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ANTI–SEMITISM:

A GROWING THREAT TO ALL FAITHS

HEARING

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, 

GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND 

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

FEBRUARY 27, 2013

Serial No. 113–15

Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

(

Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/ or

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/

(II)

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman 

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey 

ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida 

DANA ROHRABACHER, California 

STEVE CHABOT, Ohio 

JOE WILSON, South Carolina 

MICHAEL T. MCCAUL, Texas 

TED POE, Texas 

MATT SALMON, Arizona 

TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania 

JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina 

ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois 

MO BROOKS, Alabama 

TOM COTTON, Arkansas 

PAUL COOK, California 

GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania 

STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas 

RON DESANTIS, Florida 

TREY RADEL, Florida 

DOUG COLLINS, Georgia 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

TED S. YOHO, Florida 

LUKE MESSER, Indiana 

ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York 

ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American 

Samoa 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York 

ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey 

GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia 

THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida 

BRIAN HIGGINS, New York 

KAREN BASS, California 

WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts 

DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island 

ALAN GRAYSON, Florida 

JUAN VARGAS, California 

BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDER, Illinois 

JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III, Massachusetts 

AMI BERA, California 

ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California 

GRACE MENG, New York 

LOIS FRANKEL, Florida 

TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii 

JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas

AMY PORTER, Chief of Staff THOMAS SHEEHY, Staff Director

JASON STEINBAUM, Democratic Staff Director 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman 

TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania 

RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas 

STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas 

MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina 

KAREN BASS, California 

DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island 

AMI BERA, California 

(III)

C O N T E N T S 

Page

WITNESSES 

Katrina Lantos Swett, Ph.D., chair, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom ...................................................................................................... 9

Mr. Eric Metaxas, author and commentator ......................................................... 20

Zuhdi Jasser, M.D., president, American Islamic Forum for Democracy ........... 26

Mr. John Garvey, president, The Catholic University of America ...................... 39

Ms. Elisa Massimino, president and chief executive officer, Human Rights 

First ....................................................................................................................... 45

Tama ́s Fellegi, Ph.D., managing partner, EuroAtlantic Solutions (former Minister of National Development, Government of Hungary) ................................ 77

Mr. Willy Silberstein, chairman, Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism .. 85

Rabbi Andrew Baker, personal representative on combating anti-Semitism, 

Office of the Chairperson-in-Office, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe ..................................................................................................... 89

Rabbi David Meyer, professor of Rabbinic Literature and Contemporary Jewish Thought, Pontifical Gregorian University ................................................... 119

Rabbi Yaakov Bleich, Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine ...................................... 128

Mr. Andrew Srulevitch, director of European Affairs, Anti-Defamation 

League ................................................................................................................... 133

LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING 

The Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress from 

the State of New Jersey, and chairman, Subcommittee on Africa, Global 

Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations: Prepared 

statement .............................................................................................................. 4

Katrina Lantos Swett, Ph.D.: Prepared statement ............................................... 13

Mr. Eric Metaxas: Prepared statement ................................................................. 23

Zuhdi Jasser, M.D.: Prepared statement ............................................................... 29

Mr. John Garvey: Prepared statement .................................................................. 41

Ms. Elisa Massimino: Prepared statement ............................................................ 48

Tama ́s Fellegi, Ph.D.: Prepared statement ............................................................ 80

Mr. Willy Silberstein: Prepared statement ............................................................ 87

Rabbi Andrew Baker: Prepared statement ............................................................ 92

Rabbi David Meyer: Prepared statement .............................................................. 122

Rabbi Yaakov Bleich: Prepared statement ............................................................ 131

Mr. Andrew Srulevitch: Prepared statement ........................................................ 135

APPENDIX 

Hearing notice .......................................................................................................... 170

Hearing minutes ...................................................................................................... 172

The Honorable Christopher H. Smith: ...................................................................

Statement of Mr. Mark Weitzman, Director of Government Affairs, Simon 

Wiesenthal Center ............................................................................................ 173

Statement of Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President of Interfaith Alliance ...... 178

(1)

ANTI–SEMITISM:

A GROWING THREAT TO ALL FAITHS 

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

Washington, DC. 

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9 o’clock a.m., in 

room 2172 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Christopher H. 

Smith (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. 

Mr. SMITH. The committee will come to order, and good morning 

to everyone. Thank you for being here bright and early. And I want 

to welcome you to this, what I believe and we believe to be a very 

important hearing on anti–Semitism and combating anti–Semitism, 

with a particular emphasis on Europe. 

At a congressional hearing that I chaired in 2002 on combating 

anti–Semitism, Dr. Shimon Samuels of the Wiesenthal Center in 

Paris testified and said, ‘‘The Holocaust for 30 years after the war 

acted as a protective teflon against blatant anti-Semitic expression, 

especially in Europe. That teflon,’’ he said, ‘‘has eroded, and what 

was considered distasteful and politically incorrect is becoming simply an opinion. But,’’ he warned ominously, ‘‘cocktail chatter at fine 

English dinners can end in Molotov cocktails against synagogues.’’

In response to what appeared to be a sudden frightening spike 

in anti-Semitism in several countries, including here in the United 

States, we first proposed the idea for a conference on combating 

anti-Semitism under the auspices of the Organization for Security 

and Cooperation in Europe. Convinced we had an escalating crisis 

on our hands, we teamed with several OSCE partners to push for 

action and reform. Many of the people and the NGOs present in 

this room played a leading part. 

Rabbi Baker will remember so well how we worked on several 

important initiatives including language and plans of action. These 

efforts directly led to important OSCE conferences on combating 

anti-Semitism. As I think many of you know, they occurred in 

places like Vienna, Berlin, Cordoba, and Bucharest. In each of 

those, participating states made solemn, tangible commitments to 

put our words into action. In some countries progress has been 

made, yet the scope and outcome of anti-Semitic acts has not 

abated in others, and in some nations it has actually gotten worse. 

That is why we are here today, to review, to recommit, and to 

reenergize efforts to vanquish the highly disturbing resurgence of 

2

anti-Semitism everywhere, including in Europe. Unparalleled since 

the dark days of the Second World War, Jewish communities on a 

global scale are facing verbal harassment and sometimes violent 

attacks against synagogues, Jewish cultural sites, cemeteries, and 

individuals. It is an ugly reality that won’t go away by ignoring it 

or by wishing it away. It must be defeated. Thus, we gather to enlighten, motivate, and share best practices on how not just to mitigate this centuries old obsession, but to crush this pernicious form 

of hate. 

From our first panel of witnesses we are going to hear how antiSemitism directly threats not only Jews, but also Christians and 

Muslims and democracy and civil society. We are all in this together. When we fight anti-Semitism it is not only a matter of justice for Jewish fellow citizens, but also standing up for Christianity 

and for Islam and for the possibility of a decent living itself. We 

all have a direct stake in the fight against anti-Semitism. 

This is tragically clear in the Middle East countries where the 

governments propagate anti-Semitism as an official or quasi-official 

idealogy. These governments incite anti-Semitic hatred of Israel in 

order to distract the people from their own tyrannical rule and 

from their own abuse of human rights, denial of democracy, economic corruption and the like. Sadly, it works. We see this in governments as varied as those of Iran and Egypt, Pakistan and Syria 

and Saudi Arabia, and the list of course doesn’t end there. Tens of 

millions of people who live in these communities are in this sense 

suffering from anti-Semitism. Few of them are Jewish. Most are 

Muslims. Millions are Christian. It is true that to some degree or 

other, many of the people in these countries have bought into the 

evil of anti-Semitism, but many thankfully have not. 

From our second panel we are also going to hear reports from a 

number of European Jewish leaders who will be able to tell us 

firsthand about anti-Semitism in their countries and the region, 

and how the governments are responding and whether these responses are effective and adequate. Sadly, in much of Europe the 

harassment of Jews including verbal and physical violence continues to increase, and a recent Anti-Defamation League study 

shows that anti-Semitic attitudes are widespread in Europe and 

getting worse in many countries. 

One thing the witnesses will address is whether elected officials 

are fulfilling their responsibility to speak out publicly against any 

expression of anti-Semitic hate. When the national leaders fail to 

denounce anti-Semitic violence and slurs the void is not only demoralizing to the victims, but silence actually enables the wrongdoing. Silence by elected officials in particular conveys approval or 

at least acquiescence and can contribute to a climate of fear and 

a profound sense of vulnerability. 

Another point we have to consider is whether the countries are 

collecting reliable hate crime information. We can’t fight anti-Semitic crimes effectively unless we have reliable information on 

them. The most recent figures from the United States, for example, 

which are collected by the FBI, show that Jews, although they are 

only 2 percent of the United States’ population, they are the victims of 63 percent of religiously targeted hate crimes. An additional 

concern is the importance of Holocaust education. If we are to proVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
3

tect our children from the dark evil of anti-Semitism we must reeducate ourselves and systematically educate our children. While 

that starts in our homes, the classroom must be an incubator of tolerance and respect. It seems to me only the most hardened racist 

can remain unmoved by Holocaust education and remembrance. 

Only the most crass, evil, and prejudiced among us can study the 

horrors of the Holocaust and not cry out, never again. 

Yet another concern is the rise of the new anti-Semitism, which 

tries to pass itself off as legitimate criticism of Israel, but which 

demonizes, delegitimizes, and applies double standards against 

Israel—former Soviet refusenik Natan Sharansky’s three ‘‘d’’s. In 

any case, this form of anti-Semitism appears to be spreading 

among European social democratic and leftist parties as well as 

among Muslim immigrants from the Middle East, and I would like 

to hear the views of our distinguished witnesses on that as well. 

I look forward to our witnesses’ statements, and I would ask that 

my full statement be made a part of the record. Without objection, 

that and all of my colleagues, their full statements will be made 

a part of the record. I would like to now yield to Mr. Cicilline. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Smith follows:]

4


79580l-1.eps

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DrAt\', M~W JfHGEV Da;;:.GATION 

"Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths" 

Ercerpts qf Remarks by Chairman Chris Smith 

Subcommittee on Aji"ica, Global Health 

Global HUll/an Rights, and inl'l Organizations 

FeIJI"!IClry 27,2013 

2172 Rayburn House Office Building 

Good mOl'ning and welcome tu eV~l'yone joining us thi::; morning. I pm'licularly want to 

welcome representatives of a number of European countries. After the hearing, I look forward to 

meeting with them to hear their views on how the evil of anti-Semitism can be more successfully 

addressed. 

At a Congressional hearing I chaired in 2002, Dr. Shimon Samuels of the Wiesenthal 

Center in Pmis testified and said, "The Holocaust for 30 years after the war acted as a protective 

Teflon against blatant anti-Semitic expression (especially in Europe). That Teflon has eroded, 

and what was considered distastefbl and politically incorrect is becoming simply an opinion. 

Hut," he warned ominously, "cocktail chatter at flne English dinners can end as Molotov 

cocklail~ against sYllagoglles." 

In response to what appeared to be a suddcn~ frightening spike in anti-Semitism in several 

countries} including here in the United States, we first proposed the idea for a conference on 

combating anti-Sel11itis1111111der the auspices of the organization for Security and Cooperation in 

Europe (OSCE). 

Convinced we had an escalating crisis on our hands, we teamed with several OSCE 

patiners to push for action and reform. Many of the people and NGOs present in this room 

played leading roles. 

Tho,e eflor(s directly led (0 important OSCE conierence, on combating anti-Semitism in 

Vienna, Berlin, Cordoba, and Bucharest. In each afthose, participating states have made solemn, 

tangible commitments to put our words into action, In some countries, progress has indeed been 
5


79580l-2.eps

made, yet the scope and outcome of anti-Semitic acts have not abated in others, and in some 

nations it has actually gotten worse, 

That is why we are here today, to review, re-conmlit, and re-energize efforts to vanquish 

the highly disturbing resurgence of anti-Semitism everywhere, including in ElU'ope. 

Unparalleled since the dark ages of the Second World War, Jewish communities on a 

global scale are facing verbal harassment, and sometimes violent attacks against synagogues, 

Jewi::;.h cultural sites, cemeteries and individualR. It is an ugly reality that won't go away by 

ignoring or wishing it away. It must be defeated, 

Thus, we gather to enlighten, motivate, and sluu'e ideas on how not just to mitigate this 

centuries-old obsession, but to crush this pernicious f01"m of hate. 

From our firsl panel ofwilnesses we are going to hear how anti-Semitism directly 

threatens not only Jews but also Christians and Muslims, and democracy and civil society, Whcn 

we fight anti-Semitism it is not only a matter of justice for Jewish l,,[[ow-citizens, but also of 

standing up lor Christianity, and for lslam, and for the possibility of decent living itself. We all 

have a direct stake in the fight against anti-Semitism, 

This is tragically clear in the Middle-Em:tern countries where the government propagates 

anti-Sell1itism as an official or' quasi-official ideology. These governments incite anti-Semitic 

hatred of Israel in order to distract the pcople fi'om thcir own tyrannical1'llle, fi'om their own 

abuse of human rights, denial of'democracy, economic corruption. Sadly, it works. \Ve see this in 

governments as varied as those ofImn and Egypt, Pakistan and Syria and Saudi Arabia, and the 

list doesn't end there, 

Tens of)11illions of people who live in these countries are in this sense suffering fro)11 

anti-Semitism. Few ofthem are Jewish -most are Muslim, millions arc Christian. It's true that, 

to some degree or other, many of the people in these countries have bought into the evil of antiSemitislll, but many have not. 

From oUl' second panel, we are a\so going to hear reports fl'Om a l1I1111ber of Em ope an 

Jewish leaders who will be able to tell us about anti-Semitism in their countries, how the 

governments arc responding, and whether these responses are etlective. Sadly, in much of 

Europe, the harassment of Jews, including verbll[ (lid physical violence, continues to increase, 

and a recent Anti-Defamation League study shows that anti-Semitic attitudes are ,,~despread in 

Europe and getting worse in many conntrics, 

One thing the witnesses will address is whether elected officials are fhlfilling their 

responsibility to speak out publicly against any expressions of anti-Semitic hate. When national 

Jeaders fail to denounce anti-Semitic violence and slurs, the void is not only demoralizing to the 

victims but silence actually enables the wrongdoing, Silence by elected officials in particular 

conveys appl'oval- or at least acquiescence - and can contribute to a climate of fear and a sense 

of vulnerability. 
6


79580l-3.eps

In this respect, T want to recognize the leadership Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban 

has shown in the fight against anti-Semitism. Prime Minister Orban has taken his government 

into the vanguard arthase fighting anti-Semitism in Europe. He has declared a 'zero tolerance 

policy' against anti-Semitism and seen that anti-Semitic incidents are promptly followed by 

high-level official condemnations, sometimes by him, sometimes by other officials. There is still 

far too much anti-Semitism in Hungary, and it is cultivated by the viciously racist Jobbik 

political party. But J am glad that the Hungarian government has responded vigorously, 

protecting its Jewish citizens by strengthening legislation and law-enforcement, education and 

Holocaust l'emembl'unce. 

Another point we will have to consider is whether the countries are collecting reliable 

hate crime information. We can't fight anti-Semitic crimes effectively unless we have reliable 

information on them. The must recent ligures rrom the U.S., for example, which are collected by 

the FBI, showed that Jews, less than 2% of the U.S. population, are the victims of63% of 

religiously-targeted hate crimes. 

An additional concern is the importance of Holocaust education. If we arc to protect our 

children from the dark evil of anti-Semitism, we must reeducate ourselves and systematically 

euueate our children. While that starts in uur humes, the cla"wom 111U"t be the incubator or 

tolerance. It seems to me that only the most hardened racist can remain u11l1loved by Holocaust 

education and remembrance. Only the most crass, evil, and prejudiced among us can shldy the 

horrors of the Holocaust and not cry out: Never again! 

Yel another concern is the rise of a "new" anti-Semitism, which lries lo pass ilself 01'1' as 

legitimate criticism ofTsJael, b11t which demonizes, delegitimizes, and applies double standards 

against Israel- former Soviet "refusenik" Natan Sharansky's "3 Ds." In any case, this form of 

anti-Semitism appears to be spreading among European social~dcmocratie and leftist paliics, as 

,veIl as among Mu~li1l1 immigrants [,'0-111 the Middle Rai:)l, and I'd like to hear your views ahout 

the most effective ways to expose it for what it is. 

1 look f01WaL'd to hearing the witnesses' ideas as to what Congress and the u.s. 

government can do to help. We need to work together with you to light a fire under our 

govc1'l111lent, under E11rope3n governments, alld intergovernmental organizations like the 

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 

It will be hclpfili to hear your thoughts on the State Department's Office to Monitor and 

Combat Anti-Semitism, whieh was created by an amendment J ofrel'ed in 2004. Also abollt the 

improving the excellent work Rabbi Andy Bakel' and the OSCE, where I and other members of 

the Hebinki Commission were successfu] in making the fight against anti-Semitism a priorHy -

and I think the OSCE and other intergovernmental organizations need to be re-energized on this 

issue. 

Finally, any lhought;;.: on legi~laliol1 are welcome, ror example ideas thal could he taken 

up in the Combating Anti-Semitism Act which I am preparing to re-introduee, or in the 

111tel'parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism, where I am a Inember of the 

Steering Committee. One possible initiative is for" day on which heads of state or government 
7

Mr. CICILLINE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for 

holding today’s hearing. And thank you also to our ranking member, Congresswoman Bass, for convening this important hearing, 

and thank you to our witnesses. 

Fostering religious understanding and combating anti-Semitism 

is a critical and very important challenge. In the United States, the 

work we do internationally to protect the human rights of people 

of every faith is a reflection of our nation’s values and founding 

principles. We are all of course familiar with the historical consequences of anti-Semitism especially when it is infused with a political dimension. The purpose of this hearing is absolutely essential. It is very important to discuss the impact anti-Semitism has 

on the global understanding and the rights of all people. 

And so I want to just welcome the witnesses who are here today, 

to thank you for participating in this hearing on this very important topic. I look forward to hearing your diverse and global perspectives. I think we all recognize that the rise of anti-Semitism is 

deeply troubling, and considering what actions we can take to respond to this phenomenon, what public policies we can implement, 

what educational policies we can promote to help to eradicate antiSemitism all over the world should be our focus. And I thank you 

to the extent you are going to contribute to that discussion, and I 

welcome you to the hearing today. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you, my friend. I would like to yield to Mr. 

Marino, former U.S. Attorney from Pennsylvania, and a member of 

this committee. 

Mr. MARINO. I yield back. I have no opening statement. 

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Bera? 

Mr. BERA. Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing. As 

we are going to hear, anti-Semitism and hate crimes continue to 

plague our nation and the world. In 2011, over 1,080 cases were 

reported nationwide. Unfortunately, my community in Sacramento 

knows firsthand the dangers of this form of hatred. This weekend 

I had the privilege of visiting Congregation Beth Shalom, a synagogue in Carmichael, California, for Purim celebrations. There I 

witnessed a vibrant and joyful community celebrating their faith. 

However, just 14 years ago this community was victimized by antiSemitic arsonists who burned three synagogues. Congregation Beth 

Shalom as well as B’nai Israel and Kenesset Israel Torah Center 

were victims of these senseless attacks. 

Our community is all too aware of the threat that anti-Semitism 

poses to freedom in this country and around the world. These attacks in 1999 came as a shock. They served as a cruel reminder 


79580l-4.eps
8

that the desire to erase the Jewish people and their culture persists. At B’nai Israel, a community founded in 1849 and the oldest 

congregational-owned synagogue west of the Mississippi River, 

more than 5,000 books were destroyed. Ancient, irreplaceable 

judaica were lost in the fire, and a community of believers peacefully practicing their faith were deeply shaken. 

An intern in my office attends Beth Shalom, the congregation 

that I visited this weekend. She was only 6 years old at the time 

of the attacks. Her parents struggled to explain why anyone would 

do something so awful to the good people they knew, friends, family, neighbors. Just days after the arson, a unity rally was held at 

the Sacramento Community Center. More than 5,000 people of all 

faiths came to support the synagogues. The congregation received 

hundreds of cards, donations, and a community pulling together. 

Signs that read ‘‘United We Stand’’ could be seen in windows 

throughout Sacramento. As we know in Sacramento firsthand, battling anti-Semitism is going to be an ongoing struggle. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you again for convening this important 

hearing, and thank you to the witnesses for telling us how we are 

going to continue this battle. I yield back my time. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much. I would like to now yield to 

Mr. Meadows. 

Mr. MEADOWS. I just want to thank each one of you for being 

here on this critical issue as we address it, and thank you, Mr. 

Chairman, for holding this hearing. As we look at this, one of the 

things that I hope each one of you can address is how so many 

times we publicly say that this is something that we can’t stand, 

but yet quietly we tolerate it. And so what we need to do is make 

sure that not only our rhetoric is matched by our actions, but what 

we need to do not only as a nation, but as a leader in the world 

to highlight this particular issue. 

The other part of that is, is there has been much emphasis 

played on the economic role and how that exacerbates this problem. 

And while history shows that there certainly is an economic component to it, as we see the nation of Israel we have got a 10,000 

square mile nation that has no oil, no gold, no iron, and yet it is 

surrounded by 5.2 million square miles of oil-rich country and they 

are seen as the agressor, which is not actually the case. 

And so even though there may be an economic component to it, 

what I would love to see from each one of you and would welcome 

hearing is how that we can address this and highlight the atrocities that are happening over and over, and what is the causal effect of that and how through an international body perhaps that 

we can put influence or pressure to bear to highlight this so that 

it doesn’t continue to be tolerated in our world. Thank you so 

much. I yield back, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you, Mr. Meadows. Mr. Weber? 

Mr. WEBER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding the meeting, 

and I echo the same sentiments and remarks. I will be committed 

to eliminating anti-Semitism around the world. The United States 

stood tall once before, and I look forward to being part of standing 

tall once again. Thank you very much. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you, Mr. Weber, very much. It is now a privilege to introduce our first panel. But before I do that I do want to 

9

acknowledge the presence of Annette Lantos, the wife, and very 

distinguished in her own right, but the wife of our former chairman, Tom Lantos, who we all deeply miss. And our first witness 

will be Katrina Lantos Swett who is Tom and Annette’s daughter. 

Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett is the chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, an independent U.S. 

Government commission that monitors the universal rights to freedom of religion, and belief, abroad. She established the Lantos 

Foundation for Human Rights and Justice in 2008, and serves as 

its president and chief executive officer, carrying on the unique and 

tremendous legacy of her father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos. 

We will then hear from Eric Metaxas who is the author of the 

best-selling books including ‘‘Bonhoeffer’’ and ‘‘Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce’’—who is a personal hero of mine—‘‘and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery’’; and more than than 30 other 

books. A very, very prolific and effective writer. He is currently the 

voice of BreakPoint, a radio commentary. He was the keynote 

speaker at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast, and was awarded 

the Canterbury Medal in 2011 by the Becket Fund for Religious 

Freedom. 

We will then hear from Zuhdi Jasser who is the founder and 

president of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, and is the 

author of ‘‘A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot’s Fight to Save His Faith.’’ Dr. Jasser is a first-generation 

American Muslim whose parents fled the oppressive Ba’ath Regime 

in Syria. He earned his medical degree on a U.S. Navy scholarship 

and served 11 years in the U.S. Navy. Dr. Jasser currently serves 

on the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. 

We will then hear from John Garvey who is the president of the 

Catholic University of America. Mr. Garvey was the dean of Boston 

College Law School and the president of the Association of American Law Schools. He has practiced law and taught at Notre Dame, 

Michigan, and Kentucky. He is the author or co-author of numerous books including ‘‘Religion and the Constitution,’’ which won the 

Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit book award; and he has won the Catholic 

Press Association award for another work that he authored. 

Then we will hear from Elisa Massimino who has been the president and chief executive officer of Human Rights First, and no 

stranger to this subcommittee. She helped establish the Washington office in 1991, and served as the organization’s Washington 

director from 1997 to 2008. She has served as pro bono counsel in 

many human rights cases, testified before this committee and others more than a dozen times, and is published frequently. The Hill 

has repeatedly named her as one of the top 20 public advocates in 

the country. 

A very distinguished list; I would like to now ask Dr. Lantos 

Swett if she would proceed. 

STATEMENT OF KATRINA LANTOS SWETT, PH.D., CHAIR, U.S. 

COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. Thank you very much. It is a great honor for 

me to be here today. It is a great honor to appear with this distinguished panel of witnesses. And of course, Mr. Chairman, we all 

10

know that you are among the most valiant and courageous defenders of human rights in all their forms and for all people everywhere 

that our country has known, and so it is a particular pleasure for 

me to be here testifying before you. And lastly, I would be remiss 

if I didn’t acknowledge my father there gazing down upon me. Certainly my personal hero and someone who as the only survivor of 

the Holocaust ever to serve in this body, his presence is with us 

here today and I know he is incredibly grateful to know that these 

hearings are taking place. 

I would like to ask, Mr. Chairman, that the full text of my remarks be entered in the record, because in the interest of time I 

probably won’t be able to deliver every word as written. 

Mr. SMITH. Without objection, so ordered. 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. Thank you so much. In light of today’s hearing it is fitting to note that just a few days ago, last Sunday, Jews 

around the world celebrated the annual festival of Purim. As related in the biblical Book of Esther, Purim is the story of how the 

Jews of the Persian Empire, nearly 25 centuries ago, faced the danger of imminent extermination at the hands of Haman, the King’s 

prime minister. This ancient threat represents the first known plot 

to entirely destroy the Jewish people. Through a dramatic turn of 

events, and may I say through the courage and cleverness of beautiful Esther, the plot was thwarted and the Jewish people were delivered from destruction. 

It is ironic indeed that in today’s Persia, which we now call Iran, 

its current leaders follow in Haman’s footsteps by expressing their 

own form of vicious anti-Semitism and their avowed determination 

to wipe Israel, the Jewish homeland, off the map. Top officials have 

denied the reality of the Nazi Holocaust, the most serious effort in 

history to obliterate the Jewish people. As the daughter of Holocaust survivors I can testify as to how surreal it is for a people to 

have to defend themselves in this day and age not only against 

hateful attitudes and behaviors, but also against those who try to 

dissuade others from believing that 6 million people were killed for 

the sole crime of being Jews. 

Unfortunately, anti-Semitism remains a phenomenon that knows 

no national boundaries. I was recently confronted with the reality 

of this during an official USCIRF visit to Egypt. One of the most 

dramatic moments of that visit to Egypt was when I sat across at 

a very close distance from a high official in the Morsi government 

and personally confronted him on some of President Morsi’s recently unearthed statements in which he says that we must nurse 

our children and grandchildren on hatred of the Jews down to the 

last generation and in which he referred to Jews as the descendants of apes and pigs. I said to that minister, your President was 

calling on hatred of me down to the last generation. Your President 

was saying that I and my seven children are the descendants of 

apes and pigs. This is not the conduct of a civilized people. These 

are not the words of a civilized man. This is a stain upon the honor 

of Egypt. A stain upon the character of your nation, and it must 

stop. 

I share that experience because I think in some sense it holds 

the key to the answer that we are all seeking today, how do we 

confront anti-Semitism? It is awkward. It is uncomfortable. It is 

11

personal. It is direct. It is tense. We don’t shrug our shoulders, we 

don’t—to borrow a phrase from President Bush—sort of indulge in 

the bigotry, soft bigotry of low expectations and say, well, it is the 

Muslim world. We will shrug our shoulders and kind of just move 

on and get to the more serious discussions. We face it. We confront 

it. I am going to return to my written remarks here. 

Anti-Semitism remains a phenomenon that as I say knows no national boundaries. Through vigilance and wakefulness we have 

tried to confront it in every corner and in every country and in 

every region of the world. And in Europe the enormity of the Holocaust compelled Europe’s peoples to begin the critical task of selfexamination, confronting hateful action stemming from poisonous 

attitudes and beliefs which permeated Europe for nearly 17 centuries, helping to demonize the people and preparing the way for 

the unthinkable. This painful realization of how homegrown hatred 

sowed the seeds for genocide remains a significant force in Europe 

today. Yet now, nearly 70 years after the Holocaust, the fact remains that across Europe, from East to West, anti-Semitism lives 

and is gaining momentum. 

I know that time is short and I don’t want to overstep my time, 

so instead of detailing, as I think some of my fellow witnesses will, 

the incredibly broad scope of examples of anti-Semitism across Europe, I would like to speak briefly about the perpetrators and the 

enablers of these very disturbing acts. The perpetrators of these 

acts across Europe and elsewhere largely are individuals or members of groups who are deeply hostile to democracy and pluralism. 

Some are neo-Nazis who express their admiration for Adolph Hitler. Others are racist skinhead groups active in many countries, 

and many are violent religious extremists who distort the religion 

of Islam to suit their own intolerant political aims. Compounding 

this problem are four critical factors. 

First, while the number of Europeans participating in anti-Semitic acts is minuscule, nearly every recent survey on anti-Semitism in Europe shows that negative attitudes toward Jews among 

Europe’s population remains surprisingly widespread. Second, 

these surveys show that to an alarming degree at least some of this 

bias against Jews masquerades, as you said Mr. Chairman, as criticism of the State of Israel. While we know that no country is beyond reproach for its particular policies, when criticism takes the 

form of language that seeks to delegitimize, demonize and apply a 

double standard to that nation, then we have to insist on calling 

it what it is, anti-Semitism. We must unmask it. 

I am reminded of how persistent this problem has been. Back in 

1968, the non-Jewish writer Eric Hoffer put it well when he wrote, 

‘‘Other nations when they are victorious dictate peace terms, but 

when Israel is victorious it must sue for peace.’’ He added, ‘‘Everyone expects the Jews to be the only Christians in this world.’’ Very 

penetrating comment, I think. 

A third factor, European governments initially were slow to respond to the threat posed to Jews, and even now according to a 

number of Jewish community leaders and public officials, often at 

the local level leadership remains reluctant to identify publicly the 

ideological or religious identity or motivation of some of the perVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
12

petrators of anti-Semitic acts. And this lackadaisical attitude has 

contributed to a climate of complacency vis-a`-vis this issue. 

Finally, as USCIRF has documented and articulated, a number 

of European governments along with certain political parties are 

complicating matters by supporting initiatives that single out certain Jewish religious practices for restriction. In at least four countries, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland, kosher slaughter 

is flatly banned. Authorities and political forces in Norway and 

Germany have also tried to ban infant male circumcision. To be 

sure, the driving force behind such restrictions, which also affect 

Muslims, is not primarily anti-Semitism per se. It is more directly 

related to a tendency in some Western European countries to replace monolithic state religions with monolithic secular ideologies. 

And we see that this agressive secularism in some instances targets traditional Christianity and Islam as well. In both instances 

past and present, Judaism and other minority belief systems are 

left on the outside. Nonetheless, this drive to ban kosher slaughter 

and circumcision evokes tragic images of much darker days for 

Jews in Europe. At the very least, such efforts reveal a chilling indifference to the Jewish historical experience in Europe. The end 

result is that the atmosphere throughout Europe today is one in 

which Jewish communities feel insecure and threatened, and the 

general population seems dangerously complacent and even comfortable with widespread, open manifestations of anti-Semitism. 

I know we are going to have the opportunity to discuss solutions 

and answers in our later discussion, so let me close, if I may, with 

one more paraphrase from Eric Hoffer, this former longshoreman 

and social philosopher. He wrote, and I am paraphrasing him here 

a bit, ‘‘I have a premonition that will not leave me. As it goes with 

the Jews so will it go with all of us. Should the Jews perish, the 

Holocaust will be upon us all.’’ Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Lantos Swett follows:]

13


79580b-1.eps

TESTIMONY OF CHAIRWOMAN KATRINA LANTOS SWETT 

U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELiGiOUS FREEDOM 

BEFORE 

THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

SUBCOMMiTTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEAL TH, AND HUMAN RIGHTS 

"ANTI-SEMITISM: A GROWING THREAT TO ALL FAITHS" 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 

FEBRUARY 27, 2013 
14


79580b-2.eps

Introdnction 

I appreciate the opportunity to testify this morning about the growing challenge of anti-Semitism, 

particularly on the continent of Europe, and how the U.S. Commission on International Freedom, 

or USCIRF, views this serious problem 

Before I continue, let me acknowledge the crucial importance of this Committee and these 

hearings. It is through such hearings that Congress and the American people can better 

understand the disturbing phenomenon of anti-Semitism. It is a persistent, age-old hatred unto 

itself but also serves as a warning sign of malignant forces that pose other dangers to society and 

the cause offreedom, including but not limited to freedom of religion. 

In light oftoday's hearings, it is fitting to note that just three days ago, last Sunday, Jews around 

the world celebrated the annual festival of Purim. As related in the Biblical Book of Esther, 

Purim is the story of how the Jews of the Persian Empire nearly 25 centuries ago faced the 

danger of imminent extennination at the hands of Haman, the king's prime minister. This 

ancient threat represents the first known plot to destroy the Jewish people. Through a dramatic 

tum of events, Haman's plans were thwarted and the Jewish people were delivered from 

destruction. 

It is indeed ironic that in today's Persia, which we now call Iran, its current leaders follow in 

Haman's footsteps by expressing their own form of anti-Semitism and their avowed 

determination to "wipe Israel off the map." Top officials have denied the reality of the Nazi 

Holocaust, the most serious effort in history to obliterate the Jewish people. As the daughter of 

Holocaust survivors, I can testify how surreal it is for a people to have to defend themselves in 

this day and age not only against hateful attitudes and behavior, but also against those who try to 

dissuade others from believing that six million human beings died for the sole "crime" of being 

Jews. 

Unfortunately, anti-Semitism remains a phenomenon that knows no national boundaries. I was 

recently confronted with this reality during an official USCIRF visit to Egypt. Recently 

unearthed 2010 comments by President Morsi that urged Egyptians to "nurse our children and 

grandchildren on hatred for Jews and Zionists" and another interview in which he referred to 

Jews as the descendants of "apes and pigs" underscore the depth to which Egyptian society is 

infused with these deplorable attitudes. When confronted on these comments, Egyptian officials 

with whom we met attempted to divert the discussion to attacks on the state of Israel. 

These two examples serve to underscore how deep, abiding, and seemingly intractable antiSemitism remains. Yet I believe that if people of good will come together and resist this evil 

wherever it arises, the simple vow, "never again," can become a reality. In order to make this a 

reality we must heed the injunction of my late father, Congressman Tom Lantos who said: "The 

veneer of civilization is paper thin; we are its guardians and we can never rest." 

Through vigilance and waketulness the good news is that in the decades following the 

Holocaust, Europe has made progress in the struggle against anti-Semitism The enormity of the 

1 
15


79580b-3.eps

Holocaust compelled Europe's peoples to begin the critical task of self-examination, confronting 

hateful actions stemming from poisonous attitudes and beliefs which permeated Europe for 

nearly 17 centuries, helping to demonize a people and preparing the way for the unthinkable. 

This painful realization of how homegrown hatred sowed the seeds for genocide remains a 

significant force in Europe today. 

Eastern Europe 

Yet even today, nearly seventy years after the Holocaust, the fact remains that across Europe, 

from east to west, anti-Semitism lives 

In Russia, despite significant improvements from the Soviet era, skinhead groups have engaged 

in violence against Jews in the name of nationalism. I visited Russia on behalf of USCIRF just 

last year We heard how high levels of xenophobia and intolerance, including anti-Semitism, 

often result in violent and sometimes lethal hate crimes. We have seen increased prosecutions in 

Moscow and no anti-Semitic rhetoric from the Russian government. However, the government 

has not addressed these issues consistently, especially regarding crimes against other ethnic and 

religious minorities. 

In Belarus, the government has failed to identify or punish the vandals of Jewish memorials, 

cemeteries, and other property. Rather than moving decisively against such activities, 

government officials, including President Lukashenko, and the state media have encouraged 

future hatred through their own anti -Semitic utterances. 

In Hungary, my parents' native country, the leader of its third largest political party recently 

urged the government to create a list of Jews who pose "a national security threat." This 

ominous suggestion evokes chilling memories of some of Hungary's darkest days under Nazism, 

when hundreds of thousands of Jews were carefully identified and then killed or deported to their 

death. There is no place for such talk in civilized societies 1 was pleased to see the strong 

response by the Hungarian government, Parliament and leading opposition party in condemning 

this statement. 

Western Europe 

In Western Europe, we saw disturbing signs of heightened anti-Semitism in streets, towns and 

cities in various countries beginning in our new century. It has taken a number of forms, often 

escalating from verbal abuse to physical attacks, and from desecrating Jewish synagogues and 

cemeteries to firebombing Jewish schools. 

Since 2000, anti-Semitic graffiti increasingly has appeared across Europe's great cities, from 

London to Paris, Berlin to Madrid, and Amsterdam to Rome. Over the past decade, synagogues 

were vandalized or set ablaze in France, Hungary, Sweden and Poland 

In some cities, physical attacks on Jews and Jewish property have led its Jewish residents to try 

to hide their ethnic and religious identity. In Malvo, Sweden, attacks have caused increasing 
16


79580b-4.eps

numbers of Jews to leave their homes. A generation ago, there were 2,000 Jews in Malvo; today 

there reportedly are fewer than 700. 

While assaults continue to occur across the continent, they appear to be a particular problem in 

France. Last year was one of "unprecedented violence" against French Jews, according to a 

recent report by the security unit of France's Jewish community. According to the report, there 

were 614 anti -Semitic incidences in France in 2012, compared to 389 in 2011. 

Earlier this month, a woman was arrested in Toulouse, France after trying to stab a student at the 

Ohr HaTorah Jewish day school, the same school where four Jews were shot and killed in March 

2012 by a French gunman of Algerian descent on a motorcycle. 

Perpetrators and Enablers 

The perpetrators of these acts largely are individuals or members of groups who are deeply 

hostile to democracy and pluralism. Some are neo-Nazis who express their admiration for Adolf 

Hitler. Others are racist skinhead groups active in many countries. Many are violent religious 

extremists who distort the religion of Islam to suit their own intolerant political aims. 

Compounding the problem are four critical factors. 

First, while the number of Europeans participating in anti-Semitic acts is miniscule, nearly every 

recent survey on anti-Semitism in Europe shows that negative attitudes towards Jews among 

Europe's population remain surprisingly widespread. 

Second, these surveys show that to an alanning degree, at least some of this bias against Jews 

masquerades as criticism of the state of Israel. While no country is beyond reproach for its 

particular policies, when criticism takes the form of language that seeks to delegitimize a nation, 

demonize its people, and insist on applying to that nation's conduct standards to which no other 

state is held, then we must call it what it is: anti-Semitism. Highlighting this double standard 

back in 1968, a non-Jewish writer, Eric Hoffer, put it well when he said that "other nations when 

victorious .... dictate peace terms but when Israel is victorious, it must sue for peace." He added, 

"Everyone expects the Jews to be the only Christians in this world." 

Third, European governments initially were slow to respond to the threat posed to Jews and even 

now, according to a number of Jewish community leaders, public officials, often at the local 

level, remain reluctant to identify publicly the ideological or religious identity or motivation of 

some of the perpetrators. 

Finally, as USCIRF has documented and articulated, a number of European governments along 

with certain political parties are complicating matters by supporting initiatives that single out 

certain Jewish religious practices for restriction. In at least four countries - Iceland, Norway, 

Sweden, and Switzerland - kosher slaughter is flatly banned. Authorities and political forces in 

Norway and Germany also have tried to ban infant male circumcision. 
17


79580b-5.eps

To be sure, the driving force behind such restrictions - which also atTect Muslims -- is not 

primarily anti-Semitism per se. It is more directly related to a tendency in some Western 

European countries to replace monolithic state religions with monolithic secular ideologies. In 

both instances, past and present, Judaism and other minority belief systems are left on the 

outside. 

Nonetheless, the drive to ban kosher slaughter and circumcision evokes tragic images of much 

darker days for Jews in Europe. At the very least, such efforts reveal a chilling indifference to 

the Jewish historical experience in Europe. 

The end result is that the atmosphere throughout Europe today is one in which Jewish 

communities feel insecure and threatened and the general population seems dangerously 

complacent and even comfortable with widespread, open manifestations of anti -Semitism. 

Clearly, anti-Semitism in contemporary Europe, while not nearly as virulent as in the past, has 

persisted, even in well-established democracies. It has led to religious freedom violations, 

ranging from governmental actions limiting religious practices to private actors perpetrating 

violent acts in Europe's cities against Jewish individuals and property. 

Denouncing such hate is crucially important to show that "never again" will the forces of 

democracy and freedom tum their back on Jewish communities when they face the scourge of 

anti-Semitism. The Executive and Legislative branches of our government, along with USCIRF, 

can play an important role pressing other countries to condemn hatred of the Jewish people. 

Speaking for USClRF, 1 can confirm that our Commission continues to monitor, report and raise 

its voice against anti-Semitism. We have engaged the State Department on these issues, 

recommending increased U.S. government efforts to combat anti-Semitism in places we report 

on, such as Egypt, Iran, Russia, Turkey, Belarus, and Venezuela. 

To address the challenge of anti-Semitism, we have urged the United States to pursue a range of 

actions. We have recommended that the U.S. government act bilaterally and in concert with 

others to denounce state-sponsored acts of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial promotion 

campaigns wherever they occur. We also have recommended that the United States urge other 

governments to take all appropriate steps to prevent and punish acts of anti-Semitism, including 

condemning such acts, while vigorously protecting freedom of expression. We also have urged that 

these efforts should not just be reactive, condemning hateful rhetoric and actions after the fact, but 

also proactive, working to counteract anti-Semitic rhetoric and other organized anti-Semitic activities 

so they will not happen again. We met on several occasions with the U.S. State Department's 

Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, Hannah Rosenthal, to learn more about 

how we can help support this vital agenda. 

Over the past decade, the United States has helped combat European anti-Semitism through its 

support of initiatives through the Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), 

resulting in groundbreaking work on this front. Many Members of Congress, including the Chair 

4 
18


79580b-6.eps

oftoday's hearing, were instrumental in helping establish the OSCE's tolerance work. USCIRF, 

including its Commissioners and staff, also participated in these efforts. 

Through these endeavors, the OSCE-participating states agreed to establish several mechanisms 

to address anti-Semitism, intolerance and related human rights issues. The landmark OSCE 

Conference on Anti-Semitism held in Berlin in April 2004, with its Berlin Declaration, was 

particularly signiticant. Again, many of the members here today, including the Chair, as well as 

USCIRF Commissioners, attended the Berlin conference. The OSCE has since convened more 

than ten high-level and expert conferences on these issues. 

Further, the OSCE Chainnan-in-Office in late 2004 appointed three Personal Representatives, 

with one of them tasked specitically to monitor anti-Semitism, and two others to monitor 

intolerance toward Muslims, Christians, and members of other religions. Rabbi Baker, who 

follows on the next panel, currently serves in this OSCE capacity to combat anti-Semitism. 

Rabbi Baker has been particularly active, visiting numerous OSCE countries and issuing reports 

that were posted on the OSCE website. USCIRF has recommended that the United States 

encourage other OSCE-participating states to issue invitations to the Personal Representative on 

anti-Semitism, as well as the other representatives, which would enable them to raise issues of 

concern directly with government officials, as well as hold direct meetings with NGOs and 

community and religious leaders. 

The OSCE also has created an institution within its organization. A new Tolerance Program 

within the OSCE human rights office was established in 2004 to monitor and encourage 

compliance with OSCE commitments to combat xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia, 

as well as promote freedom of religion or belief. 

Clearly, these efforts of the OSCE, Europe's largest human rights body, are positive examples of 

Congressional leadership and initiative creating a coalition of the willing to condemn antiSemitism. 

Thanks to this leadership on Capitol Hill, along with the work of USCIRF and numerous NGOs, 

the world spotlight is being trained on acts of violence or discrimination. When such acts target 

members of a particular group because of who they are and what they believe, European 

governments are now being challenged as never before to view them as anti-Semitic acts, not 

mere hooliganism, requiring unequivocal responses. 

Yet, despite this progress, the struggle against anti-Semitism in Europe continues. In addition to 

humanitarian concerns, there are at least two other reasons to focus our attention on how Europe 

and its people are treating its Jewish communities. First, in some of the same environments in 

which Jews face limits to freedom and threats to their well-being, so do members of other 

minonbes And second, some of the same violent forces which target Jews in Europe also 

oppose democracy and freedom for all. 

Seen in this light, the tight against the ancient scourge of anti-Semitism is also a struggle for the 

basic values and principles of liberty against the forces of tyranny in every fonn. It is the tight 

to preserve the best of civilization and ensure the continued march of human progress. In that 
19


79580b-7.eps

fight, all of us must be engaged. The stakes are far too high not to take a finn and resolute stand 

for freedom and decency. 

Thank you again for this opportunity to testify today. 
20

Mr. SMITH. Dr. Lantos Swett, thank you for that very powerful 

statement. 

But now I will ask Mr. Metaxas if he will proceed. 

STATEMENT OF MR. ERIC METAXAS, AUTHOR AND 

COMMENTATOR 

Mr. METAXAS. First of all, let me thank you all for the invitation 

to be here this morning. I grew up in America but my parents are 

immigrants from war-torn Europe, from Greece and Germany, respectively. They inculcated in me a great pride in their adopted 

country, so to testify here is for me a high privilege indeed. 

This morning I testify as an American and as a Christian. What 

it is to be an American and what it is to be Christian can be tremendously misunderstood, so let me be clear here as I set out in 

stating that I believe that in the true sense both of these identities, 

American and Christian, are identities that are not tribalistic, but 

that bring with them a sense of obligation for others and a perspective that is by definition focused on others. For example, to be an 

American is not to be part of any ethnic group but to be part of 

something that transcends ethnicity. To be an American is to buy 

in to an idea that pluralism is good and that a multiplicity of peoples and ideologies and races and religions can coexist. This is at 

the heart of the American experiment. And to be an American is 

to buy in to the idea that not only can they coexist, but that in coexisting civilly they will add up to a sum far greater than their 

parts. To be a Christian is likewise to know that one is not part 

of an ethnic group but of a group that transcends and potentially 

includes all ethnic groups. So true Americans and true Christians 

can never be tribalists or racists. If we ever put one group above 

another group we are denying ourselves and the core beliefs that 

make us Americans or Christians. 

I have written a biography of the great German pastor, Dietrich 

Bonhoeffer, who spoke up for the Jews when very few Germans 

were doing so, and we have to ask, why did he do that? Why did 

he risk his life, for example, to get seven Jews out of Germany and 

into neutral Switzerland so that their lives might be saved? 

Bonhoeffer stood up for the Jews for one reason, because he was 

a Christian, not a mere churchgoer, not a mere Gentile, but a 

Christian. Bonhoeffer famously once said that only he who speaks 

out for the Jews can sing Gregorian chants. In other words, anyone 

who claims to be Christian and does not do whatever he can to 

help the persecuted Jews has no right to claim to be a Christian. 

That person is only a hypocrite and a betrayer of the Christian 

faith. 

But why? Is this merely an assertion by me and by Bonhoeffer? 

Well, no, because at the heart of the Christian faith is this idea 

that God blesses us so that we might bless others. He gives us 

whatever he gives us for others. Indeed, it is in Genesis that God 

states this in the context of making the first Jew, Abraham. He 

says he will bless Abrahan so that Abraham can bless others. He 

will bless the Jews and he chooses the Jews. The Christian believes 

that God chose the Jews as his own people so that out of them he 

might bring himself to the whole world beyond the Jews. That he 

might out of the Jewish people raise up his Messiah. And so the 

21

Jews are blessed to be a blessing, chosen out of all groups in the 

world to bless the whole world. 

The Bible also says every human being is made in God’s image 

and God loves us equally, so to serve God we must serve others. 

In fact, Bonhoeffer says that Jesus Christ is the Man for others. 

The self-giving ‘‘agape’’ love of Jesus is the love that gives at the 

expense of one’s self, knowing that whatever we do to bless others 

God will replenish. So to be a Christian is to love and serve others, 

specifically others different from us. 

When Hitler began persecuting Jews in earnest in 1933, 

Bonhoeffer wrote an essay titled, ‘‘The Church and the Jewish 

Question,’’ declaring that it was the duty of German Christians to 

stand up for the Jews, indeed for any group being persecuted. But 

this is an American belief too, although I daresay you can guess 

where we got it from. America is not a democracy, but a republic. 

Majorities do not decide what is true. In America, minorities are 

protected when necessary because we believe what the Bible teaches, that some truths are transcendent and not subject to plebiscite, 

and one of those ideas is the dignity of every human being despite 

his beliefs or racial or ethnic makeup. We are inherently sacred because we are made in God’s image. So God commands every Christian to stand up for those being treated unjustly or persecuted in 

any way, and in America we have enshrined that into our very 

laws. 

