Hundreds of Rabbis Across Europe speak of Total Abandonment and Exodus of Jews, Urge EU Leadership to Act Now

The Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain, the institution that officially represents Spanish Jews, elected David Obadía as its new president for the next four years, replacing Isaac Benzaquén.
Obadía’s first declarations after being elected focused on pointing out that the axes of his work will be “dialogue, coexistence, diversity and multiculturalism”.

The new president of the Jewish community in Spain is Spanish, son and grandson of Spaniards, and was born in Beer Sheva, Israel, in 1961. During his childhood and adolescence he lived in Melilla and, currently, in Torremolinos, where he has developed his life as a businessman in the real estate sector and also his political career.

In 2015 he entered politics through José Ortiz, former mayor of Torremolinos, who appointed him as his personal advisor. With the Ciudadanos party he held the positions in the Torremolinos Town Hall of Deputy Mayor, Councillor for Development, Urban Planning, Infrastructure, Commercial Activities, Public Roads and Heritage, and served as spokesman for his political group. However, in 2023 Ciudadanos nominated him as candidate for mayor of Torremolinos but he decided to retire from politics.

According to the FCJE, Obadía has extensive community experience that began in 1980 as a collaborator in the Yosef Obadía synagogue in Melilla, founded by his great-grandfather of the same name.

To date he has held various posts, including that of president of the Jewish community of Torremolinos for 8 years, of which he is currently honorary president; vice-president of the FCJE; head of the Spanish Jewish Youth; and current president of the Jewish community of Malaga and of the Association of Jewish communities of Andalusia. He has also received numerous awards for his extensive career in the service of Spanish Jewish life over the last 40 years.

We were honoured to host a special meeting with Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism alongside EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin

The meeting was joined by EU ambassadors and diplomats. Ambassador Kaploun shared with our esteemed guests the current situation of antisemitism in Europe and the US, how Jewish communities feel and what they have experienced, and his views on how we can combat antisemitism together. The discussion underscored the importance of addressing the rise of antisemitism collectively. We wish to thank Ambassador Kaploun for this meeting and our guests, Ambassador Avi Nir-Avi Nir-Feldklein, Mission of Israel to the EU & NATO, Ambassador Martin Hojni, Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU , Ambassador Martin Schäfer, Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU,  Ambassador Andrea Orizio, Permanent Representation of Italy to the EU, Ambassador Sofia Grammata, Embassy of the Hellenic Republic to the Kingdom of Belgium,  Ambassador Helen Kaljuläte Embassy of the Republic of Estonia to the Kingdom of Belgium,  for joining us, for caring about combating antisemitism and for raising very important points during the discussion.

The meeting was organized by EJA Director of EU Relations Ruth Daskalopoulou Issac.

The barbaric attack of Hamas terrorists on Israel on 7th October, resulted in the most lethal assault against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. More than 1400 Jews – women, children, men, and the elderly, including Holocaust survivors – were tortured, raped, and murdered. Over two hundred were taken hostage. These events have an immense impact on Jewish communities worldwide.

Many national leaders and heads of international organizations across the globe have condemned these acts in the strongest terms and expressed their full support and solidarity with the State of Israel. At the same time, there have also been demonstrations in many countries – including in some countries and regions which we represent – in which individuals praised these heinous actions of Hamas, “celebrated” the murder of Jews, and even called for more antisemitic assaults.

Jewish communities are fearful and are being threatened. Synagogues and other Jewish sites have been attacked. Schools have closed since they can no longer guarantee the safety of their students. Shabbat gatherings require the presence of armed guards for protection. In some cities, Jews are being harassed and accosted on the streets. Posters of the captive hostages are defaced and torn down. Antisemitism online has surged in an unprecedented way.

We, the undersigned Special Envoys and Coordinators, have a shared mandate to combat antisemitism and to safeguard Jewish life. We commend the resolute action of many national authorities to protect Jewish communities, as Jews around the world have not faced such challenges since the Holocaust. Mindful of those darkest days, we stand with the Jewish people. We will do everything in our power to see that hatred against Jews is rebuked and that Jewish life flourishes in peace. Antisemitism and all forms of hate are incredibly harmful and unacceptable.

Therefore:

· We call on governments to assess the needs and provide the necessary security assistance that Jewish communities require at this time of crisis.

