IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 469

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the recent escalation within many participating states of the Organization for Security

and Cooperation in Europe of anti-Semitic violence, as well as manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination directed against ethnic and religious minorities, is of grave concern and requires the highest attention

of all OSCE governments.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 27, 2002

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. WOLF, Mr.

HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. PITTS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, and Mr. WAMP) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on

International Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

the recent escalation within many participating states

of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe of anti-Semitic violence, as well as manifestations

of xenophobia and discrimination directed against ethnic

and religious minorities, is of grave concern and requires

the highest attention of all OSCE governments.

Whereas the participating states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) unanimously

agreed in the 1990 Copenhagen Concluding Document to

‘‘unequivocally condemn . . . totalitarianism, racial and
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ethnic hatred, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and discrimination against anyone as well as persecution on religious

and ideological grounds’’;

Whereas the Copenhagen Concluding Document further committed states to take effective measures to protect individuals from ‘‘any acts that constitute incitement to violence against persons or groups based on national, racial,

ethnic or religious discrimination, hostility or hatred’’,

and highlighted anti-Semitism;

Whereas the 1999 OSCE Charter for European Security

committed participating states to ‘‘counter such threats

to security as violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief and manifestations of intolerance, aggressive nationalism, racism, chauvinism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism’’;

Whereas the OSCE participating states, at the 1999 Istanbul

Summit, deplored violence and other manifestations of

racism and discrimination against minorities, including

the Roma and Sinti;

Whereas on March 27, 2000, the Secretary-General of the

Council of Europe convened the ‘‘Consultation on AntiSemitism in Europe Today’’, where participants adopted

‘‘A Declaration of Concern and Intent’’ and undertook

‘‘the Strasbourg Plan of Action’’;

Whereas the escalation in Europe and Eurasia of acts of

anti-Semitic violence, as well as manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination against ethnic, linguistic, racial and religious minorities, is of grave concern;

Whereas the anti-Semitic violence precipitated throughout the

OSCE participating states includes physical assaults,
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with some instances involving weapons or stones,

firebombing of synagogues, including one that burned to

the ground, and desecration of Jewish cultural sites, such

as cemeteries and statues;

Whereas the scourge of anti-Semitism is not unique to any

one country and requires steadfast vigilance, as this escalation of violent anti-Semitic acts against Jews and Jewish cultural sites, documented throughout the OSCE participating states, can no longer be viewed as separate occurrences;

Whereas vicious propaganda and violence in certain OSCE

participating states have reached alarming levels against

both Jews and ‘‘foreigners’’, in part due to the dangerous

revitalization of political candidates promoting aggressive

nationalism and Neo-Nazi ‘‘skin head’’ activities;

Whereas some officials of the governments of OSCE participating states have repeatedly dismissed the significance

of the dramatic increase of attacks on Jews and attributed them to ‘‘hooliganism’’ and to ‘‘Muslim immigrant’’

youth expressing solidarity with Palestinians;

Whereas the legitimization by some governments voting in

the United Nations Commission on Human Rights of an

armed struggle against Israeli civilians has emboldened

some individuals and organizations to lash out against

Jews and Jewish institutions;

Whereas hostility, frustration, and disaffection over violence

in the Middle East must never be permitted to justify

personal attacks on Jews;

Whereas violence and other manifestations of xenophobia and

discrimination can never be justified by political issues or

international developments;
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Whereas Muslims in OSCE participating states have also

been the target of intolerance and xenophobia, and although governments have struggled to integrate Muslim

immigrants, they are often marginalized in society;

Whereas intolerance and xenophobia of immigrants have been

propagated by political parties espousing aggressive nationalism, which further exacerbates hostility towards immigrants, creates a greater sense of disenfranchisement

from the country of resettlement, and manifests itself in

assaults on individuals;

Whereas the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities has found that discrimination and exclusion are fundamental features of the Roma experience;

Whereas Roma continue to be the victims of violent, and

sometimes deadly, racially motivated attacks, and are

subjected to efforts to segregate them in housing and

education, including by enclosing them in walled ghettos;

Whereas discriminatory acts or policies against minority religious communities, exhibited in burdensome and restrictive government registration schemes or in violence by

nonstate actors, is particularly troubling;

Whereas the proliferation of oppressive registration requirements, which impair the ability of minority religious communities to obtain legal personality, and therefore the

ability to rent facilities, open banking accounts, and, in

some cases, even exist, demonstrates an attitude of intolerance by many governments of OSCE participating

states; and

Whereas the unwillingness of governments to effectively protect minority religious communities, knowingly permitting

violence against these groups, contributes to a climate of
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fear and violence in some OSCE participating states:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that—

3 (1) the governments of all participating states

4 of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in

5 Europe (OSCE) should—

6 (A) unequivocally condemn racial and eth7 nic hatred, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and dis8 crimination against anyone, as well as persecu9 tion on religious and ideological grounds when10 ever they occur, and when appropriate, make

11 public statements recognizing violence against

12 Jews and Jewish cultural sites as anti-Semitic;

13 (B) decry the rationalizing of anti-Jewish

14 attitudes and even violent attacks against Jews

15 as merely a result of justified popular frustra16 tion with the conflict in the Middle East;

17 (C) ensure effective law enforcement by

18 local and national authorities, including thor19 ough investigation and prosecution of criminal

20 acts stemming from anti-Semitism, xenophobia,

21 or discrimination, whether directed at individ22 uals, communities, or property;
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1 (D) take effective measures to protect indi2 viduals from acts of violence based on ethnic,

3 linguistic, racial, or religious reasons;

4 (E) ensure that laws and policies fully re5 spect the rights of Roma and, where necessary,

6 to promote antidiscrimination legislation to this

7 effect;

8 (F) ensure that minority religious commu9 nities and their adherents are able to realize all

10 the rights and benefits on the basis of full

11 equality, regardless of the number of members

12 or the length of time in the country in which

13 they live; and

14 (G) make a concerted effort to cultivate an

15 atmosphere of cooperation and reconciliation

16 among the diverse parties affected by discrimi17 nation in Europe; and

18 (2) both executive branch officials and Members

19 of Congress should raise the matters set forth in

20 paragraph (1) in their bilateral contacts with coun21 tries that are participating states of the OSCE and

22 in appropriate multilateral fora, including the Per23 manent Council of the OSCE and the July 2002
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1 Eleventh Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamen2 tary Assembly.

Æ