So today as a Christian and as an American I declare that anyone who sees things from a tribalist or racist perspective, and antiSemitism is one especially prominent expression of this, then that 

person declares himself not to understand the Christian faith and 

not to be a Christian. The true Christian knows that his enemy is 

not the Jew, but his enemy is the enemy of the Jew. 

One final point. Throughout history Gentiles, which is to say 

those who are not Jewish, have often been confused with Christians. Often they have themselves encouraged and participated in 

this confusion. But a mere Gentile is no Christian. All dedicated 

Nazis were Gentiles. None were Christians. To be a Christian is to 

know that you have, according to the New Testament, been grafted 

in to the Jewish faith. Your Messiah and your God, Jesus, is a Jew 

and all of his disciples are Jews. On Kristallnacht in 1938, 

Bonhoeffer for the first time made the very dramatic leap into seeing an attack on Jews as an attack on God Himself. So Christians 

who think of themselves as some tribal group in opposition to Jews 

are profoundly deluded. 

To demonize any group based on what they believe or their ethnic makeup is to admit that one’s beliefs are not in the God of the 

Bible but in a counterfeit god who is, in fact, the ancient enemy 

of that God. Not to stand up to attacks against any group, especially Jews, is to deny the transcendent truths that we are all created in God’s image with certain inalienable rights. Bonhoeffer said 

that ‘‘Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us 

guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.’’ So to do 

nothing when anti-Semitism raises its head is to hasten the death 

of civil society for everyone. 

Everyone who has the privilege to call himself a Christian or an 

American must stand against these things, and not just stand 

22

against them but take action against them. We must recall the 

words of Bonhoeffer’s friend, Martin Niemoller, who wrote his famous poem.

‘‘First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak out 

because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the socialists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist. Then 

they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. And then they came for me, 

and there was no one left to speak for me.’’

Niemoller himself did not speak up until it was too late, and his 

poem cautions us to speak out when any group is being persecuted. 

This is the right thing and the American thing and the Christian 

thing to do. God commands it. 

Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Metaxas follows:]

23


79580e-1.eps

Eric Metaxas 

Congressional Testimony 

Feb. 28, 2013 

First of all let me thank you all for the invitation to be here this morning. 1 grew up in this 

country. My parents are immigrants from Europe -- from Greece and Germany respectively --

and they inculcated in me a great pride in their adopted country, so to testify here is for me a 

high privilege indeed. 

This morning I testify as an American and as a Christian What it is to be an American and what 

it is to be a Christian can be tremendously misunderstood, so let me be clear here as 1 set out, in 

stating that I believe that in the true sense, both of these identities, American and Christian, are 

identities that are not tribalistic, but that bring with them a sense of obligation for others and a 

perspective that is by detinition focused on others. 

F or example, to be an American is not to be part of any ethnic group, but to part of something 

that transcends ethnicity. To be an American is to buy into an idea that pluralism is good and 

that a multiplicity of peoples and ideologies and races and religions can co-exist. This is at the 

heart of the American experiment. And to be an American is to buy into the idea that not only 

can they co-exist, but that in co-existing civilly, they will add up to a sum greater than their parts. 

(1) 

And to be a Christian is likewise to know that one is not part of an ethnic group, but of a group 

that transcends and potentially includes all ethnic groups. So true Americans and true Christians 

can never be tribalists or racists. If we ever put one group above another group we are denying 

oursel yes and the core beliefs that make us Americans or Christians. 

I've written a biography of the great Gennan pastor Dietrich BonhoeiTer who spoke up for the 

Jews when very few Germans were doing so. Why did he do that" Why did he risk his life to 

get seven Jews out of Gennany and into neutral Switzerland so that their lives might be saved? 

Bonhoeffer stood up for the Jews for one reason: because he was a Christian. Not a mere 

church-goer, nor a mere Gentile, but a Christian. Bonhoeffer famously once said that only he 

who speal(s out for the Jews can sing Gregorian chants. In other words, anyone who claims to be 

a Christian and who does not do whatever he can to help the persecuted Jews has no right to 

claim to be a Christian. That person is only a hypocrite and a betrayer of the Christian faith. (2) 

But why? Is this a mere assertion by me and by Bonhoeffer? No. At the heart of the Christian 

faith is the idea that God blesses us so that we might bless others. He gives us whatever he gives 

us for others. 

Indeed, it's in Genesis that God states this, in the context of making the first Jew, Abraham. He 

says he will bless Abraham SO THA T Abraham can bless others.. He will bless the Jews and he 

CHOSES the Jews.. The Christian believes that God chose the Jews as his own people so that 

out of them he might bring Himself to the whole world beyond the Jews, so that he might out of 

the Jewis people raise up His Messiah, who would bring Him -- the God of the Jews -- to the 
24


79580e-2.eps

ends of the earth. So the Jews are blessed to be a blessing. They are chosen out of all groups in 

the world, specitically to bless the whole world. 

The Bible also says every human being is made in God's image and he loves us all equally, so to 

serve God we must serve others. In fact, Dietrich Bonhoeffer says that Jesus Christ is "the man 

for others." The self-giving "agape" love of Jesus is the love that gives at the expense of one's 

self, knowing that whatever we do to bless others God will replenish. To be a Christian is to 

love and serve others. (3) 

When Hitler began persecuting Jews in 1933, Bonhoeffer wrote an essay titled "The Church and 

the Jewish Question" declaring that it was the duty of German Christians to stand up for the 

Jews, indeed for any group that is in any way being persecuted. 

But this is an American belief: too, although I dare say you can guess where we got it from 

America is not a democracy, but a republic. Majorities don't decide what is true. In America, 

minorities are protected when necessary, because we believe what the Bible teaches, that some 

truths are transcendent and not subject to plebiscite, and one of those ideas is the dignity of every 

human being, despite his beliefs or racial or ethnic makeup. We are inherently sacred because 

we are made in God's image. So God commands every Christian to stand up for those being 

treated unjustly or persecuted in anyway. And in America we have enshrined that into our laws. 

So today as a Christian and an American I declare that anyone who sees things trom a tribalist or 

racist perspective -- as anti-Semitism is one especially prominent expression -- then that person 

declares himself not to understand the Christian faith and not to be a Christian. The true 

Christian knows that his enemy is not the Jew, but his enemy is the enemy of the Jew. (4) 

One tinal point. Throughout history Gentiles -- which is to say those who are not Jewish -- have 

often been confused with Christians. Often they have themselves encouraged and participated in 

this confusion. But a mere Gentile is no Christian. All dedicated Nazis were Gentiles. None 

were Christians. To be a Christian is to know that you have -- according to the New Testament -

- been "grafted in" to the Jewish faith. Your Messiah and your God, Jesus, is a Jew and all of his 

disciples are Jews. Your faith is distinctly Jewish. In our estimation it is the tinal bloom of that 

plant whose roots go back to Abraham and Moses and David and all the prophets. 

On Kristallnacht in 1938, one of the worst expressions of anti-Semitism in the history of the 

world, Bonhoeffer for the tirst time made the very dramatic leap into seeing an attack on Jews as 

an attack on God himself So Christians who think of themselves as some tribal group in 

opposition to Jews are profoundly deluded and must be called out as such. To demonize any 

group based on what they believe or their ethnic makeup is to admit that one's own beliefs are 

not in the God of the Bible but in a counterfeit God who is in fact the ancient enemy of that God, 

Not to stand up to attacks against any group, especially Jews, is to deny the transcendent truth 

that we are all created in God's image with certain inalienable rights, Bonhoeffer said that 

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless, Not to speak is to speak, 

Not to act is to act." 
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79580e-3.eps

To do nothing when anti-Semitism raises its head is to hasten the death of civil society 

Everyone who has the privilege to call himself a Christian or an American must stand against 

these things and not just stand against them but take action against them. 

We must recall the words ofBonhoetTer's friend, Martin Niemoller, who wrote his famous 

poem .. 

} irst they came for the communists, 

and 1 didn't.speak Ollt because 1 wasll't a communist. 

1 hen they camefor the socialists, 

and 1 didn't.speak Ollt because 1 wasll't a socialist. 

lhen they camefor the trade unionists, 

and 1 didn't.speak Ollt because 1 wasll't a trade unionist. 

lhen they camejiJ1' me, 

and there was no one left to .speakjiJr me. 

Niemoller did not speak up until it was too late. And his poem cautions us to speak out when 

any group is being persecuted. This is the right thing and the Christian thing to do. God 

commands it. 
26

Mr. SMITH. Thank you for that very powerful statement as well, 

and for providing us a refresher course on the model of Bonhoeffer, 

which we all need to emulate. Thank you so very much. 

Dr. Jasser? 

STATEMENT OF ZUHDI JASSER, M.D., PRESIDENT, AMERICAN 

ISLAMIC FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY 

Dr. JASSER. Thank you, Chairman Smith and Ranking Member 

Bass, distinguished members of the committee for seeking my testimony. I must first thank the committee for taking the time to focus 

on this very important issue of anti-Semitism and its important 

role as a canary in the coal mine, if you will, for the threat against 

all people, all faiths, and liberty. Our organization, the American 

Islamic Forum for Democracy, is dedicated as a Muslim organization in the mission to the advancement of liberty through the separation of mosque and state. My comments are abridged and I submit the full comments to the record. 

Anti-Semitism is not just another symptom from a radical fringe 

of Islamist groups. It runs much deeper. This body has been fearless in exposing anti-Semitism in Europe and the West. It is time 

to do the same with the role in which Islamism or political Islam 

plays upon anti-Semitism around the world, as it also impacts the 

West. Islamists have utilized the viral spread of anti-Semitic imagery and demonization of Jews as a tool among Muslim majority 

communities and nations against a common enemy they fabricate. 

Beneath Islamist hatred of Jews lies a more global supremacism 

that treats all minorities, whether Shia, Ahmadiyya, Ismailis, or 

dissenting Sunnis, like myself, from within the faith and other minorities outside, the same, simply as tools to be inhumanly exploited. 

Anti-Semitism runs rampant on the fertile soil of Islamism. 

What is our challenge before us here today? We can help the nonIslamist reformers change that soil or we can sit back and watch 

the Islamists—in Egypt, the Brotherhood; in Tunisia, al-Nahda; in 

Saudi Arabia, the Wahhabis; in Iran, the Khomeinists; or Pakistan, 

the Deobandis—fertilize and till the hate-filled soil into a greater 

threat. Make no mistake. The departure of Arab fascist dictators 

and Arab Awakening was a necessary step forward in a long journey toward democracy, and there is still many more of them to go. 

But societies with rampant anti-Semitism, conspiracy theories, and 

hate of Western democracies cannot succeed and will always fail. 

Already the Muslim Brotherhood now in power is buckling down 

on free speech and blasphemy worse than they were under Mubarak. But please understand though, while Islamism is popular, upwards of 30–40 percent at times, it is not a majority movement. 

But what I am sure you know is that the hate of anti-Semitism is 

sadly more popular and is a majority sentiment. Islamists invoke 

common cause with secularism, the hatred of Jews and the West, 

and are able to dodge national introspection and build shallow coalitions on that hate. 

Let us look at the numbers. A Pew poll in 2006 stated that the 

anti-Jewish sentiment is endemic in the Muslim world. In Lebanon, all Muslims and 99 percent of Christians say they have an 

unfavorable view of Jews. Ninety-nine percent of Jordanians, large 

27

majorities of Moroccans, Indonesians, Pakistanis, and six-in-ten 

Turks also view Jews unfavorably. Egyptian TV has long aired the 

hateful forgery of their protocols, and Al Jazeera, the most watched 

Muslim media in the world, has countless sermons and programs 

vilifying Jews and Israel. And Al Jazeera media group just purchased for $0.5 billion, access into American living rooms. 

With vast global connections in Arabic social and traditional 

media, Muslim populations in Europe and the United States are 

impacted by Islamist propaganda. The Pew showed in 2006 that 

Muslims in Europe hold a far more unfavorable opinions of Jews 

than the general population. In Britain, 47 percent of Muslims held 

unfavorable views compared to 7 percent of the general public. In 

France, 28 percent of Muslim versus 13 percent of the general public. In Germany, 44 percent of Muslims versus 22 percent of the 

general public. We have been absent in the defense of liberty in 

these populations that haunts us over there and right here in the 

West. 

As hate leads population shifts will follow. From nearly 1 million 

Jews in the Arab region around 1950, there are 20,000 left. Over 

2 million Christians have recently left the Middle East. Anti-Semitism is obviously the gateway drug that takes societies away from 

diverse liberal democracies and moves them closer to homogeneous, 

oppressive autocracies which abuse minorities. If we sit here and 

tolerate any less from Muslim communities than we do for ourselves in respect to anti-Semitism and the principles embodied in 

the universal declaration of human rights, we are participating not 

only in a form of a denial but, I believe, in subtle bigotry. 

The reality is that Muslim imams, scholars, and activists with 

the courage to publicly take on anti-Semitism of the Islamists are 

far too few. They have neither the platforms, the attention, nor the 

backing which petro-funded Islamist think tanks and linked movements do around the world. Last January an Arabic al-Qaeda 

jihadi forum attacked me as an enemy of Islam, and actually in its 

attack said that I am part of the devil that is known for its Zionism. This is all too common and it is how they marginalize their 

antagonists and avoid substantive debate, use anti-Semitism to attack other Muslims. 

Sheikh Qaradawi, who is known throughout the world as one of 

the preeminent Sunni leaders, globally in his program on Al 

Jazeera to over 60 million followers, said the last punishment was 

carried out by Hitler. This was the divine punishment for them, in 

reference to the Jews. Allah willing, the next time will be at the 

hand of the believers. Qaradawi returned to Egypt as Khomeini returned to Iran after the Egyptian revolution. 

Lastly, the Saudis spent tens of billions of dollars throughout the 

world to pump Wahhabism or petro-Islam, a particularly virulent 

and militant version of supremacist Islamism. An endless list of 

terror groups use their ideology from al-Qaeda, Hammas, Lashkare-Taiba to many in their madrassahs and mosques that are influenced by Wahhabi materials. A ninth grade Saudi textbook described Jews as ‘‘the apes of people of the Sabbath, the Jews; and 

the swine are infidels of the communion of Jesus and Christians.’’ 

And remember, even if they do remove parts of the textbooks with 

28

this, you cannot reform by deletion or white-out, it needs deep self 

critique and wholesale abandonment of Islamism for liberty. 

I leave you last with solutions to consider. Number one, we must 

engage and take sides in the battle of ideas against Islamism by 

reviving our public diplomacy and support of universal human 

rights whether it is popular in their societies or not. We need to 

systemically expose, name and shame the anti-Semitism behaviors 

and ideas promulgated by Islamist movements including all forms 

of hatred against Jews, conspiracies, and anti-Americanism. AntiSemitic ideas are not isolated incidents to be simply condemned 

and dismissed. We should expose their root cause, foremost of 

which amongst Muslims is Islamism. 

And we must work to provide platforms for courageous reform 

based civil society organizations which work against anti-Semitism, 

and this is what I talk about in my book, ‘‘A Battle for the Soul 

of Islam.’’ And we must conversely disengage proudly from Islamist 

groups. We must end the climate of political correctness and subtle 

bigotry which gives Muslims a pass on accountability for hate-filled 

ideas. 

We must not be seen as advocating liberty only at home and 

turning a blind eye to anti-Semitism from our so-called allies. And 

we must confront Islamist groups and leaders in Europe with what 

Prime Minister David Cameron called ‘‘muscular liberalism.’’ And 

as my colleagues have already stated, hyper-secularists in Europe 

attack the faithful of all faiths. Islamists thrive under the deception that Muslims have no other option than to lean toward 

Islamism. 

Thank you. 

[The prepared statement of Dr. Jasser follows:]

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TESTIMONY OF 

M. ZUHDI JASSER, M.D. 

PRESIDENT, AMERICAN ISLAMIC FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY 

February 27, 2013 

U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 

Global Human Rights, and International Organizations 

"Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths" 

Thank you Chairman Christopher Smith and Ranking Member Karen Bass. and distinguished members of 

the committee, for seeking my testimony. I must first express my gratitude to the committee for taking the 

time to focus on the isslle ofanti-Scmitisl1l and its important role as a -canary in the coal minc', if you \vilL 

for the threat against all people and all faiths. 

My name is Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser and I an1 the president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for 

Democracy. OUf organization' s mission is the advancement of our Constitution' s principles of freedom and 

liberty through the separation of mosque and state. As a Muslim organization we arc particularly focused 

upon the need to generate a consensus of refonn against the ideas of political Islam and the Islamic state visa-vis the promotion of the ideas ofliberty and pluralism. 

On behalf of our organization I have 'Hitten and testified repeatedly in these halls about the threat of Islamist 

e,-1remism and the need for our society to identi!)', understand, dissect. counter and then defend against the 

ideology that threatens us. Different from many "politically correct"' approaches to this issue I have not found 

the nebulous and generic concept of "violent eJ\.iremism-' particularly helpful in developing targeted solutions 

against this domestic and global threat Progran1s that only counter violence address the means of those who 

threaten us while wholly ignoring the ideology or the encly 'which their movements seek. The common 

ideological thread which runs through the security threat that comes from lslamist extremism is the inherent 

supremacism of Islamism or political Islam. Thus_ violent e,tremism is but one threatening symptom or 

manifestation that comes out of the Islamist ideology that threatens westem democracies and citizenry under 

its s\vay. 

The Link between Anti-Semitism and Islamism 

Anti-Semitism should not be vie\ved as just another ""radical" symptom that arises from the supremacist 

mentality of Islanlism. It is far more than that. If we can develop the understanding and national conviction 

to directly eontront the anti-Semitism of global Islamist movements. we \\ill therein hold the key to 

lmraveling the very fabric and platform through which Islanlist leaders spread their ideas. The Helsinki 

Commission and the members of your committee have a rich history of being fearless in seeking to shed the 

anti-septic of the light of day upon anti-Semitism in Europe and the West wherever it exists in order to 

preserve the essence of our democracies and prevent us from abandoning the central premise of the equality 

of all under God, blind to faith or no faith. The need to do the same with anti-Semitism that arises and 

metastasizes from the propaganda of lslamist movements around the \'\ orId has never been greater than it is 

today 

The link bet\\een Islamism and anti-Semitism is rather simple. It is self-evident that supremacists from 

\yithin a particular faith community \yill create and exploit hatred tmyards another faith community in order 

to collectively rally their own followers against a common enemy. Islamlsts utilize anti-Semitic imagery, 

profiling and demonization of Jews as a tool for their own ascension into power among Muslim majority 

communities and nations. or in Arabic, the "(jmmah ". Islamists often exploit both the Muslim (jmmah and 

the Jewish minority in order to create a groupthink against the "other" The demonization of Jews by 

T.,;slimUllY uf 11. Zuhdl Jass.,;r. ~dD. U S Hou~..; of Rc:prc:s":lllalivc~ COllllml!..:.,; 011 For";lgn Allam Subcollllmlkl; on Africa. Global 

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Islamists is a key signal to all of us not only because of its imminent threat to all Jews across the world from 

Islamists who may become yiolent or oppressiYe. but also because beneath that hatred lies a more global 

slIprcmacism that treats all minorities from withil1 the faith and outside the same as obstacles to their own 

ascensioll. These thea-fascists use the demonization of minorities as populist tools to rally populations to 

their fascism. 

Understanding this inextricable link between the demonization of Jews or anti-Semitism and the 

advancement of Islamist movements is essential to hmv our nation approaches finding the keys that \yill 

unlock and unra,el the threat of Islamism domestically and abroad. 

While addressing "violent extremism" has given many a pass in dealing with the faith-based component of 

the societal and political threat of Islamism. the spread of anti-Semitism by Islamists docs not. It is the 

Jewish faith group that is being attacked and demonized and I. as a deyout American Muslim. have dedicated 

my life to countering the Islamist demagogues and their ideas from within our faith community that target 

Jews. Those ideas could never be targeted without acknowledging the role of political Islam and the Islanlic 

state ascendancy in creating a fertile soil for anti-Semitism. It is in detense of our Constitution, the Universal 

Declaration of Human Rights and in my own enlightened self-interest as a Muslim that I sit before you and 

pray that you join us in understanding the need to develop a national strategy against Islamism in order to 

begin to eliminate anti-Semitism across the globe. 

The Arab Awakening: Islamism rushes to fill the vacuum, anti-Semitism led the way 

Europe and the West arc being directly impacted by the events of the last two years during the Arab 

Awakening. With the tumult in Libva, Egypt. Tunisia, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria, the ascent of Islamist 

movements has not brought a real spring but rather the empowerment of new autocrats who wicld Islamist 

thought. To many, the Islamist movements are simply dictators on theocratic steroids. With vast global 

connections in Arabic social and traditional media, Muslim populations in Europe and the United States are 

being impacted by a great deal of the propaganda coming out of these regions now with unleashed Islanlist 

movements. 

n,e new-found avenucs of public discourse (Facebook. Twitter and YouTube) and attempts at mcdia 

freedom arc long overdue for the region which has been emshed by generations of unforgiving dictatorship. 

Howeyer. whether they are tmly moving towards more transparent societies with actual checks and balances 

of a genuinely free media remains to be seen. The reality on the ground is that media and thought has been 

dominated for quite some time by e~'1raordinarily \vealthy Islanlist media anus like, AI Jazeera Media Group 

(funded by the Emir and govemment of Qatar), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (and its royal family) and the 

Iranian govermuent (Khomeinists) to name just a few of the wealthy benefactors of Islamist movements. In 

fact. recent reports arc that in Egypt, for e"ample, while the revolutio11 was driven by greater grass roots 

social media freedoms, the Muslim Brotherhood nmv in pmver is buckling do\yn on free speech in \:vays that 

are even worse than they were under Mubarak. Arrests for blasphemy and criticism of the President are 

dwarfing what they were in the previous years. Heba Morayef of Human Rights Watch in Egypt stated, .. The 

repreSSiOn used to he more limited and strategic, now. the scary thing IS that II .,'i' all over the place. ·,1 

To many of us. the anti-Semitism of the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamist ideology was long a harbinger of 

what to expect if Islamists ever came to power. Their anti-freedom, nco-theocratic methods arc part and 

parcel of the sanle supremacist ideologv. Interestingly. Islamist groups in the West. those created in the late 

20m century as Muslim Brotherhood legacv groups have not demonstrably utilized the opportunity of the 

Arab Awakening to push forth refomls against neo-theocratic institutions and ideologies. Iustead. they are 

1 Cambannis, Thannasls. Egypb' fr2EL~peelll ba.s.:!E.ili: What can you say in an Islamist democracy? A new conflict that could reverberate across the 

Muslim world. The Boston Globe. 2013. 

T.,;slimullY uf 11. Zuhdt Jass.,;r. ~dD. U S Hou~..; uf Rc:prc:s":lllalivc~ COllllml!..:.,; on For.,;tgn Allam Subcollllmlkl; on Afrtca. Global 

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being told bv European and American Islamist demagogues like Tariq Ramadan' to 'Ieam from tbe 

Egyptians' about how to fight back against tbeir own govenunents. Ramadan, the grandson of Hassan AIBanna founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, told thousands at the annual Jlevlving the Islamic Spirit 

conference in Toronto December 2012 that they should take a lesson from Egypt, "and be courageous 

enough to say "no" when there are II1Justices done to the Musltm.'; in the jails. innocent people suspected of 

being connected to so called terrorist organizations.,,3 Thus. contrary to genuine anti-Islarnist Muslim 

rcfonncrs in Muslim communities. Tslamists and their sympathizers in the 'Vest obsessively focus upon 

blaming the West, or 'the other", for the "Muslim condition" and constantly pit Muslim cOll1111unities in the 

\\fest against "non-Muslim"' govemments. 1111s is a natural sequel to the history of indoctrination with the 

divisive mantra of anti-Semitism and its conspiracy laden philosophies. 

Yet. sadly virtually nothing is said to Muslim audiences in the West by Muslim leaders especially of Islamist 

legacv groups about the central need to combat the institutional ideas of anti-Semitism. Some have even 

featured anti-Semitic speakers at their national eomentions.' 

TI,e challenge before the world could not be clearer - into the abyss let! by ruthless dictators is a widening 

front in the battle for the soul of Islam: Will Muslim majority societies and Muslim leaders around tbe world 

heed the call of the Arab spring for the rights of the individual" Will they defend the rights of the minority 

over the collective, over the tribe, over the clerical oligarchs? Or ,,,"ill they just trade one autocracy for 

another? And will the U.S. and the West stand on the principles we were founded upon') 

New ideas to the region like individual liberty and the separation of mosque and state are not turned on like a 

light switch. They are nurtured in a soil that has been tilled for critical thinking. Middle Eastern soil today is 

far from that. What we see today is more of the past battles between the evils of secular Arab fascism and 

theocratic fascism. In the information war between tbem. tbe liberals and secular democrats have been 

absent. Mean\vhile, the fascists lie in \vait for openings like a contrm:ersial film or cartoons that exploit the 

imagined threat or conspiracy of American imperialism in order to legitimize their OW11 ascendancy. That is 

the demagogic role that anti-Semitism takes on too easily in the vacuum of the departure of secular Arab 

fascists. We have for too long left untended the war of ideas for libert, and individual rights within Muslim 

majority nations and communities. especially tbose now undergoing upheavals screaming for help of liberals. 

