Israeli Minister for Public Diplomacy and Diaspora, Yuli Edelstein, was in Brussels this week to attend an event marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the European Parliament.
At this occasion, he also met with several European Union officials, including Viviane Reding, EU Commission Vice-President in charge of justice and fundamental rights, and Stefan Füle, EU Commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy.
With Commissioner Reding, who has the fight against anti-Semitism in her portfolio, he brought up several subjects including the issue of education, educating younger generation against Holocaust denial and against all forms of xenophobia and anti-Semitism.
"I brought her attention to the fact that unfortunately Muslim communities in many European countries are more and more exposed to anti-Israel and anti-Jewish propaganda," he said in an interview with European Jewish Press.
"We have to pay special attention to proper education about the Holocaust, about Jewish history and against anti-Semitism in these communities. We have a lot of cooperation with the EU in this field. Once a year, we hold a special seminar organized by the Israeli foreign ministry and the EU on the issue of anti-Semitism. And I myself chair an international committee on combating anti-Semitism on the Internet. I suggested that a representative of the EU join this committee which was accepted."
Minister Edelstein hadalso t a series of meetings at the EU parliament with Elmar Brok, head of the foreign affairs committee and with a group of parliamentarians.
"I spoke about three issues: the Arab spring, Iran and the Israel-Palestinian peace process. There were a lot of remarks and questions about these issues. And I have to say that it was a very open discussion. I don’t say that we agreed on everything but it was not a ping pong either. What we can say is that the members of the European Parliament I met understand well the complexity of the issues. It was not what I hear sometimes: ‘Why don’t you solve the conflict ? Why don’t you come up with a solution ? Everyone can make peace just you can’t !’ Not at all, people realize how complex it is especially in the light of developments in the Arab countries in the last year. I told them that we are facing a great instability in the region."
"I feel more understanding or less people saying ‘It’s so simple, you just sit down with the Palestinians and everything will be ok! People understand that it’s not only up to Israel, it takes two to tango, and that even you sit down it’s not in a week time that you can produce results."
EJP: You mentioned that you discussed the Arab spring. In a recent report about the state of anti-Semitism you made to the Israeli cabinet, you mentioned rising anti-Semitism in the wake of the Arab spring ?
“Unfortunately, the Arab spring was one of the main focuses of anti-Semitism in 2011. It is not that I am concerned about the Arab spring but I am rather realistic. We are hopeful that in the course of time some of the countries in the region will become democracies. They will continue learning and developing the democratic processes. But I don’t think that in the next 20 or 30 years that this doable. We learned from the former Soviet Union or Eastern Europe that it is a long process. In the meantime unfortunately the common denominator is hatred not only against Israel but also against the Jews. See the rumors that were spread that Gaddafi was Jewish because in the eyes of the rebels he is Satan and Satan is obviously ewish, that Mubarak was a Mossad agent… and look now in young democracies like Tunisia where crowds of thousands chanted ‘death to the Jews’, not death to Israel, nor to the Israelis. Our concern is that Israel cannot be involved. We can’t interfere positively on economic ties, agriculture, medical…. in these countries. That’s why I told that the Europeans are in a different position. If they develop relations with these countries, at least I hope that this will change…"
EJP: You don’t fear that some countries, young democracies, could become like in Iran ?
"Of course we are concerned. See Egypt where two thirds of the parliament are now members of the Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists. It is a security concern and the situation is not easy."
EJP: With regard to Holocaust commemorations, do you think that the lesson was learned in Europe ?
"Partially. The governments and elected officials understand that anti-Semitism is definitively something negative. The question is: are they doing enough to prevent anti-Semitism ? Here I think I wouldn’t be overcritical although there is still a lot of things to do. One is about what we call the new anti-Semitism. Instead of Jews you say Israelis and that’s fine. It is not that I am against any criticism towards Israel, on the contrary I find it is very legitimate to criticize Israel. It is a democracy but today it is quite ok to talk about Israeli soldiers who harvest organs of the Palestinians or in Haiti. This is not politics but plain old anti-Semitism. This one of the things that the EU has to realize that by placing the word Israelis or Zionists instead of Jews this doesn’t make it less anti-Semitic. There is also the whole new development on Internet. It is a of course a wonderful tool but it also a big and worrying source of hatred and anti-Semitism. In this field there is not enough legislation and my message to my European colleagues is always: there is no virtual anti-Semitism and hatred. Today, you sit in your house, you press the button and you have a complete cyber anti-Semitic campaign without leaving your armchair. This is something we have to pay greater attention."
EJP: How do you see today relations between Israel and the diaspora ?
"When Israel was born it was like a small an d weak baby. Diaspora Jewish communities helped this baby to grow up, to walk and defend itself. Things have changed since then. Israel grew up, and it is now a strong and well developed country although there are still many threats. There are a lot of achievements, in terms of high technology, medicine, education….. with over 7 million people living there including 6 million Jews, the largest Jewish community in the world.
And at the same time, many diaspora Jewish communities are less stronger than they used to be. Of course, there is the US, Canada, Great Britain, France…. but there are lots of smaller Jewish communities especially in Europe, there are reemerging Jewish communities in some eastern European countries. And I think it’s our obligation in Israel to notice this process and to say: once upon a time they helped us and today we have to see each others like a son who grew up and support his parents. It doesn’t mean his parents are old, stupid, poor, or that they can take care of themselves but it’s our obligation to support diaspora Jewish communities in terms of Jewish education, Jewish identity, ties with Israel, to support the continuity of the Jews. I am happy to say that we as a ministry ran a poll in Israel on this matter. We asked Israelis whether it is proper for the Israeli government to put taxpayer money into developing Jewish identity in the diaspora and into improving ties with Israel. 72 % of the Israelis answered 'Yes.' And this is very good news. I think that there is more understanding in Israel but still I am critical especially when I am in Israel towards the lack of interest in diaspora Jewish life. It’s very difficult to put something concerning diaspora affairs in the Israeli press unless it is related to anti-Semitic incidents. Otherwise, if things happen in the diaspora it is like far away. As part of our challenge in Israel, we see not just to be the ministry that represents Israel toward the diaspora but also to expose Israelis more to diaspora Jewish life.
We also must understand that there is a generation change. Generations of Jews in the diaspora are very sentimental towards certain topics like Holocaust, the creation of Israel, the Six Day War and the reunification of Jerusalem, the fight for the Soviet Jewry and Ethiopian aliya. Now for someone who is 20 year old all these things are distant history even he or she knows that it happened…. Definitively one of our join challenges is to make sure that the younger generation of leadership who will become top professional and lay leaders will also understand the centrality of Israel, the importance of the connection to Israel. We see it as our challenge….”