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April 29, 2004
United
States Mission to the OSCE
OSCE
Conference on Anti-Semitism
As
prepared for delivery by Betty Ehrenberg,
Director, International and Communal Affairs
Institute for Public Affairs, Orthodox Union
Workshop on Contemporary Anti-Semitism
Berlin, April 29, 2004
Thank you,
Mr. Moderator.
On behalf of
the United States delegation, I thank you for the opportunity to
speak at this important workshop,
and I thank our hosts, the government of
Germany and the OSCE under the Bulgarian
Chairmanship in Office, for having the
wisdom to hold this momentous conference to
confront anti- Semitism, a
phenomenon we all hoped would have finally disappeared by the
21st century.
I
particularly want to thank Ambassador Stephen Minikes, US
Ambassador to the OSCE, and
Ambassador Edward O'Donnell, US Special Envoy for
Holocaust Issues, for the outstanding
work they have done in preparation for
the Conference.
A "new"
anti-Semitism is arising, emanating from many places in Europe
and the Middle East. What is new
about this brand of anti-Semitism is that it
is comprised of a shocking
superimposition of radical Muslim hatred of
Jews and Israel onto the classic anti-Semitism of
Europe. And in spite of efforts
to either ignore or hide it, it is undeniable and must be squarely
faced.
As President
Bush wrote in a letter on the occasion of our National Days of
Remembrance just last week,
“Every nation has a responsibility to confront
and denounce anti-Semitism and the
violence it breeds. We must never lose
the courage to oppose hatred, aggression and murderous
ambitions wherever we find them.”
It is in that spirit that I wish to address this most
recent brand of anti-Semitism.
This newest
manifestation of anti-Semitism has two dimensions. The first is
the traditional old anti-Semitism
that we have seen in both Europe and North
America for several decades. The
second stems from the support of
Palestinian terrorism by radical Islamic groups that have
proliferated in Europe. Many of
these groups adopt radical Islamic ideologies and use
their criticism of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict to conceal their anti-Semitic
views.
Tensions in
the Middle East may explain the upsurge in anti-Semitism – but
they can never excuse it. The
assault on Israel's right to exist and the
questioning of Israel's legitimacy at the
World Conference Against Racism
that took place in Durban, South Africa in August of 2001
only served to encourage violent
anti-Semitism. A conference against racism and anti-
Semitism sadly became a forum
that granted legitimacy to anti-Semitism.
This incitement led to the violent
attacks took place in Europe–exactly the
opposite of what the Durban Conference was intended
to achieve.
The September
2000 eruption of the Palestinian campaign of terror against
Israel was accompanied by a
dismaying rise in anti-Semitic incidents in
Europe. There ensued a
demonization of Jews that would have been
unthinkable a few years ago. A malevolent anti-Semitism was
suddenly being manifested and accepted
in many countries. And while we call this
anti-Semitism new, it looks very much like the old.
Criticism of a specific Israeli
policy cannot justify attacks on Jewish community centers and
Holocaust memorials in Europe. That radical Islamists,
apparently with the not inconsiderable
support of European Islamic communities, purport to act
on behalf of Palestinian rights by
attacking Jewish targets in Europe
suggests that, for these purveyors of terrorism and murder,
opposition to Israel and
opposition to Jews and Judaism are indistinguishable.
Most dangerous is the genocidal
threat by radical Islamists against Jews. This
type of anti-Semitism finds its expression not only as
threats against Jews but also against
the West, as witnessed in Turkey when
car bombs exploded near two synagogues
while worshippers were at prayer on the
Sabbath. Plans for further attacks were recently thwarted
in Spain and in Hungary.
Moderate Arab
leaders have courageously denounced extremism and
terrorism and support religious
tolerance and understanding. They
understand that this is an important step towards the
betterment of their own societies
in every aspect, social, political, and economic. These Muslims
are a source of great hope and the OSCE must do all it can
to encourage them, and denounce
other Arab leaders who speak in different terms.
This
new anti-Semitism is like a cancer that can quickly infect
many countries. The same
radicalized extremist Muslims who threaten Jews
perpetrated the horrific bombing of Spain's
commuter railway. The Spain
attack, like those in Istanbul and Bali and at the Pentagon and at
the World Trade Center, are
important wake up calls for all of us. When civilized
nations fail to combat
anti-Semitism, it is only a matter a time before those
who hate the Jews spread their
hatred towards others. Jews may be the first
victims and targets, but they are never the last ones.
Self-interest, then, to say nothing of simple decency, requires
the nations of the OSCE region to
act vigorously to extinguish resurgent anti-Semitism.
Understanding that anti-Semitism has taken on these new
dimensions, OSCE member states
should commit to recognizing this new anti-Semitism
for what it truly is as an important first
step. As additional steps, I add the
following:
1. Islamic
and other leaders should be urged to join interfaith commissions
instituted to increase outreach
and dialogue. This will promote peaceful co-
existence and cooperation on
issues of common concern. Many groups that
exist in the U.S. and in Europe and can be used as
models.
2. Public
educational programs, like those in France and Germany, should
be instituted in order to teach
tolerance and to prevent incitement. These
should include printed materials as
well as video films produced for use in
schools, places of worship, and in community centers to
facilitate widespread use and to
help counteract media-based incitement. This is
important for religious
institutions as well and can be done while at the same time
respecting religious freedom. This
education must extend to distinguishing
between what is legitimate criticism of
the State of Israel and that which draws
on anti-Semitic canards, images and threats or hold
Israel to a double standard. There is no room for these in
legitimate criticism of a democracy.
Youth leaders
and teachers of all faiths should be provided with special
training materials and programs
to help educate young people in schools and youth clubs on respect
and tolerance. These are examples of the
types of programs readily available from
many organizations dedicated to
promoting understanding and combating prejudice.
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U.S. Delegation to the 2004 OSCE
Conference on Anti-Semitism
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