We have refused to take sides within the theo-political debates going on inside the Muslim communities at 

the expense of so many minority victims of Islamists. like the Jewish eommlmity, in the face of rampant and 

endemic anti -Semitism. 111is is to our mvn peril. 

The importance of the role of anti-Semitism here eamlot be overstated. Both in Tunisia and in Egypt the 

Islamist parties received only a plurality of the vote in the first balloting, but due to fractionalization and 

di,,-isioll, the secularists and non-Islamists ,,,"ere never able to rally around any unifying idea that could have 

marginalized the Islamists. In fact. anti-Semitism was long a tool utilized by Islamists in order to invoke 

common sympathy from secular nationalists, \vho also de,.-eloped a hatred for Je\ys, in order to avoid national 

introspection. 

Follow the numbers: first anti-Semitism then Islamism's fascism 

Even though in Egypt. the Islanlists carried onlv 25 percent support anlOng the population and the more 

extreme salafists carried 15-20 percent. Pew revealed tbat "Anti-Icwish sentiment" is endemic in the Muslim 

\yorId. "In Lebanon, /c)r example, all Muslims and 99% l!lChristians say they have a Vel]! unfcrvorable vie}i! 

of.lews. 5;imifarf)', 99% of.lordanians have a very 11I1(c.lvorahfe view of.le~t·s. I.arge majorities of Moroccans. 

l Fourest, Caroline. Brother Tariq: The Doublespeak of Tariq Ramadan. Encounter Books. London. 2008 

3 Ramadan, Tariq. In the abulLe ofU:~_'!lifi.h: rvlu.UU!l~...i(l PlufJiisti::: SOL,eties. Video of speech on Halaltube. (accessed February 25, 2013). 

~ I I I. j I I 2009 

T.,;slimullY uf 11. Zuhdt Jass.,;r. ~dD. U S Hou~..; uf Rc:prc:s":lllaltvc~ CUllllml!..:.,; 011 For.,;tgn Allam Subcollllmlkl; on Afrtca. Global 

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79580a-4.eps

Indonesians. Pakistanis and six-in-ten Turks also view Jews unfavorably . .. i As many of these nations now 

lInd themselves sliding from secular fascism to lslamist fascism or theo-political fascism, one has to plainly 

sec how the anti-Semitism long fueled for generations by Arab dictators like Hosni Mubarak, Zine El 

Abidine Ben Ali. Saddam Hussein, Bashar Assad or King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz was a harbinger of the 

type of violent and hate filled societies they were sowing. 

These secular fascists effectively used national media to propagate anti-Semitism in an "us versus them" 

mentality. They also effectively demonized Zionism in order to lift up pan-Arabism as a tool to keep the 

masses from questioning their authority. ll1eir media propaganda machines made this happen. Under 

Mubarak. Egypt annually played the vimlently anti-Semitic and czarist Russian forgery. Protocols of the 

klder of Zion. State Media regularly denied the Holocaust while at the same time irrationally labeling 

Zionism as a new Nazism. Conversely. in April 200!' the government sponsored newspaper Al-Akhbar 

published a paragraph extolling praise on Hitler for the Holocaust and complaining that it did not go far 

enough. 

'''thanks to Hitler. (l hlc5,'sed memory. Irho on behaV (l the Palc.';/inians. revenged in advance, 

against the most vile criminals on the face of the earth. Although we do have a complaint agaznst 

himfin< his revenge on them \1:as not enough. "r, 

That propaganda and threat continues today in state nm media tllfoughout the Middle East including the Al 

Jazeera media group which has recently purchased the potential access to over 40 million American homes 

through the its acquisition of Currenl TV for $500 million. Recent reports are that many joumalists have been 

leaving Al Jazeera due to a deep seated. pro-Islamist bias from the Qatari ownership. 

The hate created by the secular fascists has also tellingly fueled a mass exodus of the Jewish people that 

began in 1948 at Israel's founding when there were over 800.000 Jews living in Arab lands. Todav. it is 

believed that there are less than 20,000 remaining. 11,at exodus has carried over to the Christian community 

where it is believed over two million Christians have fled the Middle Eastem Arab community in the last 20 

years? 111is vacuum of religious diversity only teeds the Islamists supremacist mentality. 

Defeat anti-Semitism and we can break the nexus between the sccularists of all faiths and the Islamists which 

will then weaken the Islamists considerably while more importantly advancing the principles of the 

Universal Declaration of Human Rights and those who support it. 

It is no secret that tl,e Organization of [slanlic Cooperation (0[(') which consists of the 56 Muslim majority 

nations has instead signed the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights of 1991 which enshrines legal provisions 

against blasphemy and apostasy among other Islamist ideas incompatible with the UDHR In fact. in the 

December 20 I 0 Pew Global Attitudes Project Report, 84 percent of Egyptians polled felt that the death 

penalty was appropriate for apostates who leave Islam.' Again, in a society where halfthat number support 

Islamist movements, this points to how endemic the ideas are which smv hate against those of other faiths 

like Judaism. Anti-Semitism is the obvious "gateway drug" or bridge that we must expose between the 

various elements of societies that move away from democracy and toward more authoritarian societies and 

that arc doomed to oppress all minorities from within and outside various faiths. 

\ SupportforTerrorWanes Among Muslim Publics: ISLAMIC EXTREMISM: COMMON CONCERN FOR MUSLIM AND WESTERN PUBLICS. 17-Nation 

Pew Global Attitudes Survey. Pew Global Attitudes Project Report. July 14, 2005. Page 4. 

b Ragab, Ahmad. "Half a Word", AI-Ahkbar. April 18, 2001. 

: Adelman, Jon and Kuperman, Agota. lhe christi,,!; l-XlJd,j', rrorn j he rv1iodlp hi'>!. The Jewish Virtual Library. 2013. 

8 Most Embrace a Rolefor Islam in Politics Muslim Publics Divided on Hamas and Hezbollah. Pew Global Attitudes Project Report. Dece(l:ber 2, 2010.. 

15. 

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Rlmning side-by-side with anti-Semitism are multiple conspiracy theories along hate of the West. After the 

global furor over an anti-Islam film posted by an American citizen, the grand sheik of AI-Azhar. Ahmed alTayyeb, condcmned the West last September 2012, summarily telling Egyptians in reference to the ti1m that 

"the West throughout history has not treated Islam with respect, but showed hostility Lagainst itJ, and chosen 

the path of conflict mther than understanding:" The Tslamist narrative is that the defense of liberty is a 

license to denigrate Muslims and Islam. Along \vith this narrative comes the anti-Semitic narrati,·-e of 

conspiracies into \vhich the influence of the United States is interwoven and maligned. 

Moral relativism and "the bigotry of low expectations" 

Our motherlands face a number of hurdles before they even begin to enter modemity. But to patronize their 

societies with a different set of human standards than those embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights is a moral relativism that insults every Muslim and citizen othenvise in those nations. It also expects 

less of Muslims living in the West who remain silent against the obvious intimations of anti-Semitism that 

beset so much of the Arabic and Muslim dominated media. Tough love is the highest f011n of respect. 

Demanding the minimum standard of nonviolence is just not enough. Moral relativism is exactly \\'hat the 

newly clected theocrats of the Muslim Brotherhood and their mentors at AI-Azhar want in order to widen 

rather than close the divide between the ideas of liberty and Tslamism. 

We still have no strateb,), to engage real allies of liberty within many of these emerging societies: the silent 

majority of liberals on the ground in the Middle East. We must signal clearly to them that when it comes to 

demoeracv, there is no compromise on the defense of freedom of speech and that defense is inextricably 

wedded to the first freedom - freedom of religion. When the liberals and reformers of Egypt and Tunisia 

see us silent against the Muslim Brotherhood's anti-Semitism. is it an" wonder that opinion polls of the U.S. 

remain so low regardless of who 's in the White House? 

As the old guards rush to fill the power vacuum, the voices of the Arab spring standing up to the tyrants need 

to know the free world is on their side. The defense of free speech and religious liberty is not a war against 

faith, but a war against the oligarchs, the despots and the theocrats who would usurp their freedom. An" 

assumption otherwise is a bigotry our nation fought against, not for. There is one ideological litmus test 

shared by the secular autocrats and the Islamlsts. and it is anti-Semitism. 

Origins ofIslamist anti-Semitism 

The intellectual origins or underpinnings of lslamist anti -Semitism is certainly multi -factorial and will not be 

solved in this testimony. Ho\vc\,cr ",.,hile our Islamic tradition certainly has as Martin Kramer has described 

"some sources on -which hlamic anti-,,)'emirism now /eecly" it is not the only source. In fact, if Islamist antiSemitism is \vholly confronted by modern anti-Tslamist Islamic reformers. T believe it can be marginalized 

and ultimately defeated ending a force which can ultimately have sway upon a quarter of the world' s 

population,l\' The current reality, however. is sadly, that the imams, scholars, or activists with the courage to 

publicly take on the anti-Semitism of Islamist leaders are too few. And when they arise have neither the 

platfonns, attention, nor the backing which petro-funded Islamist linked movements do around the world. 

Often the militant element of the Islanlists will attack them joined by a collective silence from most fellow 

Islamists putting all other Muslim liberals on notice that a similar fate may await them. Tn fact it is no secret 

that last January on an Arabic Al Qaeda jihadi forum, our pro-American, pro-Muslim. pro-liberty anti-

~ Grdnd Mufti and AI-/\lhar Gr,l:][J <;hpikh tesPO[;::l to Jnti-hiam film c.alt'Jon. The Egypt Independent. September 19,2012. 

laThe Salience of Islamic Antisemitism: It's not just about Israel, but neither is It the nature of Islam. Institute of Jewish Affairs Reports. No 2. 

October199S". ___________________________________ _ 

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Islamist work was attacked. 11 The post by the AI-Fida forum against me cited Qur-anic references that "Allah 

take revenge on the enemies (~lls/am" and then linked that to an admonition that the Syrian opposition "not 

allow hrother devils to remain amongst them even {( the), have excellent personal contacts and a deep 

knowledr;c C!f the in/rllL-jocics C!f American polilics-and a/I the morc so ~f this devil ;s known for his 

Zioni.';m." 1 can tell ~/ou from pGfsonal experience in a life dedicated to rcfonn agalnst TslamislTI that common 

among Isl:unisi thought of all is the utilization of hatred of Jews to their ::mtagonists from 

\vithin and thus avoid sllbstantiyc about their O\vn theological \\-lthin Islam. 

Some Muslim scholars and activists deserving greater attention who have had the courage to expose antiSemitism witbin our faith conul1lIDity include a lllIDlbcr of quite faithful and devout Muslim leaders_ Former 

President of Indonesia, A HE Kyai Haji Abdurrahman Wahid along with the U.S. based organization 

LibforAll hosted a conference in Bali_ Indonesia '-denouncing Holocaust Denial'· in cooperation witb tbe 

Simon Wiesenthal Center for Tolerance in 2007." Wahid also edited the important. The I1lusion of" the 

Islamic State: How an Alhance of"Moderates Launched a Successjiti Jihad Against Radicalization and 

Terrorism in the World's largest Muslim-Majonly Country. 13 Canadian Tarek Fatah, founder of the Muslim 

Canadian Congress recent1y authored a must read on this issue: The JeH' i,')' not My l--.'nemy: UnveIling the 

Alyths that Fuel Muslim anti-Semitism. 14 Abdullahi Na-im of Emory University givcs a robust defcnse of 

how Muslims should prefer a secular state from the Tslamist one in Islam and the Secular 5,'{ote. '-> Many of us 

have since recently fonned a broad and diverse coalition of non-Islamist Muslim refonners in North America 

called the American Islamic Leadership Coalition (AIL e)_ which is beginning to provide one platfonn for 

di,:erse Muslims speaking out against Islamist anti-Semitism. 16 

The exploitation of Tsracl among Tslamists is also virtually a litmus test for anti-Semitism Kramer continucs_ 

·1slamists see Israel as a symptom of" a larger conspiracy against them either western or 

Jewi.l;h or a sinister combmation (!lthe fivo, Many h'lamists today do not look at hTael or its 

polIcIes 05; theIr IrrItant. ine,}' look beyond. either to America, symbol today of the pm-ver of 

the West or to the Jnlls. dispersed thrOllKhout the West lvhere they exerci.l;e a maliKnant 

in/luence. fhese are deemed to be the real/brces driving history,,17 

Kramer highlights in 1994 that Rashid al-Ghannushi, who nO\, happens to be the Tunisian Islamist leader of 

thc ruling AI-Nahda party stated then tbat ·'a Jewish-American plan encompassing the entire-region. which 

would cleanse it f.!f all resistance and open it to Jeyt-' ish heKemonyfrom Marrakesh to Kazakhstan. -, Apparent 

is the use of conspiracy theories by Islamist demagogues to portray a false narrative and fiction against Israel 

and thus by association all Jews. TIlese conspiracy theories then spread like wildtlre and are exploited by 

fcllo\v global Tslamist mO\,ements of all stripes in ordcr to broaden the conspiracy against all Muslims and 

provide more excuses for the failures of Muslim majority nations. 

\Vhen tbe Ole met in Malaysia, Prime Minister Mahatir told the crowd, "The Europeans hl/ed 6 million 

Jews out (?lI2 mtlflOl1, hut today the .Jews rule the Ivorld by proxy. fhey get others to .fight and dw fhr 

them. ,,18 Reports were that the crowd responded with a "resounding ovation". This fits in line with the 

opinion polls from Pew for those nations. 

11 Qn lihadi Forum' l'lci~el)'pnt a"2lrst AtTlerica~ Isli:l.-nic Forum for Demccracy DirGctor. The Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor. January 25, 2012 

I) Willundari, Fltri. Inoonesia Confert"t"lce Denounces >iolocaust DeniiJi. Reuters. June 17, 2007. 

13 Wahid, A.H.E. Kyai Haji Abdurrahman. The illUSion ofthe Islamic State: How an Alliance of Moderates launched a Successful Jihad against 

Radicalization and Terrorism in the World's Largest Muslim-Majority Country. LibforAIl Foundation. 201l. 

14 Fatah, Tarek. The Jew is not My Enemy: Unveiling the Myths that fuel Muslim anti-Semitism. McClelland & Stewart, Ltd. 2010. 

1, Na'im, Abduliai} Islam and the Secular State. 

110 hltp;jhvyy'.YScil[rJ~[j~imj?J.<!D1J.r:l~aq~I;j.hjJ2..,.Ql:g [Website of the American Islamic Leadership Coalition] 

liThe Salience of Islamic Antisemitism: It's not just about Israel, but neither is itthe nature of Islam, Institute of Jewish Affairs Reports. No 2, 

October 1995. 

I I Casual Anti-Semitism. Slate.com. October 2003. 

T.,;slimUIlY of 1-1. Zuhdt Jass.,;r. ~dD. U S Hou~..; of Rc:prC:::;":lllalivc~ COllllml!..:.,; Oil For";lgll Allam SUbCOllllllllkl; on Africa. Global 

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Kramer concludes, 

"!f Ihesc themes seem disfressibfy fanllliar il is qUlfc likely because Ihey arc horrm1'lI1f?S 

from the canon (l Western re!igiow,; and ractal anti-Semiti/ml. The anti-SemitIsm we :we 

roday in the l~"amic world owes a crucw! debt to the anti-Semitism (~lthe West. " 

'Ve forget that mallY Islamist leaders received their education in the West only to return and piggy-back it 

upon their own theo-political anti-Semitism of Islamism. 11,e philosophical father of the Muslim 

Brotherhood, Sayyid Qutb spent two years (1948-50) in the United States before going back to lead the 

founding of the Islamist movement in Egypt with his book Milestones, a short treatise which described the 

West as the land of Jahilliyah (ignorance) and evil. This treatise established the Milestones for establishment 

of the Islamic state in order to prevent descent of society into the evil of "secularism" he saw in the West. 

Certainly anti-Semitism found in Europe reinforced many of the Islamist constmcts he developed for 

political Islam. Islamism depends upon conspiracy in order to explain the wealO1ess of the Muslim condition 

and the need for Muslim collectivism and Islamic statehood and ultimately neo-caliphism. 

The Power ofthe Pulpit: Qaradawi and the Islamist Imams 

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi is arguably the most influential cleric in the world of Sunni Islam. He had escaped 

Gemal Abdel Nasser's Egypt to Qatar in 1961 from where he has since authored over 120 books, influenced 

a number of highly trafficked Isl31nist \vebsites, and most notably hosts a \veekly program on AI Jazeera 

Arahic titled "Shariah and Life" viewed by an estimated 60 million people globally. His sennons and public 

statements arc a treasure trove of conspiracy theories and anti-Semitic diatribes. On his program on January 

28.2009, he stated "the last punishment was carried out by Hitler .. this l-1lGS divine punishmentf(w them. 

Allah willing. the next time will be at the hands of the believers. ,,19 After that aired, Al Jazeera actually 

refused to apologize to John \\I11ittingdale, chaim13n ofthe House of Commons Media Select Committee in 

Britain claiming Iree speech. Imam Qarad"',i has similarly justified suicide bombing against Israelis 

including \vomen and children and also against Americans. 

The importance of Qaradawi with regards to Islamist anti-Semitism cannot be overstated. Despite being 

prohibited from trav'el to France, the United Kingdom and ti,e United States. Qaradawi who lives in Qatar 

has long been President of the European COlllCil for Fatwa and Research (ECFR). ECFR is notoriously 

kiloml for being a Muslim Brotherhood legal arm in the West. giving hundreds of anti-Westem separatist 

fatwas (legal opinions) targeted at western Muslims. At one meeting, a Wall Street Journal reporter noted 

that "the Protocols of the Elders of Zion a notorious anti-Semitic forgery from Czarist Russia was used to 

evidence the threat of a Jewi5;h 1'101 against f._'lI.ropean MU,')'lims. ,,20 Qaradawi· s ubiquitous global tentacles 

and ideology underscores the nexus here between so many leading Islamist thinkers and European antiSemitism. While in Qatar trom his perch as ti,e spiritual guide of globallslanlism, he ran ti,e ECFR. 

Qaradawi recently returned to Egypt after more than a 30 year absence to lead a crowd of over two hundred 

thousand. Barry Rubin declared in the Jerusalem Post that ""Egypt gets its Khomeini,,21 Yet, surprisingly the 

case against Qaradawi's hate-filled anti-Semitic speech is not so clear for many. Shadi Hamid of the 

Brookings Institute who attended Qarad""i's return to Tahrir Square stated at the time, 

"Qurad(f)t"i is mw::h in thl.! mainstream of E,£''Yptian 

he's not (~f!ermJ!, ,S()rtlt:t/Uflf!, [hal .~. I){Jr'llclffar~1' dlstlnclin; or 

the religiu;r,y mainstream. 

lhe confe.'(! {?f'J"'.?,..vpf He's an 

l~ (/B~Ll.i?bj,a.iNm;JJ.~!:>..?l£rJ ~LLa?~'~[il., Jewish TelegraphiC Agency. February 8, 2009. (accessed February 24, 2013) 

LU Johnson, Ian. 1'Olarnil J!J:.licp Finds i.1 F-om:lo;d In Hpart of !-:jflJ:JP RFiiginu'; Ooiniol1'> i-rorn /\far Make Integration TougllPr i-or Rig fVluc-. im 

~ulaliup. Wall Street Journal. August.~~~~~~e(~(~~:~~d February 24, 2013). 

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hlamfsr and he's part oj the Brotherhood schoof ofthaught. but his appeal f!,oes beyond fh<! Isiamis{ 

ana in that sem:c It;: \" 

TI,e threat that Qaradawi and his Islamist sympathizers pose to humanity is manifold. Making the case 

against the threat of his Islamism is clearest when one confronts his flagrant anti-Semitism and demonization 

of Jews. \\Illile the arguments against his political Islanlist ideas may be nuanced in the setting of a so called 

"Islamic democracy", he advocates those when it suits him as an Islamist and populist. But to ignore his antiSemitism as so many around the world do for so-called refonners who are neo-lslaInists is to do so at the 

peril of world Jewry and the security of all minorities and our liberal democracies. One of the most revealing 

tests is to note the silence of many westem Muslim leaders confronted with the anti-Semitism of tIle likes of 

Qarada\\'i or Prime Minister Mahatir. 

Looking purely through a lens filtered for anti-Semitism, one cannot help but connect the dots from 

Qarad""i's anti-Semitism to an inevitable nco-theocratic fascism that is now ascending in the Middle East 

under the rise of lslamism. Eventually. Egyptians will have to come to tenns with how cleric' s with toxic 

posltions on Jevvs and Americans swim in the same pool \\-ith those \\-ho have simllarly hateful positions 

against the Shia community (described as deviants). the Ahmediyya (described as apostates). or the Baha'i 

(described as infidels) and so many other vulnerable minorities who will undoubtedly suffer, and arc 

suffering. at the hands of Islarnists when they are in pmver. 

TI,e Simon Wiesenthal Center recently listed the Muslim Brotherhood and the Iranian regime as the worst 

offenders of anti-Semitic rhetoric across the planet." We ignore tIle telltale signs of hate against Jews and 

what that portends for other minorities at the peril of all genuine democracies. One need look no further than 

Iran to see that an Islarnist revolution \vhile using the democratic engine of electoral politics \vill never herald 

real democracy unW minorities have equal rights and anti-Semitism is defeated at its core from within the 

Islamic consciousness and against the ideologv of political Islam. 

The impact ofWahhabism and its educational and religions materials 

According to fonner CIA director R. James Woolsey, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has has spent nearly $90 

billion spreading their ideology around the globe since the 1970s. He describes the Saudi-sponsoring of the 

dissemination of the eA1:remist Wallhabi strain of Islanl as "the soil in which Al Qaeda and its sister terror 

organizations are flourishing."" According to scholars such as Gilles Kepel, Wahhabism gained 

considerable influence in the Islanlic world following a tripling in the price of oil in the mid-1970s. TI,e 

Saudi government began to spend tens of billions of dollars throughout the Islamic world to promote 

Wahhabism. which was sometimes referred to as "petro-Islam". This version of Islam was a particular 

virulent and militant version of supremacist Islamism or Wahhabism. 

For example. Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT). which means Anny of God, a militant Pakistani Islanlist group is 

responsible for a number of terror attacks in Southeast Asia. TI,eir leadership is tightly affiliated with the 

organizations which haw a strictly Wallhabi orientation and at times have been close to Saudi Arabia but 

became distant atter 9-11 due to their closeness to Osama bin Laden and their criticism that the Kingdom 

was "not an ideal Islamic soclery with Western troops stationed therein. .. They describe Hindus and Jews as 

the main "enemie.'; of T.rdam, and lr;;rael and India as enemie,')' of Pakistan. .. LeT's Amir, Professor Saeed 

opposes \Vestern democracy and stated: 

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'Democracy is among the menaces we inherited/i'om an alien government. It is part of the system 

we are fighting against. Many qf our brothers feel that fhe~v can establish an islamic society by 

working within the ."ysfem. They are mistaken. It is 1101 possible to work within a democracy and 

establish an is/anne 5)'stcm. Youjusl dirty your hands by dealing Ivilh if !fGod gives us a chance, 

we will fFy 10 hring in the pure concept of 011 h1amic taliphale. 1I~5 

The hate-filled Wahhabi ideolob'Y too often leads also to violence and terror against target communities like 

the Jewish community targeted by their anti-Semitism. For example, the series of deadly 2008 Mumbai 

attacks killing 164 and wounding 308 over the TIlanksgiving weekend included the Nariman Jewish 

Community Center known as the Mumbai Chabad House. were detemlined to be committed bv members of 

Lashkar E:Toiba." Other exanlples of Islamist inspired anti-Semitism leading to terror against jews are sadly 

too numerous to list here. 

