The leader of a European Jewish group asked new European Parliament Vice-President Dimitrios Papadimoulis, from Greece, his support in the fight against rising anti-Semitism in Europe, during a meeting Tuesday in Brussels.
‘’We need your support as Jewish communities across Europe are worried after recent attacks against synagogues and Jewish shops,’’ Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Director General of the European Jewish Association (EJA) and of the Rabbinical Center of Europe (RCE) told the MEP.
Margolin mentioned that he recently met the European Commissioner for Education in the framework of an initiative to have one hour dedicated to Holocaust education in the 28 EU countries.
‘’We have been warning for a long time of the severe rise in anti-Semitism across Europe and reiterate our demands for European governments to establish national authorities to combat anti-Semitism, that, along with education of future generations, will also be responsible for increasing security around Jewish institutions,’’ Rabbi Margolin also said.
He was accompanied by Rabbi Binyamin Jacobs, Chief Rabbi of The Netherlands who has been recently the target of anti-Semitic attacks in his home.
They also raised the issue of attempts to ban Jewish rituals such as ritual slaughter and circumcision in several couintries as other signs that Jews are under attack.
Papadimoulis, a member of the European Left group in the European Parliament, blamed the extreme-right, especially in his country, for being behind anti-Semitic acts, such as attacks against cemeteries and vandalism of monuments. ‘’This is contrary to European values of tolerance,’’ he stressed.
He promised he would pass on the message to the EU assembly.