Ambassador Gideon Behar, Director of the Department for Combating Anti-Semitism at Israel’s foreign ministry, was key speaker at a ‘Workshop on Anti-Semitism in Europe and in the European Neighbourhood’ organized in Brussels by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and the AJC Transatlantic Institute.
Last May, he chaired in Jerusalem the 4th International Conference of the Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism. The conference stressed that anti-Semitism is changing the drirection from which it comes. It is no longer coming only from the far right, and the defat of Nazism in 1945 did not spell the end of anti-Semitism. ‘It now comes from the left, from Islamists who have a dept hatred of Jews at the core of their ideology, and as an overspill of the Arab-Israel conflict.
In November, the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) released the results of a study among Jews in 9 EU countries which showed that 76% of them considered that anti-Semitism had worsened over the past five years in the country where they live and that a third of Jews polled in the study were mulling emigration as a response to growing anti-Semitism, especially in France, Belgium and Hungary.
In an interview with EJP, Gideon Behar stresses that for Israel the fight against anti-Semitism has no connection to aliyah or immigration of Jews to Israel.
EJP : Does anti-Semitism in Europe like described by the FRA encourage aliyah to Israel ?
Gideon Behar : ‘’Historically we know that when Jews fled because of anti-Semitism, usually they went to other places. We have the examples of the pogroms in the beginning of the 20th century and the end of 19th century when most of the Jews from Eastern Europe and Russia went to the United States.
Also after the WWII, most of the refugees and survivors of the Holocaust didn’t come to Israel but went to other places. But in a certain way, anti-Semitism also sends some people to Israel but this is the small fraction. The majority leaves to other places.
EJP – What’s Israel position towards anti-Semitism in Europe. Is Israel encouraging aliyah of European Jews ?
Gideon Behar : ‘’Well, the Israeli government sees the fight against anti-Semitism as an objective by itself. We think that anti-Semitism is negative, is bad for the Jewish people, is bad for Europe and for Israel. Actually, a viable Jewish comunity in Europe, in the US and elsewhere in the world also strengthens the position of Israel in the world. So there is also an interest in Israel that the Jewish community in Europe and elsewhere will continue to survive and to be safe.
On the other hand the Israeli government has also a policy of encouraging aliyah and this is because we are a Jewish State and we are the home of the Jewish people. But we don’t seek to use anti-Semitism to encourage people to come to Israel. On the contrary, we say that the fight against anti-Semitism has no connection to aliyah or to immigration to Israel. It is a goal by itself. It is enough important to fight against anti-Semitism because it is bad for the Jews and today we see how anti-Semitism is on the rise everywhere in many countries in Europe. We have heard it from the representative of Fundamental Rights Agency who gave us statistical data about anti-Semitism in Europe. Today we have a statistivcal instrument that can be measured.
EJP : It is not only anti-Semitism from the original no-Nazi or extreme-right but today it is mainly from the extreme-left, anti-Israel and anti-Zionists ?
Gideon Behar : Yes, there is a saying that Israel has become ‘the Jew among the Nations’. Many people who are afraid to be called anti-Semites feel it easier to attack Israel and Zionism. The Prime Minister of Canada (Stephen Harper) said it very clearly during his recent visit in Israel. We know that this exists but we are very cautious and careful not to say that every critic of Israel is anti-Semitism. If it is legitimate criticism, like criticism which comes to any other government, it‘s ok. But if it’s like the BDS (Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions) movevement which has a strategic goal to destroy Israel because this is a Jewish State, then this is clearly anti-Semitism.
EJP : Do you mean that criticism of settlement building is legitimate ?
Gideon Behar : What I am saying is that if you say Israel constructs settlements in the eyes of some countries this is not ok because this and that… this is legal criticism but if you come and say : ‘We want to destroy the State of Israel or Israel has no right to exist as many of these leftists and those who work hand and hand with Islamist fundamentalists , like th BDS movement, this is clearly anti-Semitism….