The translations and interpretation of Qur'an and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet MohaImned), for exmnple 

distributed officially by the Saudi government arc rife with anti-Semitic narrati\,cs which otten arc not even 

part of the original Arabic text. This is also often rewaled in their educational materials on the IslaInic 

religion. For cxamp1c C\' cn \'v ithin thc most rccited opcning praycr of thc Qur' an rcpcatcd ovcr 17 times a day 

by most Muslims around the \yorId, the Saudi government sanctioned and distributed only one printed 

English vcrsion around the world translatcd with an inscrtion that intcntionally sowed anti-Scmitism. 

Darussalmn Publishers in Riyadh printed a part ofthat scripture as, 'Not the 1my 'if' those whu have earned 

your anger (mch as the Jews), nor those who wen/ astra}' (such as the Chnstwns). 111ese parenthetical 

additions are editorial additions, \vhich with only eight words distributed anlOng millions upon millions of 

Muslims, have an immeasurab1e impact in fostering anti-Semitism and anti-Christian sentiments across the 

globe. 

The U.S Commission on Tntemational Religious Freedom (USCTRF) on which T sene. has long been at the 

forefront of following the hatred disseminated in educational te"1books that originate in the Kingdom of 

Saudi Arabia. A ninth grade textbook, for eXaInple, published by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia 

states that, 'lhe Jews and Christians arc enemies of the believers and they cannot approve of Muslims." An 

eighth grade text states, "the apes are the people of the Sabbath, the Jews; and the swine are infidels of the 

communion of Jesus aIld Christians."" As Nina Shea, a former USCIRF commissioner notes, 

lhe kingdom is not just any country with problematic textbook~'. As the controlling authorfty 

(dfhe two holiest shrines (~rlylam, ,)'alldi Arabw is able to disseminate its religious materials 

among the nul/lOns makmg the half to Mecca each year. Such teachmgs can, In thIS con/ext. 

make a great impresszon. In addztion, 5,audz textbooks are also posted on the Saudi 

}.'ducatlon MInlsir}' 's weh.'i'lie and are shIpped and distrthuted h)' a vast Sunnt lI?f'rasinicture 

established with Saudi oil )realth to Muslim communities throu?,hout the world. In his 

book The Lomnin1{ TOlfer, La'fflrence Wright (/,I;serfs that "'fflhile Saudis consflfufe only 1 

percent of" the world's Muslims. the)' pay "YO per cent (?f ihe expenses of the enttre fi.71t/t. 

overnding other traditions (!/1slam, .. 2'1 

Shea adds that despite four years of pressure from the US. while the Saudis promulgated an advertising 

cmnpaign on American soil that they had cleaned up their textbooks: the reality was that they had not. 

2, Lashkar E-Tolba, Spreading the Jihad. The Hindu Business Line. January 5, 2001 

210 New York Times, 17 De(ember2010 "Top US Spy Leaves Pakistan After His Name Is Revealed," 

II Mohammed, Khaleel. Produce your proof: Muslim exegesis, the Hadith, and the Jews. Judaism, Winter/Spring 2004. 53:1/2. Pg.3-11. 

28 Saudi Textbooks incite Hate say leaders of American Publishing. The Dally Beast, October 17, 2012. 

2~ 1 j !. National ReView Online. June 2010 

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American publishing leaders have also, to their credit_ recently Joined together to shed light on this important 

issue stating that "hate speech is the precursor to Kcnocide, first you Kef ro hate, and then ~VOll hll. ·':-"U 

Ultimately. the Saudi·s may actually remove ,·ariOlIS obviously anti-Semitic and anti-Westenl cOllunentaries 

in their texts but the sLLprcmacism of Tslamis111 is an ideology that can only be cleansed of anti-Semitism 

through deep reform for libertv and pluralism rather than through the use of "white-out" and deletion_ 

Solutions 

As we better understand the link between anti-Semitism and Islamist movements and its supporters, the next 

step is to implement long lasting solutions. These solutions will not only prmide Europe and the West a 

bulwark against the intiltration of anti-Semitic ideas from Islamist movements in the Middle East, North 

Africa and Southeast Asia but it will also serve to better secure us against the threat of militant Islamism. For 

where anti-Semitism thrives so too does the eventual threat against other faith minorities and the very 

foundations of democracy. 

We must engage in the battle of ideas by reviving our public diplomacy in support of the principles 

that founded this eountry_ 

We need to systematically expose (name and shame) with the anti-septic of the light of day antiSemitic behaviors and ideas promulgated across the Middle East and North Allica by lslamist 

movements. 

11mt exposure needs to address anti -Semitic speech and ideas not as isolated incidents that should be 

simply condemned, but rather to insist upon an opcn analysis of thc root causes and rcfonlls 

necessary to prevent it from recurring_ This requires an abando11lllent of the denial that anti-Semitism 

is so endemic in Muslim majority nations which Pew has demonstrated in its Global Attitudes 

Project. 

We must \york \yith and directly engage ci,:il society organizations \vhich are courageous enough to 

take on refornl work against the anti-Semitism of Islamist groups, and we must actively and 

unapologetically disengage from Islamist groups who advocate anti-Semitic ideologies. 

We need to provide platfoll11S to Muslim leaders in MENA and the West willing to take on and 

counter Islamist demagogues like Qaradawi and so many others who spew anti -Semtic vitriol. 

We need to continue the public pressure upon governments like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan which 

have facilitated and funded the distribution of textbooks about Muslims, Jews, Christians, and all 

people of faith which indoctrinates hate at a young age due to the vimlent strain of Islam being 

promulgated. 

Wc can no longcr tolcrate a climatc of political corrcctncss \\hich givcs Muslims a pass on 

accountability for ideas, religious or political, \yhich are obviously anti-Semitic. To do so, is to allmv 

our gmernment to promote a subtle bigotry of low expectations for both Western Muslims and 

emerging citizens of nations in the Arab A\vakening. The grass roots in populations of nations across 

the Middle East and North Africa must not see us as advocating for libert" only at home in the U.S. 

while working with their oppressors and turning a blind eye to anti-Semitism from our "allies" in 

MENA. 

We must confront Tslamist groups and leaders in Europe ",.-ith \vhat Prime Minister David Cameron 

referred to as "muscular liberalism" As hyper-secularists in Europe attack the faithful of all faiths 

including Judaism and Christianity, Islamists are thriving amidst the climate of growing antiSemitism and anti -religious fervoL 

We must address anti-Semitism at all its levels from the demonization of Jews all the way to the 

subtle references to Je\vs in the collective and amongst westenl conspiracy theories. 

leaders of American 2012 

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Mr. SMITH. Dr. Jasser, thank you very much for that very important contribution, and for reminding this committee, and I think 

the country, and I hope the press and everyone else. In the way 

you not only presented your testimony, I do hope everybody will 

read your entire testimony and see that Muslims are speaking out. 

You are one of the most bravest doing so, but speaking out in a 

way that really defends all people—Jews, Christians, Muslims 

themselves—but to do so in a way that really calls us to action, and 

the executive as well as the congressional branch. Thank you so 

much, Dr. Jasser. 

Mr. Garvey? 

STATEMENT OF MR. JOHN GARVEY, PRESIDENT, THE 

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA 

Mr. GARVEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Anti-Semitism is so obviously wrong that I feel almost sheepish making arguments 

against it, but here we are. So I want to elaborate on three points 

which I hope you will not find unnecessarily self-evident. First, 

anti-Semitism is intrinsically wrong. It violates human dignity because it denies the right to religious freedom. The Catholic Church 

calls this our first, most cherished liberty. James Madison argued 

that the right is unalienable because what is here a right toward 

men is a duty toward our Creator. The Catholic Church actively 

seeks its protection regardless of the faith in question. This is why 

the American bishops lent their strong support to the International 

Religious Freedom Act in 1998. 

Anti-Semitism also violates human dignity by denying the right 

of equality. Here is what the Second Vatican Council said, ‘‘The 

Church reproves, as foreign to the mind of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, 

color, condition of life, or religion.’’ Allow me to add a further refinement. The Catholic Church is especially concerned about antiSemitism because we are one family in the Abrahamic tradition. 

Catholics call fellow Christians their brothers and sisters in faith. 

Pope Benedict describes the Jews as ‘‘our fathers in faith.’’ We 

share with them the Hebrew scriptures, and our traditions of prayer are rooted in that book. Together we worship the God of Abraham. 

Anti-Semitism is an attack on our family. This familial outlook 

has led our last two popes to make powerful gestures of solidarity 

with the Jewish people. Pope John Paul II used a powerful image 

to condemn the legacy of anti-Semitism when he said during his 

historic homily at Brzezinka that the concentration camp is the 

‘‘Golgotha of the modern world.’’

Second, anti-Semitism is not just wrong for Jews; it puts other 

faiths at risk. This is so, first of all, because the arguments that 

support anti-Semitism may be deployed with equal force against 

other faiths. The descriptions used to disparage Jewish communities 100 years ago—that they were clannish, insular, didn’t fit in, 

brought their outsider status on themselves—may be used against 

Muslims in France today. Their offense, it will be said, is not that 

they are Muslims. It is that they speak a foreign tongue, dress in 

inappropriate ways, dispute the principle of laı ̈cite ́, favor the prospering of foreign states over France. 

40

The patterns of violence that have historically characterized antiSemitism are unfortunately familiar to Christians today. AntiChristian sentiment in some parts of the world, like anti-Semitism, 

is rooted in a dislike of religious belief. It manifests itself in similar 

ways. Pope Benedict XVI described it in an address to the diplomatic corps last year:

‘‘In many countries, Christians are deprived of fundamental 

rights; in other countries they endure violent attacks against 

their churches and their homes. At times they are forced to 

leave the countries they have helped to build because of persistent tensions and policies which frequently relegate them to 

being second-class spectators of national life.’’

Here is a second cause of harm to other faiths. Anti-Semitism 

can make the world a more hostile place for other religions through 

a strategy of divide and conquer. Anti-Semitism does not attack belief itself. It focuses its attention on a particular group of believers. 

When they are intimidated into silence, the strength of the cohort 

of believers is reduced to that degree. Here is how James Madison 

saw the danger. ‘‘It is proper,’’ he said, ‘‘to take alarm at the first 

experiment on our liberties. Who does not see that the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other 

religions, may establish with the same ease any particular sect of 

Christians, in exclusion of all other sects?’’

Third, like other cancers, anti-Semitism spreads its poison to all 

parts of the body politic. A society that tolerates anti-Semitism cannot maintain a healthy democracy. First, as a matter of historical 

fact, the western commitment to political liberty grew out of our acceptance of religious toleration. John Neville Figgis, the student of 

Lord Acton, famously said that ‘‘political liberty is the residuary 

legatee of ecclesiastical animosities.’’ Our success in living with religious differences gave us a lesson in tolerating political differences, and a hope that we could surmount them. If we are passive in the face of anti-Semitism we risk running our constitutional 

evolution in reverse. 

Second, as the late Ronald Dworkin was fond of pointing out, democracy rests on a commitment to equality. Anti-Semitism, like 

racism, denies this. We saw this in our own treatment of African 

Americans. The original Constitution treated slaves as less than 

fully human. Dred Scott held that slaves were not citizens. A society that tolerates anti-Semitism behaves in a similar way and is 

not worthy to be recognized as a democracy. 

Third, such a society can make no claim to be a liberal democracy. The defining characteristic of a liberal democracy is its commitment to liberty. Our own Supreme Court has held that the fundamental concept of liberty comprises an absolute freedom to adhere to such religious organization or a form of worship as the individual may choose. To persecute a people for their religious belief 

and form of worship is to deny the most fundamental commitment 

of a liberal democracy. 

Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to offer a 

few thoughts on an issue of such concern to us. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Garvey follows:]

41


79580d-1.eps

House Committee on Foreign Affairs 

Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All 

Faiths 

Testimony ofJohn Garvey 

President of The Catholic University of America 

February 27,2013 

Mr. Chainnan, members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to speak today 

on this important subject. it is a matter of appropriate concern for the Congress and 

the House Committee on Foreign AtTairs. Anti-Semitism is so obviously wrong that I 

feel almost sheepish making arguments against it. But here we are. So I want to 

elaborate on three points, which 1 hope you will not find unnecessarily self-evident. 

First, anti-Semitism is intrinsically wrong. Second, anti-Semitism is not just wrong 

for Jews. It is, as the title of today's hearing suggests, a threat to all faiths. Third, 

anti-Semitism is not just a threat to religion. It undermines the fundamental premises 

of a liberal democracy. 

1. Anti-Semitism is intrinsically wrong. It violates human dignity because it denies 

the right to religious freedom. The Catholic Church calls this "our first, most 

cherished liberty."] it allows us to fulfill our most fundamental duty - to live in 

accordance with God's commandments. James Madison argued that the right is 

unalienable "because what is here a right towards men, is a duty towards the 

Creator.,,2 The Catholic Church actively seeks its protection regardless of the faith in 

question. That is why the American bishops lent their strong support to the 

International Religious Freedom Ace in 1998. The Act states that "[f]rom its birth to 

this day, the United States has prized this legacy of religious freedom and honored 

this heritage by standing for religious freedom and offering refuge to those suffering 

reli gi ous persecuti on." 

Anti-Semitism also violates human dignity by denying the right of equality. Here is 

what the Second Vatican Council said: "the Church reproves, as foreign to the mind 

of Christ, any discrimination against men or harassment of them because of their race, 

color, condition of life, or religion[]"4 The Council went on to say:5 

lOur First. Most Cherished Liber(v: A Statement of the United States COilference a/Catholic Bishops 

on Religious Liberty (April, 2012). 

2 James Madison. ivlemorial and Remonstrance ."gainst Religious Assessments 111 (1785). 

, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Department of Justice, Peace aud Human 

Development Background on Religious Freedom (Febmmy, 2012). 

1 Nostra /ietate : Declaration on the Relation a/the Church to Non-Christian Religions (October. 

1965) 

, Jd. 
42


79580d-2.eps

We cannot tmly call on God. the Father of all, if we refuse to treat in a brotherly way any man, 

created as he is in the image of God. Man's relation to God the Father and his relation to men 

his brothers are so linked together that Scripture says: 'He who does not love does not know 

God' (I John 4:8). 

Allow me to add a further refinement. The Catholic Church is especially concerned 

about anti-Semitism because we are one family in the Abrahamic tradition. Catholics 

call fellow Christians their brothers and sisters in faith. Pope Benedict XVI describes 

the Jews as "our fathers in faith.,,6 We share with them the Hebrew scriptures, and 

our traditions of prayer are rooted in that book. Together we worship the God of 

Abraham. Anti-Semitism is an attack on our family. 

The Second Vatican Council expresses this relationship as one of mindfulness of the 

shared elements of our tradition: "the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares 

with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel's spiritual love, 

decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any 

time and by anyone."? It is a familial outlook that has led our last two popes to make 

profound gestures of solidarity with the Jewish people. Pope John Paul IT used a 

powerful image to condemn the legacy of anti-Semitism when he said during his 

historic homily at Brzezinka that the concentration camp is the "Golgotha of the 

modem world.,,8 

II. Anti-Semitism is not just wrong for Jews. A society that tolerates anti-Semitism 

puts other faiths at risk. 

This is so, tlrst of all, because the rhetoric and arguments that support anti-Semitism 

may be deployed with equal force against other faiths. The descriptions used to 

disparage Jewish communities a hundred years ago - that they were clannish, insular, 

didn't fit in, brought their outsider status on themselves - may be used against 

Muslims in France today. Their offense, it will be said, is not that they are Muslims. 

it is that they speak a foreign tongue, dress in inappropriate ways, dispute the 

principle of lalcile, favor the prospering of foreign states over France. The principles 

that justify treating one religion with suspicion or derision can be used against others 

when the tide turns against them. 

We detect a similar pattern in the arguments for suppressing certain religious 

practices. The Jewish ritual of circumcision was criticized in Germany (and San 

Francisco) as a violation of individual rights and an outmoded and harmful religious 

practice. The debate has something in common with the arguments for requiring 

Catholic institutions to cover prescription contraceptives, early stage abortifacients, 

and sterilizations in their health care plans. To do otherwise, it is said, discriminates 

against women, violates reproductive rights, and rests on old-fashioned notions of 

sexual orthodoxy. 

o Lisa Palmieri-Billig, New nook Shows Pope's Commilmeniio ,J<:I1'S and israel, The Jemsalem Post 

(Nov. 28. 2010). 

, Nostra /ietate, supra note 4. 

R Pope Jolm Paulll Homilv of His Holiness John Paulll at Brzezinka Concentration Camp (June, 

1979). 

2 
43


79580d-3.eps

The patterns of violence that have historically characterized virulent anti-Semitism 

are unfortunately familiar today to Catholics as well. Anti-Christian sentiment in 

some parts of the world, like anti-Semitism, is rooted in a dislike of religious belief 

It manifests itself in similar, often violent, ways. Pope Benedict XVI described it in 

an address to the Diplomatic Corps last year:~ 

In many countries. Christians are deprived of fundamental rights ... : in other countries they 

endure violent attacks against their churches and their homes. At times they are rorced to 

leave the cOlliltries they have helped to build because of persistent tensions and policies whieh 

frequently relegate tllem to being second-class spectators of national life. 

These attacks are a reminder that violence against one religion often prefigures 

attacks on another. Religious persecutions mimic one another. 

Here is a second cause of harm to other faiths: anti-Semitism can make the world a 

more hostile place for other religions through a strategy of divide and conquer. AntiSemitism does not attack belief itself It focuses its attention on a particular group of 

believers. When they are intimidated into silence, the strength of the cohort of 

believers is reduced to that degree. Next might come Jehovah's Witnesses or 

Mormons, Zoroastrians or Sikhs. Here again is how James Madison saw the 

danger: 10 

rIlt is proper to take alann at the rirst experiment on our liberties. Who does not see that 

the same authority which can establish Christianity, in exclusion of all other Religions, lIlay 

establish with the same ease any particular sect of Christians, in exclusion of all otller Sects? 

The Catholic Church has both a duty and a powerful incentive to defend our Jewish 

friends against the forces of anti-Semitism in our world. Their troubles are ours, and 

we are both righteous and prudent to do our utmost to help them. 

III. Like other cancers, Anti-Semitism spreads its poison to all parts of the body 

politic. A society that tolerates anti-Semitism cannot maintain a healthy democracy. 

This is so for three reasons. 

First, as a matter of historical fact, the westem commitment to political liberty grew 

out of our acceptance of religious toleration. John Neville Figgis, the British political 

philosopher and student of Lord Acton, famously said that "[p]oliticalliberty is the 

residuary legatee of ecclesiastical animosities.,,11 Our success in living with religious 

differences gave us a lesson in tolerating political differences, and hope that we could 

surmount them. 

If we are passive in the face of anti-Semitism we risk running our constitutional 

evolution in reverse. Persecution of religious minorities whets the appetite for 

persecuting political opponents. And it inures us to claims of injustice. 

Second, as the late Ronald Dworkin was fond of arguing, democracy rests on a 

commitment to equality, and democratic equality means that every citizen is entitled 

9 Pope Benedict XVI,"1ddress to the Diplomatic Corps (Jannary 9, 20.\2). 

1 n iVlemorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments 11 3. 

11 Stndies of Political Thonght from Gerson to Grotius 135 (1907). 

3 
44


79580d-4.eps

to equal concern and respect12 Anti-Semitism, like racism, denies the most 

fundamental commitment of a democratic society - the right to treatment as an equal. 

Americans have seen this phenomenon play out in our own treatment of African 

Americans. The original Constitution (in the three-fifths compromise) treated slaves 

as less than fully human. 13 f)red Scott v. SanfiJrd14 held that slaves were not citizens. 

It took a Civil War and an amendment to the Constitution to resolve that "all persons 

born ... in the United States ... are citizens," and that "[n]o State shall ... deny to 

any person the equal protection of the laws.,,15 A society that tolerates antiSemitism denies these principles, and is not worthy to be recognized as a democracy. 

Third, a society that tolerates anti-Semitism can make no claim to be a liberal 

democracy. The defining characteristic of a liberal democracy is its commitment to 

liberty - a right often guaranteed by constitutional assurances, the separation of 

powers, competitive elections, and the rule of law. It is hard to imagine a regime of 

ordered liberty that does not protect the free exercise of religion. Our own Supreme 

Court has held that "[t]he fundamental concept of liberty" comprises an absolute 

"freedom to adhere to such religious organization or form of worship as the 

individual may choose"lG To persecute a people for their religious belief and form of 

worship is to deny the most fundamental commitment of a liberal democracy. 

Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to offer a few thoughts on an 

issue that is of such concern to so many of us. 

12 Taking Rights Seriously ISO (1977). 

13 U.S. Const. art. I. § 2. 

11 Dred Scott v. Sandford. 60 U.S. 393 (1857). 

"U.S. Const. amend. XlV, § 1. 

16 Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296, 303 (1940). 

4 
45

Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much for your testimony. You profoundly state how anti-Semitism is intrinsically wrong, and as a 

Catholic your point that anti-Semitism is an attack on our family 

as well certainly rings true. And I think that and believe that goes 

for all faiths. But thank you for your extraordinary testimony. 

Ms. Massimino? 

STATEMENT OF MS. ELISA MASSIMINO, PRESIDENT AND 

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST 

Ms. MASSIMINO. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate 

the opportunity to be here today to share Human Rights First’s 

findings and recommendations on this important issue and to discuss how to further our common goal of combating intolerance and 

advancing human rights. We are deeply grateful to you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership and to the subcommittee for its important 

role in keeping human rights front and center in the Congress. 

Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish issue and it is not a religious 

issue. It is a human rights issue and we all have to confront it. The 

failure of governments to punish those who commit violence targeting Jews and Jewish communities and to condemn and counteract virulent anti-Semitic hate speech creates an environment that 

endangers not only Jews, but the rights and security of adherents 

of other religious faiths and members of other minority groups. A 

healthy civil society cannot flourish in the face of unchecked hatred. Indeed, we see time and again that hate does not exist in neat 

compartments, but it metastasizes, creating an enabling environment for violence that affects immigrants, members of religious 

and sexual minorities, Roma, and many, many others. 

For more than a decade, Human Rights First has been working 

to monitor and combat anti-Semitic violence and to press for 

stronger government action. Although anti-Semitism is a global 

problem, my testimony today will focus on anti-Semitic violence in 

Europe and the former Soviet Union where the translation of sentiment against Israel or the policy of its governments into anti-Jewish antipathy has generated new and unique anti-Semitic violence 

that has fluctuated in relation to events in the Middle East. At the 

same time, age-old manifestations of anti-Semitism persist and are 

often deeply intertwined with the prejudices that fuel hatred 

against other minorities. 

Anti-Semitism remains at the core of organized racial supremacist groups in Western Europe and of broad nationalist movements 

in Eastern and Central Europe that target immigrants, Roma, 

LGBT persons, and religious minorities among others. It is thus 

important that individuals and leaders from faith and other communities come together to condemn anti-Semitism and other forms 

of intolerance. And this hearing is an important opportunity for us 

to reflect on the interrelationship of these threats and the importance of solidarity in confronting them. 

Anti-Semitic violence as well as other forms of hate crimes 

should not be seen simply as the problems of individual victims or 

their communities. They must be seen and responded to for what 

they are, serious violations of human rights. These threats of fundamental rights must be challenged not just by the victims or comVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
46

munities of targeted individuals, but by all those who seek to advance universal rights and freedoms. 

I would like to make four key points today. First, anti-Semitism 

is a unique and potent form of racism and religious intolerance, 

and the extent of the violence motivated by anti-Jewish animus 

throughout the OCSE region remains at disturbingly high levels. 

Second, with few notable exceptions, government responses to this 

rising tide of violence have been wholly inadequate. 

Third, the failure to confront anti-Semitic hatred corrodes the 

rights and security of all people. Along with anti-Semitic violence, 

the targeting of individuals because of their race, religion, national 

origin, sexual orientation, or other factors has been on the rise in 

recent years in many countries across the globe. Strategies for combating anti-Semitic violence through a human rights framework 

are effective and they are necessary for stemming the tide of hatefueled violence against others as well. And finally, U.S. leadership 

is essential in confronting anti-Semitism. My written testimony 

concluded with recommendations for strengthening U.S. leadership 

in this area. 

The level of anti-Semitic violence in Europe and North America 

today is disturbingly high. Synagogues, Jewish homes and Jewishowned businesses have been targeted in arson attacks and subjected to widespread vandalism, and students and teachers in Jewish schools and ordinary people have been harassed, beaten, 

stabbed, or shot simply because they were Jewish. Anti-Semitism 

is devastating not only to individual victims, but it terrorizes entire 

communities making participation in public life fully and free from 

fear, impossible. 

