BRUSSELS – November 2024. The European Jewish Association (EJA) is proud to
announce the appointment of Belgian MP Michael Freilich as its Special Diplomatic Envoy
for Intercultural Dialogue and Holocaust Remembrance. Michael Freilich, a distinguished
voice in the European Jewish community, brings years of dedication and expertise to this
important new role. He is not only Belgium’s sole Jewish lawmaker but also the founder of
*Joods Actueel*, the country’s leading Jewish news outlet.

EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin expressed his enthusiasm about MP Freilich’s
appointment, stating, “MP Freilich’s unwavering commitment to defending Jewish communities
and promoting intercultural understanding aligns perfectly with our core mission. His insight and
leadership are invaluable assets as we work to address pressing issues facing Jewish
communities across Europe. Together, we will advance our fight against antisemitism,
strengthen our community, and champion Jewish life and culture in the European landscape.”

As EJA’s Special Diplomatic Envoy, MP Freilich will focus on advancing the association’s
strategic goals, particularly in the realms of combating antisemitism, promoting Holocaust
remembrance, and fostering intercultural dialogue. Working closely with European lawmakers
and policymakers, he will champion initiatives that strengthen Jewish communities, secure
religious freedoms, and increase awareness of the historical significance of the Holocaust.
This role also encompasses building international partnerships to address rising antisemitism,
advocating for the full implementation of the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance
Alliance) definition of antisemitism across institutions and countries, and supporting legal
measures to hold perpetrators of antisemitism accountable.

MP Freilich remarked on his new appointment, saying, “I am deeply honoured to be working with
the European Jewish Association. This position allows me to pursue concrete diplomatic
solutions that protect Jewish life and promote understanding across cultures. In collaboration
with EJA, I look forward to driving tangible achievements and reinforcing the strength and
resilience of Jewish communities across Europe in the near future.”

With the appointment of MP Freilich, the EJA continues its mission to be a leading voice for
Jewish communities in Europe, fostering a more inclusive, respectful, and secure environment.
This new role will help further EJA’s vision, advocating for policies that enhance Jewish life,
ensure safety, and celebrate the cultural contributions of Jewish communities across Europe.

Call comes from Auschwitz, where European Jewish Association (EJA) is leading a delegation of politicians, mayors and university deans to the death camp and a symposium on combating antisemitism.

Krakow, Poland, November 19, 2024 — At the European Jewish Association (EJA) annual conference and symposium marking the remembrance of Kristallnacht, EJA Chairman, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, issued a powerful call to European governments to declare an urgent six-month emergency period to address the alarming rise in antisemitism.

Gathering politicians, mayors, university leaders, and experts, the symposium tackled the dual challenge of rising antisemitism and Holocaust denial in European universities and education systems. Discussions ranged from the conflation of anti-Zionism with antisemitism to the safety of Jewish communities and students. The emotional resonance of being at Auschwitz underscored the urgency of Rabbi Margolin’s call to action:

Reflecting the sense of crisis, EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, in his opening remarks, called on European Governments to declare an urgent six month antisemitism emergency period with much tougher laws on hate speech and incitement, regulated public events/protests, and increased security provision for Jewish areas.

Rabbi Margolin said, “I am very aware that Six million murdered Jews would be horrified that while Europe’s Politicians say “Never Again”, Europe is, in fact, heading down the darkest path, again. We have already long passed the stage of warnings and prophecies. Today, Jews are openly attacked in the streets with impunity. The perpetrators are given the lightest of sentences, if at all. Freedom of speech is being abused daily to incite murder, hate and division. It is directly fueling the fire of antisemitism.” The European Jewish Association is today urging the European Union and its member states to declare an immediate six-month period of emergency on antisemitism. This period would entail a heightened level of protection for Jewish communities across Europe, reflecting the nature of the emergency. This protection includes the enactment of special security measures: Such as ensuring that there is proper and meaningful regulation of public events, including the banning and penalizing of expressions that are antisemitic in nature and that incite. Emergency designation should also see increased police presence in Jewish areas, the requirement of pre-authorization and an enforceable code for conduct and language at public demonstrations and the appointment of dedicated judicial resources, all of which must meet European legal frameworks. By adopting these enhanced precautions for an initial six month period, we seek not only to safeguard Jewish communities but to uphold core European values. Every Jewish Community on the frontline is awaiting the worst and wondering when a real European Political response will come. Now is the time.”

Discussing the rise of Antisemitism in education across Europe, Professor Christer Mattson, an expert in radicalization, highlighted the critical role education plays in countering prejudice:  “Antisemitism isn’t about Jews; it’s about the fantasies of antisemites. Jews are painted as whatever the antisemite needs—communist, capitalist, colonialist, you name it. This isn’t new; it’s history repeating itself,” he said. “We must teach young people to understand intolerance, or they will grow up speaking the language of hate.”  Professor Mattson’s sentiments were echoed by MP Petros Pappas of Greece, who called for modernized Holocaust education that bridges past atrocities with today’s challenges. “Education must address polarization and foster a sense of shared European identity,” he said.

Another growing concern discussed at the symposium was the hostility faced by Jewish students on European university campuses. Emilie Zerbib, President of the French Union of Jewish Students, shared her experience at Sciences Po:  “Antisemitism was legitimized by public figures hosted by the university. We, as Jewish students, were told we are no longer welcome. It is clear that this is no longer about Israel or politics—it’s about silencing Jewish voices altogether.”

King’s College London student Aurele Tobelem expressed frustration at universities’ failure to protect Jewish students. “It’s appalling that I have to defend the basic right of Zionist students to express their beliefs without fear. If anti-Zionism is a protected belief, then so must Zionism—it is integral to Jewish identity.”