· We urge police and law enforcement to be vigilant of threats against Jews and to be aware that Jewish people around the world should not be held responsible for the words and actions of the Israeli or any other government, as illustrated by the non-legally binding International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism.

· We denounce antisemitic acts taking place on some campuses and urge university administrators to condemn them and ensure that their Jewish students, like all other students, have the safety and support needed in these difficult times, to enjoy their right to education.

· We urge civil society – including sports federations, religious communities, the cultural sector and academic circles – not to stand by or stay silent, but rather use their influence to effectively counter antisemitism and promote public acts of solidarity.

· We are distressed about the online upsurge of antisemitic messages, disinformation, hate speech, and terrorist content, which instigate real world hate crimes and threaten the very social cohesion that binds our democratic societies together. We decry the social media platforms that amplify and multiply this content and call on them to act in line with the law and their own terms of service.

History has taught us that at times like these, we must speak up and cannot be indifferent.

“Never again” is now!

Signed,

Chryssoula ALFIERI
Ambassador, Special Envoy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Combatting Anti-Semitism and for the Protection of Holocaust Remembrance, Greece

Andrew BAKER
Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism

Luiz BARREIROS
Head of Delegation to IHRA, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Portugal

Delphine BORIONE
Ambassador at Large for Human Rights responsible for inter-national issues relating to the Holocaust, looted property and remembrance, France

Michal COTLER-WUNSH
Israel’s Special Envoy for Combating Antisemitism

Arvydas DAUNORAVIČIUS
Lithuania’s Ambassador-at-Large for the Holocaust remembrance issues

Irena DIMITROVA
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and National Coordinator on combating antisemitism

David FERNANDEZ PUYANA
Ambassador, Permanent Observer of the UN University for Peace to the UN Office & intl. organizations in Geneva & Permanent Delegate of UPEACE to UNESCO

Simon GEISSBÜHLER
Ambassador, Head of Peace and Human Rights Division,
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland

Alexandre GUESSEL
Special Representative of the Secretary General on antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance and hate crimes, Council of Europe

Michel HEINTZ
Interministerial Delegate in charge of the coordination of policies to combat racism, anti-Semitism and anti-LGBTIQ+ hatred, Luxembourg

Felix KLEIN
Federal Government Commissioner for Jewish Life in Germany and the Fight against Antisemitism

Olivier KLEIN
Former Minister, French national Delegate against racism, antisemitism and LGBTI-phobia

Robert KLINKE
Ambassador, Special Representative for Relations with Jewish Organisations, Issues relating to Antisemitism, International Sinti and Roma Affairs, Holocaust Remembrance

Maria Fabiana LOGUZZO
Ambassador, Argentina’s Special Representative for the fight against Antisemitism and Head of Delegation to IHRA

Fernando K. LOTTENBERG
Commissioner to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Organization of American States

Sara LUSTIG
Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Croatia for Holocaust Issues and Combating Antisemitism

Deborah LIPSTADT
Ambassador, US Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism

Deborah LYONS
Ambassador, Canada’s Special Envoy on Preserving Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism

Lord John MANN
UK Government Advisor on Antisemitism

Antonio MARTINO
Director, Department for Fostering Austrian-Jewish Cultural Heritage and Combating Antisemitism, Federal Chancellery, Austria

Bogdan MAZURU
Ambassador, Special Representative of the Government of Romania for the remembrance policies and for the fight against antisemitism and xenophobia

Ulf MELGAARD
Director, International law and Human rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark

Jaime MORENO
Coordinator of the Spanish National Plan against Antisemitism and Head of Delegation to IHRA

Giuseppe PECORARO
Italian Coordinator on Combating antisemitism, Italian Government

Rt Hon the Lord Eric PICKLES
UK Special Envoy on Post Holocaust Issues

Robert ŘEHÁK
Czech Republic’s Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues, Interfaith Dialogue and FoRB

Ringo RINGVEE
Estonia’s National coordinator of measures against anti-Semitism

Vince SZALAY-BOBROVNICZKY
Deputy State Secretary, Civil and Social Affairs. Prime Minister’s Office, Hungary

Ulrika SUNDBERG
Special Envoy to the OIC, Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue of Sweden

Eddo VERDONER
National Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism, The Netherlands

Katharina VON SCHNURBEIN
European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life