In one of the most horrifying such incidents last March, a 23-

year-old man of Algerian descent carried out a series of terrorist 

attacks targeting Jewish civilians and French soldiers. In total, 

seven people were killed including a rabbi and his two young children. Violent crime is anti-Semitism’s sharp edge but it often occurs in the context of virulent hate speech. In some countries, political and religious leaders are the ones spewing this hate, attacking 

Jews through stereotypes and scapegoating. In addition, Jews as 

people are often vilified in the context of attacks on Israel. While 

criticism of Israeli Government policies or the policies of any government is legitimate discourse, it crosses the line when it disparages or demonizes Jews as a people. When hate speech involves direct and immediate threats of violence, governments must hold perpetrators criminally accountable. 

But it is important that we approach these challenges in a 

thoughtful way. Confronting hate speech must not impinge on free 

expression. There are ample cases as you know, Mr. Chairman, 

particularly in countries like Russia where the rule of law is weak, 

in which hate speech statutes are misused to prosecute dissenting 

voices and civil society activists, even those who are speaking out 

against hatred and working to advance tolerance. Instead, hate 

speech must be countered by clear public statements from a cross 

section of political and civil society leaders to condemn prejudice 

and hatred and to affirm the dignity and rights of all. 

Consistent condemnation of hate speech is still sorely lacking 

across Europe and in many other parts of the world. It is vital that 

47

political leaders speak out promptly and unequivocally to condemn 

hate speech. Similarly, it is crucial that the voices condemning hate 

speech are raised not only from those in targeted communities. 

Creating a multi-faceted chorus of counter-speech is a key to 

marginalizing the voices of anti-Semitism and diminishing the impact on the targeted community. The United States has a long history of this approach in lieu of hate speech laws to address hateful 

views and political discourse. U.S. Embassy officials should speak 

more frequently in this way and urge influential political leaders 

in the countries in question to do the same. When political leaders 

from across party lines condemn anti-Semitism and other forms of 

intolerance it sends an important message to the victim communities and to others who would speak so. 

I want to summarize my recommendations quickly. The full text 

of them are in my written testimony. First, in order to strengthen 

U.S. leadership in this area, the U.S. should elevate the importance 

of religious freedom in its U.S. foreign policy by developing a national security strategy that promotes international religious freedom, combats anti-Semitic and related violence, and confronts hate 

speech while protecting free expression. Second, the U.S. should establish an interagency mechanism to deploy strategically the resources and programs from across the U.S. Government to combat 

hate crime globally. 

Third, making combating anti-Semitism an important component 

of bilateral engagement through an interagency effort. That means 

not just the State Department, but every agency of the U.S. Government needs to raise this in its bilateral relations with other 

countries. Fourth, maintaining the international leadership of the 

United States in multilateral forums like the OSCE is critically important, and thanks to your leadership, Mr. Chairman, we are 

doing just that. 

In conclusion, the failure to confront anti-Semitic hatred corrodes 

the right and security of all people, and that is why this hearing, 

framed as you have framed it, is so important. Thank you again, 

Mr. Chairman, for your leadership and your persistence in seeking 

to eradicate anti-Semitism. 

[The prepared statement of Ms. Massimino follows:]

48


79580c-1.eps

human rights first 

TESTIMONY OF ELISA MASSIMINO 

PRESIDENT AND CEO 

HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST 

BEFORE THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND INTERNATIONAL 

ORGANIZATIONS 

"ANTISEMITISM: A GROWING THREAT TO ALL FAITHS" 

FEBRUARY 27, 2013 

Introdnction 

Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Bass, and Members of the Subcommittee, thank you for 

convening this hearing to examine the growing threat of antisemitism. I appreciate the 

opportunity to be here today to share Human Rights First's findings and recommendations 

on this important matter and to discuss ways that we can work together with you to 

advance human rights protections. We are grateful to you, Mr. Chairman, for your 

leadership on combating antisemitism and to the Subcommittee for the important role it 

plays in keeping key human rights issues front and center in the Congress. We look 

forward to continuing to work with you and to assist in these efforts. 

Mr. Chairman, as you well know, antisemitism is a human rights issue. The failure of 

governments to confront it - to punish those who commit violence targeting Jews and 

Jewish communities and to condemn and counteract virulent antisemitic hate speechcreates an environment that endangers not only Jews but the rights and security of 

adherents of other religious faiths and members of other minority groups. A healthy civil 

society simply cannot flourish in the face of unchecked hatred. Indeed, we see time and 

again that hate does not exist in neat compartments, but creates an enabling environment 

where violence can occur targeting immigrants, members of religious minorities, Roma, 

people of African or Asian origin and LGBTI persons. 

Human Rights First has been working since 2002 to both monitor and combat antisemitic 

violence and press for stronger government action. Our advocacy has been based on 

documentation in regular reports of the problem and recommendations for action.! 

Additionally, since 2009 we have partnered with the Anti-Defamation League in 

producing annual reports on the implementation by the 57 participating States of the 

1 Fire and Broken Glass: The Rise of Antisemitism in Furope (2002); Antisemitism in 

Europe (2004); Everyday Fears: A Survey o.fVio!ent Hate Crimes in Europe and North 

America (2005); 2007 Hate Crime SUrl'ey: Antisemitism (2007); 2008 Hate Crime 

Survey: Antisemitic Vio1ence (2008); Antisemitic Vio1ence Annex (2008). 
49


79580c-2.eps

Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of their commitments to 

combat antisemitic and other hate crimes. 

Although antisemitism is a global problem, my testimony today will focus on antisemitic 

violence in Europe and the former Soviet Union. The translation of sentiment against 

Israel or the policies of its government into anti-Jewish antipathy has for more than a 

decade generated new and unique patterns of antisemitic violence in Europe that have 

fluctuated in relation to events in the Middle East. At the same time, age-old 

manifestations of antisemitism persist and are often deeply intertwined with the 

prejudices that fuel hatred against people because of their religion, ethnicity, sexual 

orientation and other characteristics. 

Antisemitism remains at the core of organized racial supremacist groups in Western 

Europe and of broad nationalist movements in eastern and Central Europe that target 

Roma, immigrants, LGBT persons, and religious minorities among others. In a telling 

example, Moscow's Darchei Shalom synagogue was firebombed in 2011 in retaliation for 

the high-profile sentencing of key members of a skinhead gang responsible for dozens of 

terrorist acts and hate crime murders, mostly on non-Slavs living and working in 

Moscow. The supporters of the jailed murderers chose to attack a synagogue to send a 

sharp message to the authorities and the Russian public: that antisemitism remains at the 

core of the multilayered orb of prejudices that fuel racist and xenophobic violence. 

It is thus important that individuals and leaders from faith and other communities come 

together to condemn antisemitism and other forms of hate violence and intolerance. This 

hearing is an important effort to reflect on the common threats facing multiple 

communities. 

At the same time, Human Rights First has long maintained that antisemitic violence, as 

well as other forms of hate crime, should not be seen simply as the problems of 

individual victims or their communities. Hate crime must be viewed and responded to as 

a serious violation of human rights. Governments have an obligation to confront these 

abuses, and there is much more they can be doing. These threats to fundamental rights 

must be challenged, not just by victims' groups or those who represent communities of 

targeted individuals, but by all of us who seek to advance universal rights and freedoms. 

Although some progress has been made in the last decade to draw greater attention to the 

issue-to a large extent in response to efforts led by the United States-high levels of 

antisemitic violence and related forms of hate crime persist, and the political will to 

reverse that trend remains sorely lacking in much of the OSCE region. 

I would like to make four key points today. 

• Antisemitism is a unique and potent form of racism and religious intolerance and 

the extent of violence motivated by anti-Jewish animus throughout much of the 

OSCE region remains at disturbingly high levels since the early 2000's. 

• With a few notable exceptions, governments have not responded adequately to 

this rising tide of violence, and there is an urgent need to adopt comprehensive 

strategies to combat it. 

2 
50


79580c-3.eps

• The failure to confront antisemitic hatred corrodes the rights and security of all 

persons. Along with antisemitic violence, the targeting of individuals because of 

their race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and other similar factors, 

has been on the rise in recent years in many countries. Strategies for combating 

antisemitic violence through a human rights framework are effective and 

necessary to confront these scourges as well. 

• The United States must continue to playa catalytic role to confront antisemitism 

globally, and we conclude with several recommendations for U.S. policy. 

ANTISEMITIC VIOLIi:NCE TODAY 

The level of antisemitic violence in Europe and North America remains at disturbingly 

high levels, following a significant increase beginning in 2000 and peaking in many 

countries in 2009. Although the number of incidents in the last decade has fluctuated 

from year-to-year and from country-to-country, monitoring has shown that synagogues, 

Jewish homes, and Jewish-owned businesses have been targeted in arson attacks and 

subjected to widespread vandalism, and students and employees in Jewish schools and 

ordinary people have been harassed, beaten, stabbed, or shot because they were Jewish. 

Antisemitism-like other forms of racism and religious intolerance-is an obstacle to 

participation in public life fully and free offear. 

In the "newer" form of antisemitism, Jews around the world have increasingly been 

targeted for violence and vilitication as if collectively responsible for wrongs attributed to 

the state ofIsrael. This new antisemitism combines the ancient roots and forms of 

antisemitism with new political elements, and may be partly responsible for both ongoing 

high levels of antisemitic violence and periodic surges in hate crime attacks. In the past, 

"trigger events" in the Middle East have been followed by sharp increases in attacks on 

Jewish institutions and on ordinary Jews living in Europe and North America. In 2009, 

for example, the conflict in Gaza was followed by a wave of attacks against Jews in 

Europe. 

The link to the policies in the Middle East is, however, only part oftoday's antisemitism. 

Contemporary antisemitism is multi-faceted and deeply rooted. It should not be viewed 

solely as a transitory side-effect of the conflict in the Middle East. Antisemitic incitement 

and violence predate the Middle East conflict and continue to be based in large part on 

centuries-old hatred and prejudice. The branding of Jews as scapegoats for both ancient 

and modem ills remains a powerful underlying factor in the antisemitic hatred and 

violence that continues to manifest itself today. This age-old antisemitic hatred is 

continuing to provoke violence across the OSCE region. 

Among representative incidents of antisemitic violence are the following: 

A Jewish cemetery near Wroclaw, Poland, and a Holocaust memorial site outside Kazan, 

Russia, were defaced in anti-Semitic attacks in February 2013. Unknown perpetrators 

spray-painted antisemitic slogans on a cemetery in Kalisz, and the vandals in Russia 

smashed a memorial and a menorah inaugurated for the 2011 international festival of 

Jewish culture in Ulyanovsk. 
51


79580c-4.eps

On October 5, 2012, the president of a Jewish congregation in the South Pest district of 

Budapest, Hungary, was attacked by two young men who kicked the victim in the 

stomach and made verbal threats. The victim did not require medical treatment for the 

injuries Police arrested the two alleged attackers, one of whom was convicted of the 

crime and sentenced to two years in prison. 

On September 28, 2012, an explosive device was detonated at a Jewish communal 

building in the early morning hours in Malmo, Sweden. No one was injured, but damage 

was caused to the building. A series of antisemitic attacks in Malmo, including acts of 

vandalism and tirebombings, prompted a demonstration of support of the Jewish 

community by local residents. 

On September 28, 2012, an arson attack took place at a Jewish boys' school in Stamford 

Hill, {JK. In July, a Jewish man was beaten by four unknown perpetrators in the same 

Jewish Orthodox neighborhood. 

On April 8,2012, unknown assailants beat a 25-year-old Jewish man in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

The victim was wearing a kippah after attending a Pesakh celebration at the Brodsky 

synagogue earlier that evening He was hospitalized and remained in critical condition for 

several days. 

On February 23, 20 II, three youths verbally harassed and punched a rabbi at the 

Lausanne Synagogue in Switzerland. The attack took place as the victim was leaving the 

synagogue. 

The U.S. State Department's 2011 Religious Freedom report cites cases of personal 

violence, vandalism, and desecration in 20 countries in Europe. 

Beyond the cases that make the headlines, the data that is available from the few 

government and NGO monitors also corroborates the steady levels of violence in recent 

years. Some telling statistics from the past few years: 

• Canada: B'nai Brith's League for Human Rights found a "negligible decrease" of 0.7 

percent in antisemitic activity in the country in 2011. A total of 1,297 incidents were 

reported, including 916 cases of harassment, 362 involved vandalism; and 19 cases of 

violence. 

• France: Antisemitic violence in France rose sharply in the tirst years of the decade, 

reaching a peak in 2004. By 2008, the number of incidents had stabilized, although at 

levels some 10 times higher than those recorded in 1999. The National Consultative 

Commission on Human Rights in France reported 389 antisemitic actions and threats 

in 2011, a decline from 466 in 2010 and 815 in 2009. Early reports from 2012 suggest 

another sharp increase. Although the annual CNCDH report has yet to be released, 

the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France reported on a 58 percent 

increase in acts of antisemitic violence in 2012 over 2011 

• Germany: The number of politically motivated crimes with an antisemitic motive 

recorded by the GenTIan police has decreased from 1,691 in 2001 to 1,239 in 2011 

(29 cases in 20 II involved violence). The peak of incidents was recorded in 2006 

(1,809). 

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• Russia: Jews have been among the victims of a sharp rise in hate crime committed by 

neo-Nazis, but a significant reduction in violence followed the peak of murders 

recorded in 2009. In 201 I, the SOYA Center for Information and Analysis reported 

one assault and 13 cases of damage to property, and one case of arson motivated by 

antisemitism. 

• Sweden: The police recorded a sharp increase in antisemitic crimes in 2008-2009 

(250 in 2009), after which the±igure stabilized (194 incidents in 20 II, 161 in 2010) 

According to the police, most of these incidents are crimes against the person. 

• Ukraine: Attacks on synagogues, memorials, and Jewish institutions continue to 

occur, although the number of personal assaults remains low, with no more than 3 

attacks recorded in one year since 2008. The reductions come following a period from 

2006-2008 in which antisemitic attacks were a part of a sharp rise in overall hate 

crime incidents. 

• United Kingdom: Data presented by the Community Security Trust identified 2009 

as the worst year on record for antisemitic incidents, while marking a significant 

decrease in 2010.640 antisemitic incidents were recorded by CST in 2012, a slight 

increase from the 608 antisemitic incidents recorded in 2011. Official data cite 438 

incidents for 201 I, a slight decrease from 488 in 2010, although a significant decline 

from the 703 cases recorded in 2009. 

In the United States, antisemitic hate crimes are still the majority of all recorded 

antireligious incidents (62 percent of 1,318 in 2009). 

In addition to the importance of responding to antisemitic attacks through a hate crime 

framework, the security of Jewish individuals and institutions must also be viewed in the 

context of combating domestic and global terrorism, as demonstrated by two high-profile 

terrori st attacks in 2012. 

• In March 2012, a series of three terrorist attacks targeting Jewish civilians and 

French soldiers in the French cities of Mont au ban and Toulouse was carried out 

by Merah, a 23-year-old man of Algerian descent In total, seven people were 

killed, and five others were injured, including four Jews who were murdered at 

the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse, including a Rabbi and his two 

children, aged six and three. The perpetrator was shot and killed by the police 

after a long siege, and the French government alleged that Merah had trained with 

al Qaeda in Pakistan's Waziristan region, bordering Afghanistan, and also spent 

time in Afghanistan. 

• At least seven people were killed and some 30 others were injured on July 18, 

2012, in a terrorist attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Burgas, some 400 

kilometers east of the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. In February 2013, the Bulgarian 

government reported the results of an official investigation, indicating that 

Hezbollah's so-called military wing was responsible for the planning and carrying 

out the attack. The Bulgarian minister of the interior said that there was reliable, 

well-founded information linking at least two of the three Burgas attackers to 

Hezbollah. 

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ANTISEMITIC HATE SPEECH 

Violent crime is antisemitism's sharp edge, but these crimes often occur in the context of 

virulent hate speech. In some countries, established political and religious leaders engage 

in persistent antisemitic discourse, attacking Jews through stereotypes, slanders, and 

scapegoating. In addition, Jews as a people are vilified in the context of attacks on Israel 

or Israeli policies. While criticism of Israeli government-or any government's-policies 

is certainly legitimate, criticism of Israel or the Zionist movement crosses the line to 

become antisemitism when it disparages or demonizes Jews as a people. 

The presence of representatives of political parties in local and national government that 

openly espouse racist and antisemitic views and policies is a disturbing dimension of 

antisemitism's continuing presence and a formidable obstacle in the path of efforts to 

confront it. Political parties that espouse antisemitic among other racist, xenophobic and 

homophobic views have come to power through elections in several countries in recent 

years. 

• Members of Hungary , s Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik), a radical 

nationalist political party, are often denounced for neo-fascist, racist, antisemitic, 

anti-Roma, and homophobic pronouncements. Jobbik won 47 (12 percent) seats in 

the 2010 Parliamentarian elections, building on the success of their 2009 

campaign for the European Parliament seats, in which Jobbik members won 3 

seats. 

• The All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda won its first seats in the Verkhovna Rada in 

2012, taking 10 percent of the popular vote that gave the party 38 mandates in the 

450-member parliament. The far-right Union is commonly accused of racist and 

antisemitic positions. 

• Greece's right-wing People's Association-Golden Dawn - rejects the neo-Nazi 

and fascist labeling, though its representatives use Nazi symbols, have praised 

German Nazi leaders in the past, and have engaged in deeply xenophobic rhetoric 

in an environment in which immigrants in Greece have been the overwhelming 

victims of a sharp rise in hate crime attacks that have gone largely unpunished. 

Golden Dawn members hold 18 seats (7 percent) in the Greek Parliament. 

When hate speech involves direct and immediate threats of vi 01 ence to particular 

individuals or institutions, governments must hold perpetrators responsible under 

criminal law. But government leaders should also recognize the limits of criminal law to 

address what is often more a political and social problem, rather than a legal one. There 

are ample cases, particularly in countries like the Russian Federation where rule oflaw is 

poorly developed, in which hate speech statues are misused to prosecute dissenting 

voices and civil society activists, including those who are speaking out against hatred and 

working to advance tolerance. 

As noted above, all too often public oUicials and religious and other community leaders 

are the ones responsible for statements advocating or inciting anti-Jewish hatred, which 

can create an enabling environment for violence. It is important to approach this 

challenge in a thoughtful manner; confronting hate speech must not impinge on free 

expression. Such hate speech needs to be countered by clear public statements from a 

cross-section of political and civil society leaders, to condemn prejudice and hatred and 

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to affirm the dignity and rights of all. These voices are needed to confront the growing 

wave of populist parties - such as Jobbik, Svoboda, and Golden Dawn - developing 

constituencies across Europe. 

Recently, in Hungary, Marton Gyongyosi of Jobbik stated that it was time to determine 

"how many people of Jewish origin there are here, especially in the Hungarian parliament 

and the Hungarian government, who represent a certain national security risk." The 

comments outraged much of the Hungarian population and led to a rally, organized by 

Jewish and civic groups. More than 10,000 people attended the protest outside the 

parliament building. The rally was led by politicians from both the government and 

opposition parties. Parliamentary faction leader of the governing Fidesz party Antal 

Rogan addressed the crowd. "1 came because in this situation 1 cannot stay quiet," Rogan 

said. "Hungary defends its citizens" The American ambassador also attended the rally. 

The U.S embassy said in a statement that "the recurrence of antisemitic and other racist 

statements in the Hungarian parliament demonstrates the need to further empower voices 

of tolerance and peaceful coexistence in Hungary." 

Sadly, this example is rare. Effective and consistent strategies for marginalizing these 

voices of intolerance are still sorely lacking across Europe and in many other parts of the 

world. Counterspeech at the political level and from a broader base of the social and 

religious and civil society groups than just the individual targeted communities is a key 

strategy for marginalizing those who voice antisemitic sentiments and for diminishing the 

impact of such hateful speech on the target community. 

The United States has a long history of using counterspeech-rather than hate speech 

laws-to address hateful views in political discourse. It could playa role globally by 

encouraging embassy officials to more frequently speak out publicly and to encourage 

influential political leaders in the country in question to do the same. When political 

leaders from across party lines speak out against antisemitism and related fonns of 

intolerance, it sends an important signal to communities. This is a practice that is sorely 

needed, but one that is lacking in many countries. The United States, with leadership 

from key members of Congress, can set an important example of the effectiveness of this 

important strategy to combat hatred, while respecting freedom of expression. 

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE: THE DATA 

DEFICIT 

Violent hate crime is always harmful to society but is particularly destructive when there 

is either no response or an inadequate response by State institutions. Governments are 

obliged under national legislation and international human rights law to protect 

individuals-citizens and noncitizens, regardless of their legal status-from 

discrimination by addressing antisemitic and other fOTIns of hate crime. Too often, 

though, the reality is that there is inadequate justice in these cases. An expectation of 

impunity can contribute to an escalation of such attacks. 

Since 2009, Human Rights First worked with the Anti-Defamation League to produce an 

annual review of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights' 

(ODlHR) hate crime report. Our joint analysis points to the inadequate response to 

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antisemitic and other violence by most OSCE participating States, and we also advance 

recommendations for what States can do to improve both their record on hate crimes as 

well as the reporting process that allows governments and nongovernmental 

organizations (NGOs) to track progress. 

Human Rights First has advocated a comprehensive program of action for governments 

to combat antisemitic and other forms of bias-motivated violence (see Human Rights 

First's attached Ten-Point Plan). Monitoring and public reporting has been at the heart of 

those recommendations. 

An etfective government response to violent hate crimes is difficult, ifnot impossible, 

without a clear picture of the extent of the problem. Without adequate monitoring, it is 

difficult to identify accurately emerging trends or hate crime hotspots, develop strategies 

for prevention and protection, and detennine which groups are most frequently the 

victims of violent hate crimes. Understanding the profile of perpetrators of violent hate 

crime is also important, yet assumptions and generalizations - for example with regard to 

the incidence of antisemitic attacks committed by Muslims - can be damaging if not 

based on scrupulously collected data .. Without public reporting on the criminal justice 

response to hate crimes, it is difficult to ensure that adequate legal tools and resources are 

in place to investigate and prosecute such crimes. This reporting on actions taken is also 

essential to reassure the public that etfective efforts are being made to provide protection 

from violence. 

In our first report on the problem, in 2002, we pointed to a "data deficit" on antisemitic 

otJenses, with most governments failing even to monitor and report upon these crimes. 

Ten years later, the findings of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and 

Human Rights (ODlHR) latest annual report-"Hate Crimes in the OSCE Region" 

Report for 20 II-point to the lack of progress of most States to fulfill commitments to 

combat antisemitic and other hate crimes. Human Rights First's analysis of systems of 

monitoring reveals a serious data collection deficit, with only 17 of the 57 participating 

States of the OSCE fu1t1l1ing their basic commitments to monitor hate crimes. The others 

collect and publish either nothing at all or extremely limited information on the incidence 

of antisemitic or other hate crimes. According to OSCEIODIHR' s latest Hate Crime 

Report, although 21 countries claim to collect data on antisemitic otJenses, only 5 States 

actually submit data to ODIHR (Gennany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, and the United 

Kingdom). 

THE SHARED BURDEN OF UNCHECKED ANTISEMITISM AND RELATED 

INTOLERANCE 

A shared problem requires a shared solution. Hate crime laws and government policies to 

confront all forms of bias-motivated violence offer equal protection. Advocacy to 

advance a broad hate crime framework offers a unique chance for communities to join 

forces. 

The situation in Ukraine otJers a good example of the efJectiveness of joint responses to 

manifestations of intolerance that affect multiple groups, including religious 

communities. Beginning in 2005, NGOs in Ukraine began documenting a dramatic rise in 

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violent hate crimes against a range of visible minorities, including Jews, with a six-fold 

increase in documented cases between 2006 and 2008. Civil society groups responded by 

forming the "Di versity Initiative" -a coalition of dozens of entities, including domestic 

and international NGOs and agencies-that was launched to coordinate efforts to raise 

awareness of the problem, provide assistance to victims, and advocate a more robust 

government response. After 2008, following pressure from domestic and international 

actors, the authorities in Ukraine publicly signaled that racist violence was unacceptable, 

formed an interministerial commission to combat xenophobia, and began to address hate 

crimes in a more systematic way. The number of recorded hate crime attacks decreased 

markedly in 2009 and 2010. 

Our global monitoring shows that no religious community is immune to harassment, 

vandalism, and personal attacks motivated by prejudice and hatred. We are often 

reminded by these commonalities through the disturbing examples in which vigilante 

militias patrol Jewish and Roma neighborhoods, or skinhead gangs roam the streets 

looking to attack Jews, Muslim immigrants, and homosexuals. While the government has 

a responsibility to ensure that all such cases are investigated and prosecuted, civil society 

groups have a leading role in driving the public conscience according to our shared 

values in ensuring the fundamental human rights of all people. 