Panelists urged universities to adopt the **International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism** to establish clear frameworks for tackling hate speech on campuses.

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony reflected on the lessons of history and the importance of standing against hatred:  “The opposite of love is not hate—it is indifference. And indifference cannot be allowed to take root in Europe. The best answer to antisemitism is building inclusive societies where hatred has no place.”

German MP Frank Müller-Rosentritt called for more intensive Holocaust education, including mandatory visits to concentration camps: “Young people must experience the reality of history to challenge their prejudices. Antisemitism is not freedom of speech—it is hate speech.”

The symposium also explored strategies to integrate Jewish culture into the social fabric of European cities. Burkhard Jung, Mayor of Leipzig, shared his city’s approach: “We promote and normalize Jewish life as part of Leipzig’s identity. The fight against antisemitism starts with making Jewish culture a visible and celebrated part of our society.”

Sara Wettergren, Malmo’s Councilor for Education, discussed interfaith initiatives involving rabbis, priests, and imams speaking at schools: “We’ve worked to create safe spaces in schools for all children, especially after the recent surge in hate speech following global events.”

The symposium concluded with a memorial dinner, honoring Holocaust victims and contemporary heroes. Daniel Sharabi, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival massacre, received the King David Award for bravery and said: “We have the right to exist, the right to rebuild, and the right to hope,” he said.

Pastor Dumisani Washington, director of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel, received the King Solomon Award for his unwavering support of the Jewish community. In his remarks, he drew a stark parallel between the past and present: “The Islamic Republic of Iran is the Third Reich of today. Zionism is not just a political movement—it is a testament to survival and renewal.”

As the symposium closed, Rabbi Margolin’s final words resonated: “This isn’t just about the Jewish community—it’s about the very soul of Europe. We are past ‘Never Again’; we are in the moment of now. If Europe doesn’t act, history will judge us all.”

For further information please contact: Tamar Nuijen +972-50-372-0304

“Dear attendees”, I began my speech, “I know that you are all blessed with a high IQ, and so you know that the world-famous professor Stroempelmacher has proven that…”.

Because I have told everyone that they are intelligent and because professor Stroempelmacher, in my opinion, is world-famous and the attendees must therefore know him, no one dares to raise a hand and ask who Stroempelmacher is and to question my assertion statement.

Let me state first that the hunt for Jews in Amsterdam is completely unacceptable and I hope and expect that the anti-Semites will be arrested and severely punished. I think that is very important, but unfortunately I am not so sure that will happen.

They will probably get away with a community service order of x amount of hours. It is clear that this open violence against the Jewish community is of a harshness not seen in Holland for many decades. I am certain that a number of young Jewish families have now had enough of the Netherlands where they have lived for many generations and of which they thought they were an integral part.

The images of Jews being persecuted are shocking, unacceptable, criminal. I have been assured that there will be a thorough investigation. Was it an organised action and if so, by whom? Did this hunt for Jews come out of the blue or was it predictable? And what could have been done about it and how are we going to prevent this? How many Jews ended up in hospital and was there indeed a case of hostage-taking and/or kidnapping?

Let me emphasise once again that the hunt for Jews is unacceptable and cannot and may not be justified in any way. That 7 October is terrible, but… That ‘but’ is not right.

‘But’, I begin myself, but was it foreseeable? And my spontaneous answer is: ‘absolutely’.

Long before 7 October, anti-Semitism was becoming increasingly visible. October 7th was a good reason to clearly proclaim and upgrade the hatred of Jews. And when a football match is played against Jews, the floodgates of the anti-Semitic dam are opened.

I am saddened that the scapegoats are being sought in the wrong places. A pogrom was organized by the Church in the not so distant past with the full approval of the local or national government. That is not the case here. Perhaps action should have been taken differently, perhaps our government made the wrong assessments, but it is crystal clear to me that our local Amsterdam and national government cannot simply be accused of anti-Semitism. We must await the investigation and hopefully the guilty parties will be arrested with great force.

The number of hours, no, even days that I spend on interviews from England, Italy, the English BBC, Hungary and of course from Israel, has become almost countless. I am constantly answering e-mails and of course also speaking to many Dutch journalists. “Can you still walk the streets as a Jew? Be assured that you can go into hiding on our farm! When will you leave the Netherlands? Is it still responsible for Jews to stay here? Is it responsible for Jewish Americans to come to the Netherlands for a holiday? How long do you think Jews can continue to live in the Netherlands or in Europe?

People are very easily influenced and can change from people into animals just like that.

But people are also very easily influenced and a mayor or the police are more or less degraded to perpetrators.

If an Israeli rocket falls in Gaza and a building is destroyed, the Hamas Ministry of Health knows within a few minutes how many women and children are under the rubble. We must be careful that we, regular Dutch people, do not start using Hamas games and tactics. How everything went wrong after the football match is being investigated. Until the results are known, we do not yet know what exactly went wrong. But I do know one thing for sure: accusing our government of being supporters of the popular Jew-hatred is premature, incorrect and far from constructive.

But in the meantime, politics always remains politics and sometimes comparisons are made for political reasons that discolour the truth. Man bites dog, makes the front page.

Dog bites man is not mentioned at all, because that is normal and therefore not news. I have the same feeling when anti-Semitism is countered by Islamophobia. Let me look at myself for a moment. Have I ever cursed or wanted to curse a Muslim? Never! But a Muslim who shouts at me has been normal for years. When politicians place the until recently unknown word Islamophobia behind every remark about anti-Semitism, I have to think of that man who bites the dog.

But in the end, I can still go out on the street and take my daily walk. My parents did not have that privilege in the 1940s-1945, because the government was no good then!