My speech consists of extracts from his essay, since it says it much better than I can.

Alex Chalmers, the co-chair of the Oxford University Labour Club, resigned on February 17, citing widespread anti-Semitism and hostility towards Jews among its members. His statement and a subsequent press release by the Oxford University Jewish Society make for sobering reading, not least because this is not an isolated case. In early March, the British Labour Party was forced to explain why it allowed Gerry Downing, who had written about the need to “address the Jewish Question,” and Vicki Kirbyi, who once tweeted that Adolf Hitler might be the “Zionist God,” to be readmitted to the party.

European Jews sense that the left is unconcerned with Jewish interests and unwilling to take the matter of rising anti-Semitism seriously, preferring instead to dismiss it as a consequence of Israeli policies. In some polite and acceptable left-wing opinion, it is not uncommon to hear well-meaning people demand to know why Israelis insist on persecuting others just as they were once persecuted. The analogising of Israel to Nazi Germany is a form of Holocaust denial or a blood libel (the claim that the Israelis are no better than the Nazis). The intention is to refashion the Jews’ own history of persecution into an instrument of shame.

In the immediate aftermath of the Oxford Labour Club row, the former president of the university’s Jewish society wrote an op-ed for The Guardian in which he stated, “I hate that my Jewishness and my progressive politics are currently incompatible.” So why can the European left not change in such a way that European Jewish socialists and social democratic Zionists are made to feel welcome again?

Unconditional support for the Palestinians and hostility towards the State of Israel—not just for what it does, but for what it is—are now the sine qua non of authentic European leftism. These are positions informed by convictions so fundamental to the idea of what it means to be left-wing that they are adopted with hardly a second thought. For this to change will require a stark reappraisal of what the left values, as well as what it despises, and the courage to interrogate some of its most sacred articles of faith. Regrettably, at present, the appetite for this kind of painful self-criticism remains negligible.

      Mr OBREMSKI (Poland) – Europe without anti-Semitism is also a Polish dream. During the Second World War we lost 6 million citizens: half of them were Polish and half of them were Polish citizens of Jewish origin. We lost part of our culture – the laboratory for teaching co-operation between religions and nations. Thank you for your report. I have three remarks.

Firstly, you showed a correlation between Catholics and anti-Semitism and the lack of correlation with other religions. I am sure you did not paint all the religions with the same brush. It is a pity! Secondly, the deeper reflection about anti-Semitism among the left is necessary. It is more complicated than the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Thirdly, laws against hate speech are necessary, but it is more important to exercise power in a more subtle way.

What do I think? In Warsaw we opened the Museum of the History of Polish Jews, with wonderful architecture and exciting narration. In this way, we build our pride in their and our common history. We opened the new museum of Polish heroes dedicated to those who saved Jewish people from death at the hands of the Nazis. We call them heroes, because in Poland the death penalty was handed down to any person who helped Jews – often, their families and neighbours were murdered as well. This museum is situated on the site where the Wehrmacht killed not only hidden Jewish children but also a family of Polish farmers: eight children, the father and the pregnant mother. When we show Polish heroes who valued Jewish lives as much as their own, we create a vaccine against anti-Semitism that is stronger than a law.

Yesterday was the 73th anniversary of the Ghetto Uprising in Warsaw: a great day for Jewish people, but also for us. The politicians and citizens of Warsaw wore yellow paper daffodils, the symbol of the Jewish uprising; the President of Poland gave a tribute speech; and the bells sounded in Christian churches. So, also in memory of Jewish heroes, I thank you for the report.

Mr BILLSTRÖM (Sweden) – First of all, I would like to offer my compliments to the rapporteur, Mr Cilevičs, who I think has done a very good job of describing, in detail, the evil that is inherent in the rise of anti-Semitism on our continent. His conclusion – that this maliciousness runs contrary to the values of the Council of Europe and the work of this Assembly – is, I think, most important.

I also appreciate the measures that Mr Cilevičs suggests in his report regarding the need for awareness and political leadership in the fight against anti-Semitism wherever it raises its ugly head. Unfortunately, my own country, Sweden, and my own city and constituency of Malmo have, like many other places in Europe, seen a wave of anti-Semitism in recent years. This has, of course, a lot to do with some of the people who have migrated to Sweden, bringing with them views on Jews which lead to hate and violence against peaceful individuals, some of whom have memories of their own persecution or that of their relatives during the Holocaust.