Hate crime violence affects a variety of individuals and communities around the world: 

refugees and migrants, persons of all faiths, ethnic minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 

transgender (LGBT) persons, and many others. Beyond antisemitism, there are multiple 

biases that fuel the hate crimes that occur across the globe, among them: 

• Racist and xenophobic violence have been on the rise in many places, 

particularly in the face of the global economic downturn. Sometimes these crimes 

are triggered by racist sentiments; in other religious differences or economic 

factors spark crimes of intolerance. The common thread is that the targets of 

xenophobic violence are usually marginalized communities that are often viewed 

as foreign, while the perpetrators of such violence often escape with relative 

impunity. Refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants are among the principal targets 

of racially and religiously motivated violence as they are often easily 

distinguished by their appearance, language, religion and customs. Often times, 

groups and indi viduals that target foreigners espouse antisemitism as well as 

hatred of Muslims, LGBTI individuals, and Roma. 

• Attacks motivated by religious hatred continue, creating an atmosphere of fear 

and anxiety and obstructing individual rights to freedom of religion and belief. 

Religious communities can be subject to acts of vandalism and other serious 

property damage, such as the December 2012 arson attack on three churches in 

Amstetten, Austria, or the 2011 destruction of graves at the Muslim cemetery of 

Pospos, Greece. Individuals associated with religious groups have also been 

targeted for violence. 

• Roma and Sinti face violent hate crimes and a myriad of other forms of public 

and pri vate discrimination throughout Europe. A pattern of violence is directed at 

causing immediate hann to Roma and physically eradicating their presence in 

towns and communities in Europe. Racist violence against Roma remains gravely 

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underreported. Roma routinely suffer racist assaults in city streets and other 

public places as they travel to and from homes, workplaces, and markets. 

• Continuing violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity bias, 

though still largely unseen, is an intimidating day-to-day reality for LGBT 

individuals, as well as others who do not confonn to stereotypes of gender 

identity or simply advocate for LGBT rights. Gay pride parades and events in a 

number of countries have resulted in hateful diatribes from political leaders, 

inadequate police protection, and acts of harassment and violence against the 

participants. LGBT individuals are particularly vulnerable in countries where 

same-sex relations are criminalized. Consensual same-sex relations are 

criminalized in two OSCE countries (Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan) and in 78 

globally. 

THE UNITED STATES IS A GLOBAL LEADER IN COMBATING 

ANTISEMITISM AND OTHER HATE CRIME 

The United States has been a leader in recognizing and documenting the global problem 

of antisemitic and other hate crime and placing it on the international human rights 

agenda. In order to continue this global leadership role, the United States must continue 

to look to the situation here at home, where antisemitic and other hate crime remain a 

serious problem. A strong response at home makes the U.S. credible when it advocates 

for responses from governments around the world to similar problems. The rising tide of 

violent hate crime across the globe makes U.S. global leadership on this issue important. 

Human Rights First welcomed the enactment of the 2009 Matthew Shepard and James 

Byrd, Jf. Hate Crime Prevention Act, which was championed by American LGBTI, 

Jewish, and civil and human rights organizations. The law has given renewed tools and 

vigor to the efforts to combat antisemitic and other bias-motivated violence in this 

country. The newly adopted legislation and its active implementation reaffinns the U.S 

government's commitment to developing a comprehensive response to domestic hate 

crime and otIers an opportunity for the United States to demonstrate leadership in both 

bilateral and multilateral etIorts to combat the scourge of hate crime globally. 

The United States has long been engaged constructively in international efforts to 

confront antisemitism. The Global Antisemitism Review Act's establishment of a Special 

Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism is an important position through which to 

strengthen U.S. advocacy of policies to address the problem around the world. We 

commend the work of Hannah Rosenthal, the Special Envoy until October 2012. She was 

an energetic and outspoken voice, traveling to numerous countries to raise U.S. concerns 

about and condemn antisemitism. She was actively involved in training foreign service 

officers. Ms. Rosenthal and the Special Representative to Muslim Communities, Farah 

Pandith, demonstrated the interconnectedness of their issues at a high-level conference on 

combating intolerance in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2010. At the meeting, Rosenthal 

presented the U.S. delegation's official intervention on combating anti-Muslim 

intolerance, while Pandith delivered the intervention on combating antisemitism. In 2010, 

Rosenthal also spearheaded and led a visit of several Imams to Auschwitz to bear witness 

to the horrors of the past and to build partnerships in combating antisemitism and 

intolerance against Muslims. 

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The United States, with the active leadership of Chairmen Chris Smith and Ben Cardin, 

as well as other members of the Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has 

played a leading role in establishing and supporting the OSCE Personal Representative 

on Combating Antisemitism in the OSCE region. One of the individuals testifying in the 

second panel of this hearing-Andrew Baker-currently holds that mandate. We have 

welcomed his commitment and the opportunity to work closely with him. Many aspects 

of the OSCE's work on this issue are models for other international structures, and the 

U.S. contributed substantial efforts to creating and sustaining that modeL 

There is, however, much more work to be done by the Administration and the Congress 

to confront the growing threats of antisemitism in Europe and elsewhere. Human Rights 

First recommends that the U.S government: 

I. Elevate the importance of religious freel/om in U.S. foreign policy by developing a 

national security strategy that promotes international religious freedom, combats 

antisemitic and related violence and confronts hate speech while protecting freedom 

of expression. To this end: 

• Secretary of State John Kerry should articulate early in his tenure his strategy 

to leverage U.s. leadership to combat antisemitic and other violent hate crime 

around the globe. 

• The Administration should immediately fill the position of Special Envoy to 

Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. The Special Envoy should have a deep 

commitment to and experience in identifying and combating antisemitism. 

The Envoy should have a track record of success in coalition building with 

diverse communities and in interfaith engagement 

• Through reporting and public diplomacy, the Special Envoy should work to 

advance efforts to confront antisemitism as an integral part of the State 

Department's focus on human rights, rule oflaw, and democracy around the 

world. 

• The Special Envoy should lead efforts to institutionalize training of State 

Department personnel on identifying and responding to different 

manifestations of antisemitism, including increasing the instruction on 

antisemitism and related issues in the basic training of foreign service officers. 

• The Special Envoy should conduct regular country visits, alone as well as part 

of larger delegations, including with Members of Congress, to raise concerns 

directly with political, religious, and civil leaders in country. 

• Congress should continue to conduct periodic hearings and otherwise invite 

the Special Envoy and other representatives of the State Department to outline 

the Administration's strategy and report on progress in combating 

antisemitism. 

Members of Congress should use the opportunity of their participation in 

interparliamentary institutions and in international travel to engage their 

parliamentary counterparts and representatives of foreign governments in 

combating antisemitism. Members of Congress have a particular role to play 

in pressing their counterparts to speak out publicly and regularly to 

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marginalize those voices that foster antisemitism and other forms of 

intolerance. 

2. Establish an interagency mechanism to deploy strategically the resources and 

programsfrom across the d!{(erent u.s. government agencies to combat hate crime 

globally. To this end 

• The Administration should create an Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) or 

other interagency mechanism, to facilitate systematic and regular informationsharing and collaboration among the Department of State, Department of 

Justice, and related agencies that are equipped to take action to combat 

antisemitic and other bias-motivated violence globally. 

• The Department of Justice should expand international etl'orts of its 

International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) 

and Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training 

(OPDAT) programming to include hate crime-tailored training initiatives for 

foreign law enforcement and criminal justice personnel and civil society. 

The State Department should include in its International Law Enforcement 

Academies specific training courses on combating all forms of hate crime. 

3. Make combating antisemitism an important component of Bilateral Engagement 

through an interagency effort to: 

• Raise incidents and patterns of hate crime violence with representatives of 

foreign governments and encourage vigorous responses. Share concrete 

recommendations, such as those articulated in Human Rights First's Ten-Point 

plan for combating hate crime, and offer support to implement them. Remind 

government leaders of their commitments through the OSCE and elsewhere to 

combat hate crime. 

• Maintain strong and inclusive Department of State monitoring and public 

reporting on antisemitic, racist and xenophobic, anti-Muslim, homophobic, 

anti-Roma, and other bias-motivated violence. 

• Offer appropriate technical assistance and other forms of cooperation, 

including training of police and prosecutors to investigate, record, report, and 

prosecute violent hate crimes, and organize international visitors programs to 

the U.S. for representatives of law enforcement, victims' communities and 

legal advocates. 

• Support civil society groups working to combat bias-motivated violence, by 

facilitating access to existing U.S. funding programs and by directing 

Embassy and Department of State representatives to meet with such civil 

society groups and members of affected communities on a regular basis. 

4. Maintain the international leadership of the United States in multilateralforums, 

particular(v the OSeE. 

Congress should support the State Department to demonstrate international leadership by: 

• Providing political and financial support to the Organization for Security and 

Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to increase practical work on xenophobic, racist, 

and other hate crime. 

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• Elevating the issue of antisemitism by supporting the efforts of the Personal 

Representative on Combating Antisemitism's to convene in 2013 a meeting on 

enhancing the security of Jewish institutions. 

• Strengthening the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 

and its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to: 

o press member states to comply with OSCE commitments on tolerance and 

nondiscrimination, in particular with the 2009 Decision on Combating Hate 

Crime; 

o maintain strong support for the organization's hate crime technical assistance 

programs; and 

o support an active role for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division as the 

designated Hate Crime Point of Contact for the OSCE. 

CONCLUSION 

The failure to confront antisemitic hatred corrodes the rights and security of all persons. 

Along with antisemitic violence, the targeting of individuals because of their race, 

religion, national origin, sexual orientation, and other similar factors, is on the rise in 

many countries. Strategies for combating antisemitic violence through a human rights 

framework are effective and necessary to confront all forms of hate crime violence, the 

solutions to which have much in common. The United States must continue to playa 

catalytic role in confronting antisemitic violence, and in doing so address all forms of 

global hate crime. 

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1. Acknowledge and condemn violent hate crimes whenever they oewf'. Senior 

government leaders should send immediate, strong, public, and consistent messages 

that violent crimes which appear to be motivated by prejudice and intolerance will be 

investigated thoroughly and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. 

2. Enact laws that expressly address hatc crimes. Recognizing the particular harm 

caused by violent hate crimes, governments should enact laws that establish specific 

offenses or provide enhanced penalties for violent crimes committed because of the 

victim's race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, mental 

and physical disabilities, or other similar status. 

3. Strengthen enforcement and pmsecl.lte offenders. Governments should ensure that 

those responsible for hate crimes are held accountable under the law, that the 

enforcement of hate crime laws is a priority for the criminal justice system, and that 

the record of their enforcement is well documented and publicized. 

4. Provide adequate instructions and resources to law enforcement bodies. 

Governments should ensure that police and investigators-as the first responders in 

cases of violent crime-are specifically instructed and have the necessary procedures, 

resources and training to identify, investigate and register bias moti ves before the 

courts, and that prosecutors have been trained to bring evidence of bias motivations 

and apply the legal measures required to prosecute hate crimes. 

5. t!ndertake plII'!iamentary, interagency or other special inqniries into the 

problem of hate crimes. Such public, official inquiries should encourage public 

debate, investigate ways to better respond to hate crimes, and seek creative ways to 

address the roots of intolerance and discrimination through education and other 

means. 

6. Monitor and report on hate (Times. Governments should maintain official systems 

of monitoring and public reporting to provide accurate data for informed policy 

decisions to combat violent hate crimes. Such systems should include anonymous and 

disaggregated information on bias motivations and/or victim groups, and should 

monitor incidents and offenses, as well as prosecutions. Governments should consider 

establishing third party complaint procedures to encourage greater reporting of hate 

crimes and conducting periodic hate crime victimization surveys to monitor 

underreporting by victims and under recording by police. 

7. Create and stn~ngthen antidiscrimination bodies. Official antidiscrimination and 

human rights bodies should have the authority to address hate crimes through 

monitoring, reporting, and assistance to victims. 

8. Rearh out to community gronps. Governments should conduct outreach and 

education efforts to communities and civil society groups to reduce fear and assist 

victims, advance police-community relations, encourage improved reporting of hate 

crimes to the police and improve the quality of data collection by law enforcement 

bodies. 

9. Speak out against official iutolerance and bigotry. Freedom of speech allows 

considerable latitude for offensive and hateful speech, but public figures should be 

held to a higher standard. Members of parliament and local government leaders 

should be held politically accountable for bigoted words that encourage 

discrimination and violence and create a climate of fear for minorities. 

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10. Encourage international cooperation 011 hate crimes. Governments should support 

and strengthen the mandates of intergovernmental organizations that are addressing 

discrimination-like the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the 

European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, and the Fundamental Rights 

Agency-including by encouraging such organizations to raise the capacity of and 

train police, prosecutors, and judges, as well as other otlicial bodies and civil society 

groups to combat violent hate crimes. Governments should also provide a detailed 

accounting on the incidence and nature of hate crimes to these bodies in accordance 

with relevant commitments. 

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Confronting Hatred While Respecting Freedom of Expression 

Rather than create new international norms restricting freedom of expression, Human 

Rights First recommends the following steps that governments, political leaders and 

public officials should take to 

Combat bias-motivated violence and other forms of public and private discrimination; 

Condemn and counteract speech that incites violence against or promotes acts that 

curtail the enjoyment of rights by particular individuals and groups on account of 

their religion, race, national origin, etc.; 

!III Reduce fear among targeted individuals and communities and diffuse community 

tensions; 

Promote communication among affected communities, law enforcement, political 

leadership and civil society; and 

Advance intercultural and interreligious understanding. 

These recommendations are based on the work that Human Rights First has done for the 

past several years to combat racist, antisemitic, xenophobic, anti-Muslim, homophobic 

and related violence, primarily in North America, Europe and the former Soviet Union. 

Guidelines to Confront Hatred 

1. Speak Out Against Hatred 

A. Political leaders, government and other officials serving in public office should: 

ill! Pledge to refrain from using rhetoric that incites violence or promotes acts that curtail 

the enj oyment of rights by others. 

!III Speak out publicly and consistently to condemn such speech when it occurs; build 

political consensus-reaching out across political party lines-to encourage speaking 

out. 

B. Governments should: 

Establish guidelines and best practices for public officials at all levels to prevent 

statements that incite violence or promote acts that would curtail the enjoyment of 

rights by others. 

2. Counteract the Impact of Hatred 

A. Governments and all officials serving in puhlic office should: 

Provide adequate security to individuals, communities and religious or other 

institutions that face threats of violence. 

Establish specialized bodies or empower the appropriate existing bodies to diffuse 

community tensions as well as foster collaborative approaches and improve lines of 

communication between local government, local law enforcement, civil society 

groups, and community leaders to ensure effective responses to violence and hateful 

public discourse. 

III Train civil servants-particularly those that engage routinely with the public-on 

promoting respect for the rights of others, dealing with incidents of hate-moti vated 

violence and combating negative stereotypes of, and discrimination against, 

individuals and groups. 

16 
64


79580c-17.eps

Enact laws prohibiting both public and private discrimination that are in line with 

international standards and ensure proper oversight and public accountability of their 

enforcement. 

iii! Build public trust in government institutions by ensuring accountability for human 

rights violations by everyone including government officials-such as racial profiling 

and police abuse of victims of bias-motivated violence. 

Ensure adherence to international treaty commitments guaranteeing freedom of 

expression, freedom of association and assembly, freedom of religion and belief and 

other human rights. 

B. All (ifJicials serving ill public office should: 

Use every opportunity to affirm common bonds of humanity and to guarantee equal 

protection under the law without discrimination for all individuals-citizens and 

noncitizens-in their jurisdiction. Leaders should take advantage of their positions to 

promote interreligious and intercultural understanding as well as policies and 

practices of nondiscrimination. 

3. Combat Violent Hate Crime 

Governments are required to fulfill their international legal obligations to combat 

discrimination. When discrimination is manifested in hate crimes, States must transfoTIn 

the principles of nondiscrimination and equal protection into practical action. 

A. Governments should: 

Acknowledge and condemn violent hate crimes whenever they occnr. Senior 

government leaders should send immediate, strong, public, and consistent messages 

that violent hate crimes will be investigated thoroughly and prosecuted to the full 

extent of the law. 

Strengthen enforcement and prosecute offenders. Governments should ensure that 

those responsible for hate crimes are held accountable under the law, that the 

prosecution of hate crimes against anyone regardless of their legal status in the 

country is a priority for the criminal justice system. 

Monitor and report on violent hate crimes. Governments should maintain official 

systems of monitoring and public reporting to provide accurate data for informed 

policy decisions to combat violent hate crimes, including against refugees and asylum 

seekers. 

Reach out to community groups. Governments should conduct outreach and 

education efforts to communities and civil society groups to reduce fear and assist 

victims, advance police-community relations, encourage improved reporting of hate 

crimes to the police and improve the quality of data collection by law enforcement 

bodies. 

5. Strengthen the Capacity of Intergovernmental Bodies 

A. Governments should: 

l1li Comply with international norms and cooperate with international human rights 

bodies and mechanisms that regularly review States' fulfillment of human rights 

commitments-including treaty bodies, the United Nations High Commissioner for 

Human Rights, and the special procedures of the Human Rights Council concerning 

freedom of expression, religion and belief, and combating racism. 

17 
65


79580c-18.eps

Support and strengthen the mandates of regional intergovernmental organizations and 

mechanisms that are addressing discrimination, such as the Organization for Security 

and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Council of Europe, the Organization of 

American States and others. 

Encourage the active participation of civil society groups and representatives of 

targeted communities in relevant international bodies and mechanisms. 

18 
66

Mr. SMITH. Thank you so much, Ms. Massimino. 

Let me just begin the questioning and then yield to my distinguished colleagues. 

Dr. Jasser, you talked about this tendency to give Muslims a 

pass. There are number of Muslim leaders, as you and I know so 

well, Dr. Ceric, the former Grand Mufti of Bosnia who has spoken 

out repeatedly as have others. But I find, and you may find this 

as well, they get almost no traction in the popular media and absolutely no coverage in the Middle East. You pointed out the role 

that—how did you put it—anti-Semitism is long a tool utilized by 

Islamists in order to invoke common sympathy from secular nationalists who also developed a hatred of Jews in order to avoid national introspection? To what extent is that understood in the Muslim world? And if you could speak to the role, and others might 

want to speak to it as well, that hate TV plays. 

We had Natan Sharansky testify at one of my hearings years 

ago, and he brought a clip of a soap opera, so-called, that ran 

throughout the Middle East that showed a blood libel, a little boy, 

Christopher, having his throat slit, to be put into the matzah, an 

absolute libel against Jews, and he said, people believe this. And 

I am wondering, how can such a lie be embraced by so many people? Where is the corresponding pushback? But if you could speak 

to that. 

Dr. JASSER. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman Smith. I can’t tell 

you how important all these questions are. I will start with the last 

one which is hate TV and the media. It is no mistake that these 

ideas are getting traction. It is because of the billions of dollars put 

behind it. Al Jazeera has a huge following. Egyptian TV, Iranian 

Press TV, all of these propaganda arms are bolstered with billions 

of dollars and simply spread a lot of these ideas. And eventually 

even though the people may distrust and hate their governments 

and dictatorships, it is going to gain traction in their mindset because that was all they see. And that is why the Arab Awakening 

has been a good thing in order to begin to have diversity in the 

media and in the mindsets. 

And the other thing is that we have been missing in action as 

far as promoting ideas and engaging in their media. When we put 

money into Iraq and the media there that we had, Hora TV, it 

doesn’t get any ratings. They are not going to watch American TV. 

What we need to do is give platforms to Muslim organizations, 

Muslim reformers as you mentioned from Bosnia, and we have a 

coalition of reformers called the American Islamic Leadership Coalition that includes Canadian and American reformers that right 

now is almost 30 different members of organizations that have 

been working to expose anti-Semitism. It includes people like 

Tarek Fatah that has recently written a book on Islamist anti-Semitism. So I think it is important. 

These platforms do not come easily. They have had a huge head 

start because of the funding, and that funding has had a core ideology. The secularists of these dictatorships have in many ways coopted this anti-Semitism as a bridge to build these coalitions. The 

people really have been taken by it because there is no infrastructure of education, economic well-being, free markets, in order to 

counter this. And until the secularists who are a majority, I beVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00070 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
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lieve, find some unifying idea, they are going to continue to be 

fractionated, and the Islamists who are only a plurality are going 

to continue to win elections as they have in Egypt and Tunisia 

until the secularists can come together in a unifying idea such as 

liberty. In the meantime, they have only been unified by generations of hate. 

Mubarak, who was supposedly our ally, showed the protocols. 

Assad, in Syria, and his father instilled hate. They instill hate in 

their population even though they are secular against faith communities because it works to monopolize the masses and control their 

mindset via anti-Semitism as the tool to do that. And I can’t tell 

you enough how much it is important for us to develop public-private partnerships of reform based organizations, and I think antiSemitism work against it will be a tool to begin to get into taking 

sides within the house of Islam. As long as we don’t take sides the 

Islamists are going to win because they are the strong horse. 

Mr. SMITH. Let me ask you, Dr. Lantos Swett, what you in your 

testimony quoted Egyptian President Morsi as urging the teaching 

of hatred of Jews to the country’s children. Why is it that so many 

governments, and that would include our own, mistakingly look at 

the Muslim Brotherhood as somehow being moderate when it has 

such a profoundly anti-Semitic foundation to it? 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. Well, I think this relates to an ongoing challenge that those of us who advocate passionately on behalf of 

human rights face, and that is the ever-present spectre of realpolitik. I think that we have historically viewed the Muslim Brotherhood as a very dangerous organization with values and principles 

and platforms utterly inimical to our American values and democracy. But as my colleague Zuhdi Jasser just said, because the Muslim Brotherhood specifically in Egypt was the strong horse after 

the fall of Mubarak, we found ourselves walking down that road of 

finding reasons to excuse and explain away very, very disturbing 

elements of their platform. 

And I think that is the situation that we find ourselves in. I 

think it is also sadly a reality that Morsi is probably now relatively 

speaking moderate as against some of the really extreme Salafis 

who are part of his coalition and are playing a very, very significant role in Egypt today. So I think we are drawn down that road, 

and history shows again and again and again that human rights, 

when they are marginalized, when they are put in a neat, tidy, little box in the corner, is something that we simply address rhetorically every now and then and then conveniently kind of stash them 

in that diplomatic corner labeled irrelevant and unimportant. It 

comes back to bite us in a very hard way when it comes to the rubber meets the road reality of American politics. 

My colleague, Elisa Massimino, down at the end of the table, 

spoke about the need for the United States to develop a national 

security policy based around the priority and importance of religious freedom. Anybody with eyes to see can understand that many 

of the gravest threats facing our nation today from a national security and a terrorism, anti-terrorism perspective are coming from societies where religious freedom is constrained, where you don’t 

have robust protections that lead to tolerance, democracy, pluralism, all the virtues that we are here advancing. So it is a very 

68

dangerous and short-sighted game to ignore the long term strength 

that comes to a society when we base our policies on standing firmly and strongly for our most profound values. Because those profound values of pluralism, tolerance, democracy, equality, and freedom have built the strong nation that we enjoy today. And it is by 

pursuing and strengthening those policies abroad that we can build 

strong allies and strong partners. 

Mr. SMITH. The chair’s time is expired. Mr. Cicilline? 

Mr. CICILLINE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the witnesses for a really compelling and powerful testimony. I am certain 

that if everyone in the world had the opportunity to just hear the 

testimony of these five witnesses it would mark significant progress 

in our efforts to eradicate anti-Semitism. So thank you. And particularly thank you because I think the particular power of nonJewish voices in this work is significant, and you all represent very 

important organizations and institutions and religious traditions 

that I think need to play a very important leadership role in helping to eradicate anti-Semitism all over the world. 

And I am struggling to think of what we can do as a Congress. 

It seems to me as President Garvey said, this seems so obvious 

that it is difficult to imagine we need to have a hearing on it. But 

I think it is really actually a very valuable exercise and I thank 

the chairman for convening this, because I think the more we raise 

attention to the reality of anti-Semitism, sort of acknowledging 

that this is a worldwide and serious problem, I think, is the first 

and most important step. And then bringing attention to it and 

having universal condemnation of it. 

