Preventing and combating antisemitism in Europe

Resolution 2447 (2022)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 22 June 2022 (21st sitting) (see Doc. 15539, report of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, rapporteur: Ms Petra Bayr). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22 June 2022 (21st sitting).

1. The Parliamentary Assembly is deeply concerned by the rising hatred and violence against Jewish people in Europe in recent years. It notes with regret that, due to these manifestations of antisemitism, a considerable number of Jewish families have left Europe or are considering doing so.

2. Antisemitism is an attack against human rights and needs to be addressed in a human rights framework. It represents a threat to democracy and is in contradiction with the fundamental values on which the Council of Europe was built. It concerns everyone. Preventing and combating antisemitism must be considered a political priority.

3. Online antisemitism has recently increased dramatically, leading to an even wider dissemination of conspiracy myths. The Assembly regrets the emergence of conspiracy ideologies that blame Jewish communities for the creation and propagation of the Covid-19 pandemic, among other things. The Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine has also given new resonance to antisemitic conspiracy ideologies in Europe. Antisemitism is built on harmful stereotypes which make the Jewish community a scapegoat for any emerging crisis. Addressing antisemitic conspiracy myths is an essential part of the fight against antisemitism. Investing in history, education and the fight against Holocaust denial and distortion is of crucial importance. The Assembly therefore welcomes the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of its Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)5 on passing on remembrance of the Holocaust and preventing crimes against humanity, on 17 March 2022.

4. The Assembly welcomes the development of international efforts to prevent and combat antisemitism, such as the adoption by several States of national strategies on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, the appointment of special envoys and co-ordinators responsible for combating antisemitism, including the appointment of a Special Representative of the Council of Europe Secretary General on antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance and hate crimes, and the adoption of a European Union Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life (2021-2030). Sufficient funding for the implementation of these strategies needs to be guaranteed. Fostering Jewish life and raising awareness about Jewish culture are essential tools for preventing and combating hatred, as well as for enabling people to live an openly Jewish life.

5. Referring to its Resolutions 1563 (2007) “Combating anti-Semitism in Europe” and 2106 (2016) “Renewed commitment in the fight against antisemitism in Europe”, the Assembly recognises that the overall context has changed and that there are new challenges in the fight against antisemitism. It fully supports the work of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and welcomes the adoption in 2021 of its revised General Policy Recommendation No. 9 on preventing and combating antisemitism. The non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, in light of ECRI’s opinion, provides useful guidance in the fight against this phenomenon.

6. In light of these considerations, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member and observer States, as well as on all States whose parliaments enjoy partner for democracy status, to:

6.1 adopt strategies or national action plans to prevent and combat antisemitism and to promote Jewish life and allocate sufficient funding for their implementation;

6.2 criminalise denying, trivialising or condoning the Holocaust, if this is not yet the case;

6.3 ensure that the desecration and profanation of Jewish property and monuments are condemned;

6.4 in the case of a criminal offence, ensure that a motive based on “race”, national or ethnic origin, religion or belief is an aggravating factor;

6.5 sign and ratify Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ETS No. 177), if this has not yet been done;

6.6 sign and ratify the Additional Protocol to the Convention on Cybercrime, concerning the criminalisation of acts of a racist and xenophobic nature committed through computer systems (ETS No. 189), if this has not yet been done;

6.7 fully implement ECRI’s revised General Policy Recommendation No. 9 on preventing and combating antisemitism;

6.8 apply legislation criminalising antisemitic and other forms of hate speech, make the fight against online antisemitism a priority, take specific action to sanction online hate speech, including through fines, and call on social media platforms to be accountable for removing antisemitic content;

6.9 appoint a special envoy or co-ordinator responsible for combating antisemitism, where this is not yet the case;

6.10 use the non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, in light of ECRI’s opinion, as a practical guideline for action to prevent and combat antisemitism, if this is not yet the case;

6.11 improve the recording and collection of official data on antisemitic incidents, train police officers, prosecutors and judges on preventing and combating antisemitism, encourage victims and witnesses of antisemitic violence and harassment to report incidents to the authorities and support victims of antisemitic violence and harassment through specialised support services;

6.12 develop and sustain co-operation between national authorities, Jewish communities and civil society organisations in order to map and address issues pertaining to antisemitism;

6.13 make teaching about the Holocaust a priority in secondary school programmes, train teachers in preventing and combating antisemitism, and support the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe;

6.14 launch awareness-raising programmes on preventing and combating antisemitism, which would contribute to deconstructing conspiracy ideologies and stereotypes and encourage interfaith and intercultural dialogue;

6.15 abolish public funding for organisations promoting antisemitism;

6.16 adopt an intersectional approach in the fight against antisemitism and support research into the gender dimension of antisemitism.

7. With a view to fostering Jewish life in Europe, the Assembly also calls on member States to:

7.1 ensure the security of Jewish communities living in Europe and Jewish religious and cultural premises;

7.2 together with representatives of Jewish communities and experts on Jewishness, develop and support programmes aimed at sharing information about Jewish culture and traditions, such as the Pathfinders’ programmes;

7.3 support Jewish educational and cultural structures, such as Jewish museums and programmes, and promote visits and exchanges for students.

8. With regard to Holocaust remembrance, the Assembly calls on Council of Europe member and observer States, as well as on all States whose parliaments enjoy partner for democracy status, to implement Recommendation CM/Rec(2022)5 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on passing on remembrance of the Holocaust and preventing crimes against humanity. The Assembly pledges to continue organising Holocaust remembrance ceremonies during its first part-sessions.

9. The Assembly calls on political parties to take strong measures in the event of manifestations of antisemitism or any form of hate speech within their bodies and on political leaders to clearly speak out against antisemitism and other forms of hatred.

10. The Assembly also asks national parliaments to:

10.1 carry out awareness-raising activities aimed at preventing and combating antisemitism, in co-operation with the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance whenever possible;

10.2 organise events on Holocaust remembrance, distortion and denial, and debates on combating all forms of hatred, including antisemitism;

10.3 create parliamentary groups on combating all forms of hatred, including antisemitism;

10.4 publicly and resolutely condemn expressions of antisemitism and other forms of hatred by parliamentarians.

11. Recognising that sport is an important vehicle for communicating positive behaviour to a wide public, in particular to young people, the Assembly calls on sports federations and clubs to participate in the fight against antisemitism and encourages them to adopt codes of conduct condemning it, launch awareness-raising campaigns and sanction hate speech.

12. The Assembly expresses its support for civil society organisations working to prevent and combat antisemitism and other forms of hatred and calls for an increase in their financial support.