EIPA Organizes Insightful Press Trip to Israel: Briefings by Israeli Defence Ministry Official and Education Expert

Under Germany’s presidency, the member states are planning to take decisive action against antisemitism in Europe in light of increase anti-jewish conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December, the heads of state and government seek to adopt a declaration at the next EU summit to establish a uniform approach within the European community against all forms of hatred towards Jews.
“It is our constant, shared responsibility to protect and support Jewish life actively,” says the draft resolution, which is set under the preamble: “Anti-Semitism is an attack on European values.”
The initiative to develop binding guidelines was put on the agenda by Germany, which holds the EU Council Presidency until the end of the year. Two years ago, the member states committed themselves to national strategies against anti-Semitism the first time.
Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, it was observed how anti-Semitic prejudices were openly conducted.
Among other things, the declaration calls for “awareness of anti-Semitism in all political areas” and the tackling of “a cross-cutting issue in which various government agencies and policy areas at local, national and European level should be involved.”
Recently, a study by the Israeli foreign ministry indicated how anti-Semitism significantly increased ever since the pandemic had started, particularly in regard to conspiracy theories.
According to the analysis, most anti-Semitic statements connected with the world health crisis were posted online in the US, France, and Germany.
The EU’s plan states that “anti-Semitic conspiracy myths are often the first step that can lead to hatred, hate speech, incitement to violence, and hate crimes.”
The latter is why the heads of state and government and the European Commission seek to upgrade the European anti-Semitism commissioners’ work.
In drawing up the declaration, they worked closely with the Jewish organizations and responsible specialist politicians in Europe. There is positive progress at the European level; however, the effects are not yet reaching the Jewish Europeans. The latter is why the EU Commission also seeks to present a common strategy with further concrete measures against anti-Semitism next year.
Within the member states, the new EU agreement is intended to provide authorities such as public prosecutors and police forces and social institutions such as schools in the future as a practicable basis for assessing anti-Jewish tendencies.
Germany’s council presidency has been under the radar due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The upcoming December declaration, however, could mark a significant moment, nonetheless.
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Bruxelles, le 27 janvier 2025 – Dans une lettre ouverte, des associations juives et la Ligue belge contre l’antisémitisme s’adressent aux dirigeants de la coalition Arizona.

Signée par la European Jewish Assosiaction (EJA), la Ligue belge contre l’antisémitisme (LBCA) et het Joods Informatie- en Documentatiecentrim (JID), cette lettre présente les principales préoccupations de la communauté juive qu’elle espère voir abordées dans le nouvel accord de coalition. Une vaste campagne de communication en ligne est lancée parallèlement à la lettre afin de mettre en lumière l’action et d’impliquer les citoyens dans l’initiative.

1. Renforcement de la sécurité

Elle souligne la nécessité de renforcer les mesures de sécurité pour les institutions juives, compte tenu du risque accru d’attentats identifié par l’OCAM. Elle appelle à des renforcements temporaires et structurels nécessaires pour assurer la sécurité de la communauté juive. Il est suggéré qu’un conseiller en matière de sécurité soit nommé au niveau fédéral pour coordonner ces questions.

2. Lutte contre l’antisémitisme

La lettre demande la nomination d’un coordinateur pour lutter contre l’antisémitisme, une initiative déjà adoptée par plusieurs pays européens. Ce coordinateur serait chargé de surveiller l’antisémitisme et de développer des stratégies pour lutter contre cette menace croissante, notamment en raison de l’augmentation inquiétante des incidents antisémites en Belgique.

3. Liberté de religion

Alors que l’Europe se sécularise de plus en plus, la lettre souligne l’importance de la reconnaissance et de la protection des libertés religieuses. La communauté juive souhaite obtenir l’assurance que son droit à la liberté de croyance continuera d’être respecté et protégé, et souligne l’importance d’un dialogue constructif sur les questions sensibles.

L’appel lancé au nouveau gouvernement est clair : prenez les préoccupations de la communauté juive au sérieux et intégrez leurs besoins dans la politique. La lettre se termine par une invitation au partenariat, dans l’espoir que la communauté juive, malgré les tragédies du passé, puisse affronter un avenir dynamique.

Il appartient maintenant aux présidents des partis de la coalition de l’Arizona de répondre à cet appel à l’action et de montrer que la Belgique reconnaît et protège la valeur et les contributions de ses citoyens juifs.

Téléchargez également la lettre au format PDF.

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:372afbbc-7efa-488b-8856-ee8c224ab208

The European Jewish Association is proud and delighted to welcome another organisation to our growing roster of partners and communities.
We have just concluded and signed a memorandum of understanding with The Jewish Community of Jurmala (Jewrmala), Latvia.
We are sure that this cooperation will bring with it beautiful and important accomplishments. We look forward to working for the betterment of Latvia and European Jewry together.

The lower house of the Polish parliament is expected to vote this week on a new bill on animal welfare, which includes restrictions on Jewish slaughter and kosher meat exports that could affect many of Europe’s Jewish communities as well as meat prices in Israel.
After the controversy created by the law banning people from accusing Poland of Holocaust atrocities committed by the Nazis, the country’s ruling party has submitted a new bill restricting kosher slaughter and threatening anyone who violates the restrictions with up to four years in prison.
The new restrictions are included in a 48-page general bill on animal welfare, which the lower house of the Polish parliament is expected to vote on this week.
The restrictions include a ban on exporting kosher meat from Poland, which is expected to affect many of Europe’s Jewish communities, as well as meat exports to Israel. Some of Israel’s supermarket chains import and sell kosher meat from Poland, increasing the competition in the Israeli meat market. A drop in meat exports from Poland could lead to a hike in meat prices in Israel.
The bill also seeks to ban slaughter when the animals are in an “unnatural state”—in other words, when the animal isn’t standing on all four feet, making a kosher Jewish slaughter practically impossible. According to European Jewish Association (EJA) Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, “Kashrut laws forbid to apply any pressure on the knife to protect the animal from unnecessary pain. Preventing this pressure is impossible when the animal is standing with its head leaning heavily on the knife.”
Vowing to fight the new bill, Margolin called on the Israeli government to stipulate an amendment of the slaughter law as part of an agreement between the two governments.
“These restrictions on kosher slaughter are in complete contradiction to the principle of freedom of religion of the European Union,” the rabbi said. “The situation in Poland is unacceptable. I call on the government in Poland to avoid enacting this shameful law and to take into account that the Jewish people’s faith in the Polish leadership is deteriorating. I can’t imagine what the next stage will be after the Holocaust law and imposing restrictions on kosher slaughter in the country.
According to Rabbi Margolin, the new restrictions will make it impossible to perform a kosher slaughter in Poland. “There are people who have invested a lot of money in building kosher factories and slaughter houses, and now this shocking law comes along and puts an end to it. There is an unclear desire here to exclusively harm kosher slaughter and limit kosher meat exports. They are failing to explain the logic of the law. Populism and nationalism are skyrocketing and creating wars with the Jews for political purposes.”
The Polish parliament banned kosher slaughter in 2013, but the decision was struck down by the constitutional court. The judges accepted an EJA petition and ruled that the Polish law contradicted the principle of freedom of religion.
The Article was published on Ynet website