Viorica DĂNCILĂ, Romanian Prime Minister, Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and Roland LAUDER, President of World Jewish Congress, open the conference on the fight against antisemitism, organised by the European Parliament together with the Romanian European Council Presidency, in Brussels.

Brussels

statement

meeting

TIMMERMANS, Frans (NL, EC)

fight against antisemitism (T)

DĂNCILĂ, Viorica (S&D, RO)

Fight against antisemitism: extracts from the opening statements

SOUNDBITE (Romanian), Viorica D&#258;NCIL&#258;, Romanian Prime Minister, Antisemitism is a growing problem in European societies. I believe that promoting these change of opinions and regularly consulting with the Jewish communities as well involving them in the measures that are being implemented to fight antisemitism is paramount. Events such as today's event are important because they aim to meet our objectives to fight discrimination and hate speech and to make sure that tragedies such as the Holocaust will not happen again. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, How can a highly developed European society come to that point because that's what happened in Germany. And then we have to think, how did this start? It did not start by murder and violence. It started by quiet whispers of hatred. With every word of hatred that was used, a chip of humanity was taken in a way from our Jewish fellow Europeans. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the EC in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, the Rule of Law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, Respect for the rule of law and human rights is essential. And antisemitism is the virus that kills that. So fighting antisemitsm is the only way for us to stay healthy. And I know that there are concrete proposals. Mr. Becker will probably go into that. I pledge to you that I will continue to work on concrete proposals and make them happen in Europe because this is one of our smallest and one of our unmissable communities in our society. For me Europe is unimaginable without the Jewish community feeling at ease, happy, safe in our society. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Roland LAUDER , President of World Jewish Congress , I don't think that the deaths of the 6 million Jews from World War II  was just because of Germans. I think the Holocaust was a European event. Practically every single country on this continent, with a few exceptions, helped the Germans round up their Jewish citizens or conveniently not the other way. And that is just as dangerous. 

SOUNDBITE (English), Roland LAUDER, President of World Jewish Congress , <p>We are seeing now that same indifference, once again it is politically acceptable for candidates to run on an anti-Israel or antisemitism platform. This comes from political parties from both sides, the Right and the Left. And that is the frightening part, there was almost no political leaders today that stand up to them, just like the 1930s. There are very few political leaders that say anything.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Roland LAUDER , President of World Jewish Congress , <p>The World Jewish Congress will be approaching these European parties, asking them to make a pledge and the pledge that we are asking them is, if that anyone of them runs for office on an anti-Jewish statements, they should be kicked out immediately. Let the anti-Semites start their own parties, isolate them. Do not look the other way pretending it is not happening.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Roland LAUDER , President of World Jewish Congress, 64% of young people today in Europe, don't know anyhting about the Holocaust and cannot name one single concentration camp. I've started something called the Auchwitz legacy where I want every single classroom on January 27, to talk about the Holocaust. To give as part of their curriculum, a two hour segment about the holocaust. That will make a difference. 