An additional problem lies with parents who transmit their beliefs to their children, reinforcing the views on Jews as a group, with dire consequences for the individuals who are exposed to them. Of course, this specific pattern does not only exist in relation to Jews: it is unfortunately also true for Muslims, Christians and other groups as well. Indiscriminate prejudices against other people are, and remain, the root of the evil, and fighting these prejudices is of utmost importance.

These tendencies are unacceptable and are widely condemned in Swedish society, although I am sad to say that there are groups who fail to accept the need to do so. It is necessary for the Assembly and for the Council of Europe to uphold the principles of fighting anti-Semitism, and this report is an excellent foundation for doing so.

Mr HOWELL (United Kingdom) – As we have heard this morning, there have been serious concerns over the safety of the Jewish population across Europe in recent years. This has occurred after a series of terror attacks in 2014 and 2015 which have specifically targeted Jewish communities in France and Belgium. It is worth remembering that France is now the leading source of immigration to Israel, with over 7 900 French Jews emigrating in 2015, which is an all-time high. In the United Kingdom, the situation is little better in that, while in 2015 the number of antisemitic incidents fell by more than a fifth, it was still the third worst year on record. In 2014, the level of antisematic incidents in the United Kingdom rose to an all-time high after the operation “Protective Edge” conflict in Gaza. Other spikes in reported incidents of anti-Semitism also coincide with periods of conflict in Israel.

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has, in recent years, had an increased presence on university campuses across the United Kingdom with widespread reports of anti-Semitism amongst many of its advocates and a number of violent incidents taking place where pro-Israel or Jewish groups have been targeted.

In order to help deal with this situation, in March 2016 the British Government published a definition of anti-Semitism and raised concerns about an agreed international definition. This is something that could be taken up by the Council of Europe. The United Kingdom’s definition provides examples of the ways in which anti-Semitism manifests itself, including “applying double standards by requiring of Israel a behaviour not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation”. We maintain a strong zero tolerance policy against anti-Semitism, which we see as an absolute cancer in society and a signal of many even worse things happening to ethnic groups and various other groups.

The Government committed to providing £13.4m for security measures in the Jewish community in 2016 – an increase of £2 million from the previous year. The money, sadly, goes towards security guards and protection at Jewish schools, nurseries, synagogues and community sites. I wish this was not needed, but if the Jewish community does not feel secure, the whole of our national fabric is diminished. It is a measure of the health of our democracy that the Jewish community feels safe to live and flourish here.

Ms GROZDANOVA (Bulgaria) – I would like to take this opportunity to commend the report presented by Mr Cilevičs and its draft resolution on the fight against anti-Semitism. However, I would also share his deep concern about the rise in all sorts of intolerance, defamation, xenophobia and hate speech that have most worryingly re-emerged over the course of the last few years.

Not only as head of the Bulgarian delegation to the Assembly but also as an individual, I have always believed that one of the key tasks and real contributions of the Council of Europe hаs been the promotion, spreading and protection of fundamental human and civil rights. Therefore, we all have a responsibility, whenever we see the potential for their violation or ignorance of them, to sound the alarm and act decisively.

It is my particular conviction that anti-Semitism is one of the ugliest and most abhorrent forms of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Moreover, a little more than 70 years ago, here, in large parts of Europe, anti-Semitism triumphed and led to the annihilation of millions of Jews across the continent. I should also like to highlight the importance of teaching young people of the malignant effect and destruction that the Holocaust has brought about.

However, speaking about remembering and teaching, I could not possibly miss the opportunity to juxtapose the Shoah story with the not-that-often-told story about the rescue of over 48 000 Bulgarian Jews in the darkest days of the Holocaust. It is a particular source of pride and hope to me that a country like Bulgaria, allied with the Nazis, stood against them by not allowing a single Bulgarian Jew to be deported from the territories under Bulgarian jurisdiction. Moreover, not only around 48 000 Bulgarian Jews were defended by the Bulgarian people, but, under the auspices of the Bulgarian monarch Boris III, a few thousand  of the so-called “visas-to-life” were also issued by the Bulgarian authorities.

This specific act, which I will not describe as heroic but would rather qualify as “act of normality”, was made possible by three factors: the role of the monarch; the role of the 43 MPs from the then majority in the Parliament, a group headed by the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Dimitar Peshev; and, most importantly, the role played by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. All these three elements would not have brought any results if there had not been the indispensable role of the ordinary Bulgarian men and women who found it most inhumane to judge their Jewish fellow compatriots on ethnic or religious grounds.