But I want to just focus for my few minutes on the education 

component, because it seems to me the condemnation and the continuing to be sure that people understand the reality of anti-Semitism by collecting data and tracking it and all that part is certainly 

something that everyone should accept as important. But what I 

want to try to understand is what we might be able to do to help 

deal with ways to educate the next generation of people in our 

world about the dangers of anti-Semitism and how it is not simply 

a Jewish problem but a problem for humanity and a problem for 

human dignity and religious freedom all over the world. 

We have in my district something called the Holocaust Education 

and Resource Center of Rhode Island whose mission it is to reduce 

prejudice and the injustice of bigotry against all minorities by 

teaching the current generation about the Holocaust and using the 

Holocaust as a way to really teach important values of human dignity and religious freedom. And I just would like each of the witnesses to sort of comment on what can we do as Members of Congress that will most effectively respond to this very serious rise to 

anti-Semitism all over the world? 

I mean as Dr. Lantos Swett mentioned—and it is a great honor 

to welcome you to the committee—as a new Member of Congress, 

your father was a huge hero to me, and a great inspiration to so 

many people—but as you mentioned in your testimony, this effort 

to eradicate the Jews began 25 centuries ago and unfortunately, of 

course, was evidenced by very horrific actionable events throughout 

history that operationalized that effort to eradicate Jews from the 

murder of 6 million Jews to individual instances of anti-Semitism. 

69

So I would just like to ask each of the witnesses to suggest to 

us something we can do that will help in this really important effort, and again, thank you for your testimonies. Maybe start with 

Dr. Lantos Swett. 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. Well, it is a wonderful question and it is one 

that I don’t have a simple answer to. But I look with some optimism at where we in this country and to some extent globally have 

come as a society and as a world on many long and persistent evils 

that beset us. 

I went with my family this past weekend to Gettysburg. I had 

never actually been there before and it was a really profound experience. I recommend it to anybody who has not gone. I could not 

help but be struck by the fact that less than 150 years after that 

terrible, terrible battle, which was sort of the turning of a war to 

try and erase a terrible stain on our nation’s history and our character and our claim to be a decent people, that we did as a society 

and as a country move to the point where the first African American was elected President of the United States. And it is no longer 

permissible in polite society for that sort of racism to be expressed. 

I encounter it very rarely. I know it is not eradicated, but it has 

been to an overwhelming extent eliminated. 

More recently I look back on my youth, let alone my childhood, 

and certain just calm and easy expressions of bigotry and really 

cruelty toward gay and lesbian members of our society, it was just 

okay. It was just kind of considered normative, if you will. I think 

we are moving to the point where that also is being eliminated, and 

yet this strange, toxic pathology of anti-Semitism persists and has 

a sort of a pass. I see it and hear it on college campuses. I teach 

at Tufts University. And I see and hear of it in a variety of venues. 

And so I don’t know why, as we see society generally progressing, 

this one form of evil gets something of a pass. 

I was incredibly moved by Mr. Metaxas’ brilliant exposition of 

how impermissible, insupportable this attitude is from the Christian lens and perspective, but I don’t think we have cracked that 

nut. Certainly, Holocaust education is part of it, but at some level 

this goes very deep. We have to confront the evil within. What is 

it within societies that permit this to somehow be given a pass 

where other prejudices and other forms of racism and intolerance 

are not? 

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Marino? 

Mr. MARINO. Thank you, Chairman. This question, I think, I am 

going to direct to Mr. Metaxas. Am I pronouncing your name correctly? 

Mr. METAXAS. No one knows the actual pronunciation so that is 

just as good as any. 

Mr. MARINO. Okay, so how about if we go with Mr. M? Thank 

you, sir. Thank you all for being here. A very specific question. I 

would like you to elaborate on it if you could, and if there is time, 

anyone else who wants to jump in, please do. 

I had the opportunity to visit Israel last year, spent a couple of 

sessions in a group meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and 

other officials. But equally important, meeting with the citizens of 

the people of the Israel and actually being there when there were 

attacks coming from Palestine. Hearing the explosions, hearing the 

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sirens go off, and being told that they teach their children that 

they have about 15 seconds once they hear that siren go off to get 

to some location to try and get protection. 

So how does one negotiate when Prime Minister Netanyahu has 

said to the Palestinians, I will talk with you anytime, anywhere, 

let us get started, but the so-called leaders of Palestine stand in 

front of the cameras and make statements such as, we may talk 

with you once we go back to what we want which are pre-1967 borders, and at that time we may stop attacking, we may sit down and 

negotiate? So what is the alternative there when you have—I am 

using this word loosely—leaders in Palestine with that kind of talk 

and that kind of arrogant attitude? 

Mr. METAXAS. Well, if you are asking me how to negotiate with 

recalcitrant Palestinians, I don’t know. I will tell you I think really 

the issue here, because we talk about realpolitik, we talk about 

what can we do. For me it is an issue, and I touched on this in 

my remarks, of foundational principles. Can we discuss, dare we 

any more in the climate in which we live, which is so infected with 

the political correctness, dare we assert the idea that some ideas 

are right and some ideas are wrong, and on what basis do we do 

that? 

In this country we have not historically been shy about that. We 

have asserted ideas. The founding fathers bequeathed to us this 

idea of ordered liberty, and I think we are at this point in history 

as Americans largely ignorant of what that even is, and we have 

enjoyed its blessings so much that we have become complacent and 

don’t appreciate the fragility of this flower, of what the American 

experiment and ordered liberty is. I bring this up because I think 

at the heart of that is religious freedom and freedom of conscience. 

And if Americans themselves don’t understand what this is, what 

this extraordinarily fragile and infinitely valuable gift is that we 

have been given, if we cannot articulate what that is how do we 

expect the rest of the world to do that? How do we expect the rest 

of the world to articulate what religious liberty is, what religious 

freedom is, why someone should be able to say something even 

though I don’t agree with it? 

If we are not teaching that—and it gets back to education—if we 

are not teaching that in our schools, and for about 40 years in my 

memory we have not been teaching that anymore, because I am not 

sure that we believe it or that the cultural elites or the people who 

are in academia are comfortable with it or themselves believe it, so 

we have allowed ourselves to drift, to take this for granted and to 

think somehow that things will be okay. This fragile flower of religious liberty and the ordered freedoms bequeathed to us by the 

founders requires tending. If it is not tended by Americans it will 

die. And I don’t see any other place on the surface of the globe 

where these wonderful ideas are just going to bubble up. Frankly, 

what bubbles up, traditionally, is tribalism, violence, sectarian violence. This is normal for what happens on the surface of the globe. 

So if we in America aren’t vigilant about explaining and educating and ourselves understanding what it is that we have if, in 

fact, it is worth having and worth fighting for—if we don’t understand it and require our children to understand it, America will 

evaporate. We are a nation of ideas, and if we don’t have a citiVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00074 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
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zenry that appreciates what it is that requires us to respect those 

with whom we disagree and to fight for those with whom we disagree, if we don’t understand that all is lost. And so I would say 

to you here, this is at the heart of the problem, that we used to 

lead the world in this. We used to understand this. We certainly 

had leaders who understood this. We hardly do anymore, and it 

will lead to grave problems. And it is now obviously leading to 

grave problems. 

Mr. MARINO. Thank you. I yield back. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you. Ranking Member Bass? 

Ms. BASS. Let me take the opportunity to thank the witnesses 

that are here today, and apologize to you to say that one of the 

things that is so challenging about life here in the Capitol is when 

you are supposed to be in three places at the same time. And so 

unfortunately I am not able to stay, but I definitely wanted to associate myself with the comments that you were just making when 

you talk about how vigilant we need to stay in our country, because 

in so many instances in history we have moved forward only to go 

backward. 

And we have certainly seen a rise of hate in this country like we 

haven’t seen in many years just in terms of the number of hate 

groups that have sprung up, incidences that are happening all over 

the country. So the topic today, I think, is very appropriate and I 

appreciate you taking the time to come out. The community I represent in Los Angeles has a large Jewish community and, in fact, 

the Museum of Tolerance is in my district and has definitely been 

a shining light for the City of Los Angeles in terms of making sure 

that we always stay vigilant on these issues. 

I did want to ask a question about the newly created Atrocities 

Prevention Board. And I wanted to know—as a matter of fact I was 

there when the President announced that. I think it was 1 year ago 

or maybe it was even 2. But I wanted to know if you would comment on that, and this is directed to anybody on the panel, and 

how you think that might be leveraged to address anti-Semitism. 

Ms. MASSIMINO. Thank you so much, Congresswoman. Human 

Rights First has worked extensively to help create the Atrocities 

Prevention Board and we continue to work there to press for a 

strategy that can address a broad range of tools for atrocities prevention. And of course a number of us on this panel have talked 

about the relationship between hate speech and the enabling environment that that creates and the perpetration of violence based 

on hate. We have seen that in our own society and we certainly see 

it across the globe. The Holocaust Museum had an excellent exhibit 

several years ago on the relationship between anti-Semitic propaganda and the road toward the Holocaust. And I think the United 

States can play the most constructive role perhaps than any other 

country in the world in navigating what to do about the relationship between hate speech and violence, because we have a strong 

commitment to free expression, but we also know that hate speech 

has to be confronted by political leaders. 

And I wanted to respond to this question of Mr. Cicilline about 

what Congress can do. And on this issue in particular, I think, 

through your relationships with your counterparts in other countries particularly in the countries of the OSCE but across the globe, 

72

I would urge all of you in your individual capacities to call out the 

lack of counter-speech by political leaders and in the face of antiSemitism, and as well in the context of the OSCE of which we are 

a member and Mr. Chairman has played such a leadership role 

there. 

Ignorance and hate are a very lethal combination and education 

is hugely important. Education of youth, but also we need to understand a problem before we can solve it and there is a terrible data 

deficit about anti-Semitic hate violence. There are 21 states now in 

the OSCE who have committed to producing this data, collecting 

this data. Only five states are reporting on it in all of the OSCE, 

and we need to be a leader in changing that. 

Also I think Congress can be asking Secretary Kerry and the administration more broadly, what is the strategy for combating antiSemitism? We view this as a national security issue, we think the 

administration should too. You all created the position of the Special Envoy on anti-Semitism. You should press to get an appointment there, somebody with the stature and credibility for crosscommunity outreach who can really help lead that strategy. 

And also on education, I think it is not enough just to look to the 

education of our own youth through the Museum of Tolerance or 

the Holocaust Museum, but we also—and this is something that 

Congress needs to take the lead on—need to look at the role of the 

Saudis in propagating hate through textbooks. These hearings are 

important, but it is a drop in the bucket when you think about the 

young people who are being educated using textbooks that demonize Jews. We are facing a generational problem and Congress 

should be inquiring about that. 

And lastly, I hope you will use the appropriations authority to 

support civil society groups who are working on the front lines in 

all of these countries to try to combat intolerance and anti-Semitism and hate crime. Thanks. 

Ms. BASS. Thank you very much. 

Mr. SMITH. Thank you. Mr. Meadows? 

Mr. MEADOWS. I thank each one of you for highlighting this important and critical topic. As we look at it, who will be the next 

Bonhoeffers? Who will be the next Wilberforces? And I am looking 

at a panel that perhaps history will show that because of your efforts we will see you in that light. I just want to say thank you. 

I am jotting down a few notes as we have gone forward in terms 

of action items and I think, Dr. Jasser, you said name and shame 

to use your quoted words there as we look at that. And Dr. Lantos 

Swett, yesterday I know you were talking about the human rights 

violations that are not just with this particular issue but against 

women and children with Muslim Brotherhood as in your testimony yesterday. 

So my question to each one of you, if you could give us two action 

points of what we can do to highlight this and keep it in the forefront of everybody’s mind. Because what we do is we create organizations. We create titles. We have international organizations that 

are for human rights, and yet they are hollow in terms of what 

they actually protect and stand up for. And so identifying those 

that are real versus not real, I would love two action points from 

each one of you in my time remaining. Dr. Swett? 

73

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. Well, something very specific and timely, I 

know that President Obama is getting ready to take his first trip 

to Israel since he became President, where the context, the platform, the forum in which one speaks out against these evils is often 

more important than the words that you say, because we could fill 

up this room from floor to ceiling with brilliant expositions on the 

evils of anti-Semitism but in a relatively obscure setting. 

I think it would be wonderful if all 435 members of the United 

States Congress were to call the White House in the next few days 

and say, we would like to have President Obama speak out in the 

biggest platform that he is going to have on this trip, which will 

get a lot of attention in Europe and the Middle East, about this 

issue. Context, platform, how big is that pulpit from which these 

critical things that as Dr. Garvey said, we all know, it is self-evident, and yet it is not spoken where it is heard. It has become sort 

of background and wallpaper. So that is kind of a very specific, concrete thing that in the runup to this very high profile visit which 

will be under the spotlight, huge pressure on the President to call 

out this sort of appalling, endemic saturation of anti-Semitism in 

the Muslim world that Dr. Jasser spoke about so powerfully. 

Mr. MEADOWS. In very clear terms, is what you say. 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. In clear terms, and no moral equivalence. 

None of this on the one hand and on the other hand. Because the 

minute we sort of take this evil and kind of put it again on the 

wallpaper, well, we have got this unfortunate thing and we have 

got that unfortunate thing, and don’t let me forget to mention this 

third unfortunate thing, you pretty much have robbed it of all of 

its power and all of its impact. So I think that would be one very 

concrete thing that I would suggest. 

Mr. MEADOWS. Okay. 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. And I just want to say, because I know we 

are getting not far adrift, but one of the things that is so troubling 

is the resurgence of this evil in Europe. 

Mr. MEADOWS. Right. 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. And I do hope we will have a chance to address that because it is very frightening to see it coming back 

there. 

Mr. MEADOWS. And maybe some of the rest of you can address 

that. Dr. Jasser, go ahead. 

Dr. JASSER. Yes, the two things I would say is, actually one main 

point is we need to create a national consensus. And I would say 

as obvious as anti-Semitism is, don’t abandon this issue, because 

it is the issue that leads us to the conclusion as a nation that 

Islamism is the problem, is the root cause. That political Islam cannot be put in a wrap and made to look nice. It is a theocratic, 

theopolitical movement that we need to start looking upon the way 

we did communism. 

When Mr. Marino was talking about Israel, Hamas is the Muslim Brotherhood. It was an outshoot of it and that is what you get 

when the Brotherhood comes to power is this——

Mr. MEADOWS. And is it true they don’t even recognize the existence or Israel’s right to exist, is that correct? 

Dr. JASSER. Exactly. And this is what happens when one faith 

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tries that have a secular basis that believe in liberal democracy 

will be looked upon as evil and will not be looked upon as their allies. So based on that national consensus, two things I would ask 

you to do. Demand that our Secretary of State, our White House, 

disengage from Islamist movements in Europe and America and in 

the Middle East, and then engage with Muslim movements that 

are proliberty, anti-Islamist, and are looking to build platforms. 

Those two things. Disengage Islamists like the Brotherhood, and 

engage with anti-Islamists. 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. And I just want to jump in on one thing, because I think it is a point that needs to be made that pertains very 

much to what Zuhdi has talked about. And that is that much of 

the resurgence in Europe is coming from the radical elements of 

the Muslim community in Europe. So some of the re-infection, if 

you will, of this hatred and targeting of the Jews does trace its 

roots to precisely the movements that Dr. Jasser is referring to. So 

there is a link there. It is not just the Arab world. 

Dr. JASSER. And European Muslims are watching Al Jazeera and 

Middle Eastern media. 

Mr. MEADOWS. I see my time is expired. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Mr. METAXAS. I apologize for having to walk out, but just to say 

that I do think it is a lack of will and resolve in the West that exists today that did not exist let us say 30 years ago, to call things 

what they are. That I would say is a misunderstanding of what liberty is, a misunderstanding of what freedom of expression is that 

would allow people to take advantage, ultimately, of our openness. 

That is what is clearly happening much more in Europe than it is 

is happening here. 

We know that it is happening in Great Britain. You may be familiar with the work of Baroness Caroline Cox over there. People 

are loath to see this. Somehow they are looking away from it. If 

we in America cannot reassert our foundational principles about 

what is right and what is wrong and stand against those who 

would bully us, who would take advantage of our openness, which 

is precisely what is happening that is allowing these things, then 

there is nothing to discuss. It really is up to us and we must decide 

whether we are willing to do that. Up until now, recently, we have 

absolutely not been willing to do that. 

Mr. GARVEY. Can I just add one legal point to follow up on what 

Mr. Metaxas was saying? The First Amendment, as you know, provides more protection than we might wish for hateful speech, and 

I want to say two things about that which we need to keep in mind 

in these discussions. One is this: The fact that the First Amendment protects speech does not mean that it is not loathesome and 

shouldn’t be condemned. Second, we have said since the 1920s, 

since Justice Holmes and Justice Brandeis first began speaking 

about this issue, that the remedy for hateful speech is more speech. 

And that is the one thing that all the members of the panel today 

and Mr. Meadows seem to have agreed on as something the government should do. The culture that we create by speaking out 

about anti-Semitism is, in some ways, the most important step that 

we need to take. 

75

Ms. MASSIMINO. Can I add just one thing to that? You asked for 

a couple of action items from each of us, and I would say reiterating this point that something all of you can do. We cannot let 

any instance of anti-Semitic hate speech go unchallenged, and that 

is a big job, sadly. But we all have to take that up. We have to create a climate of intolerance for intolerance, and we need to call on 

members of civil society who fall down on that front, political leaders who fall down on that front. And then on the deterrent side we 

have to empower law enforcement where there is hate violence. We 

do a good job in this country, thanks to the Matthew Shepard Act 

and other, to prosecute hate crime. Other countries are not as well 

developed and we can help them through our law enforcement 

training and funding. 

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Weber? 

Mr. WEBER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. A couple of questions. 

First of all for, I guess, Dr. Lantos Swett. I didn’t catch the name 

of the gentleman, the high-ranking official that you had that discussion with. 

Ms. LANTOS SWETT. I can give it you. I don’t have it off the top 

of my head. He was a deputy minister. And if I could finish that 

story briefly. After I confronted him, and of course the answer was 

basically, attack Israel, attack Israel. But I tried to pivot and I 

said, what if your President, Mr. Morsi, tomorrow were to stand up 

in a major platform and say, enough. This is a shame. This is a 

stain on our character. No more. I will not do it and we will not 

tolerate it among leadership in our Government and it needs to 

end. I said, well, the next day he would be lauded from every capital for standing up, courageously speaking out, trying to change in 

a high-profile way this infection within the body politic of the Muslim world and that this would be a very positive thing. In sharing 

that conversation the following day with a group of reformers in 

Egypt, they gave a very, very disheartening and disturbing response. They said yes, but the day after the day after he said that 

he would be assassinated by his own people, which was sobering 

to say the least. 

Mr. WEBER. Okay. My colleague here, Mr. Meadows, was asking 

for action items and I think—is it Massimino? Is that how we are 

saying that? 

Ms. MASSIMINO. Yes. 

Mr. WEBER. I think you made the comment that the Saudis have 

been basically promulgating anti-Semitism through their education 

literature. Do I remember that right? 

Ms. MASSIMINO. That is right. 

Mr. WEBER. So are you actively engaged in getting NGOs to go 

into countries and to combat this at the very lowest levels including preschool care, kindergarten, if you will, and up? Are you actively engaged in trying to employ the help of those people, the 

churches? I don’t know what all kinds of organizations would be in 

those countries. You are coming to us and you are saying you need 

our help, and rightfully so. And I want to be, count me as being 

part of that help. But are you doing more than that? Are you going 

into the countries? Are you talking to people, to NGOs, to churches, 

to synagogues? 

76

Part of American’s history was that when King George was really 

doing a number on us back in Colonial days, the preachers and the 

churches stood up and spoke out. And, I think we need that kind 

of ground swell and that kind of support from ordinary citizens. 

Are you going after that kind of support? 

Ms. MASSIMINO. Well, it is a very good point. I think that behind 

it, I think, is this idea that change has to come from within these 

societies and at the ground level. And, in fact, we have talked to 

a lot of people in countries where this kind of education has taken 

hold. And there are many, many who are dissatisfied with that but 

have few alternatives. It is a massive societal problem and one that 

I think the U.S. Government could do a lot to address with funding 

of the local groups who want to make a difference. 

There is a limit, I think, to what organizations like mine that sit 

in New York and Washington can do on the ground there, but I can 

tell you that there are a number of people—this is not something 

that needs to be imposed from outside. There are plenty of people 

on the ground in these countries, they are fearful but they need 

support. They are not getting support in their own countries. And 

many of the countries, this is a circle of repression that you, Mr. 

Chairman, know so well with governments who try to cut off funding for those progressive groups who are trying to make a difference and they need to seek funding from outside. So that is 

something that the United States can be doing, is supporting the 

various civil society groups, religious groups, education groups and 

others who are trying to promote a more objective and invest in the 

long term education of their children. 

Mr. WEBER. Okay, let me put you all on the spot. If the Saudis 

are indeed engaged in that practice, and I have no need to doubt 

that you are correct, would you all—I am going to put on my energy hat for a minute. I think that if America becomes energy independent and we don’t export dollars to the Saudis in exchange for 

energy, then it actually helps us on two fronts, would you agree? 

And would you help spread the word that America needs to be energy independent? I am going to proselytize you all from that end. 

Can I get an amen? 

All right. I see that my time is expired, Mr. Chairman, thank you 

very much. 

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Weber, thank you very much. 

I want to thank our very distinguished panel. You have provided 

incredible insights and suggestions and I hope that many members 

read this record. It will be widely disseminated. And thank you so 

very, very much for your testimonies. 

I would like to now welcome our second panel to the witness 

table beginning with Dr. Tamas Fellegi who began his career 

teaching law and government in Hungary. He went on to become 

a research fellow at Harvard and earned a Ph.D in the United 

States. After teaching, he worked in the private sector before joining the Hungarian Government to serve as Minister of National 

Development, and then to lead Hungary’s financial negotiations 

with the International Monetary Fund and European Commission. 

We will then hear from Mr. Willy Silberstein who has served as 

the chairman of the Swedish Committee Against anti-Semitism 

since 2009 where he works to counter anti-Semitism through eduVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00080 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
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cation. He has also worked as a journalist, editor, and commentator 

for newspapers, magazines, and television channels in Sweden, and 

as a foreign correspondent in Belgium. He now runs his own company that focuses on the media. 

We will then hear from Rabbi Andrew Baker who is the director 

of International Jewish Affairs for the American Jewish Committee, and the personal representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Chair-in-Office on Combating 

anti-Semitism, and has been reappointed in each year since 2009 

to that extremely strategic and important position. Rabbi Baker 

has served as president of the Washington Board of Rabbis, president of the Interfaith Conference of Washington, and I know I have 

worked very closely with him over these many years in combating 

anti-Semitism, and thank him again publicly for his extraordinary 

work. 

We will then hear from Rabbi David Meyer who is a rabbi based 

in Brussels, Belgium, and professor of Rabbinic Literature and 

Contemporary Jewish Thought at the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome as well as the University of Leuven. He is also a regular visiting professor in universities in Peru and in China teaching Judaism. He is also involved with projects in Rwanda working 

with Tutsi survivors of the genocide of 1994. Rabbi Meyer has now 

published six books on theological and rabbinic issues. 

We will then hear from Rabbi Yaakov Bleich who is originally 

from Brooklyn, New York, but who moved to Kiev, Ukraine in 

1989, where he was named Chief Rabbi of Kiev in Ukraine shortly 

thereafter and served in that post ever since. He has been instrumental in founding many organizations in the Jewish community 

in Ukraine. Rabbi Bleich has worked to advance interreligious and 

interethnic relations in Ukraine and around the world. 

And finally we will hear from Mr. Andrew Surlevitch who is the 

anti-Defamation League’s Director of European Affairs. He engages 

with European Jewish communities to monitor, react to anti-Semitism, and analyzes European governments’ relations with Israel 

and policies on the Middle East peace process. He previously 

worked at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish 

Organizations, and served as executive director of UN Watch in 

Switzerland. I thank you for being here and for your testimony. 

Dr. Fellegi? 

STATEMENT OF TAMA ́ S FELLEGI, PH.D., MANAGING PARTNER, 

EUROATLANTIC SOLUTIONS (FORMER MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, GOVERNMENT OF HUNGARY) 

Mr. FELLEGI. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It is an 

honor for me to testify for and about Hungary. It is the country 

where I was born, and where as a Jew and as a descendant of Holocaust survivors I feel at home. Preparing for this public hearing 

I spoke to executives of Jewish organizations, religious leaders, university professors, government people, and opposition figures. However, what follows here represents my ideas and my evaluation of 

the current situation. Mr. Chairman, I have submitted a written 

testimony, and I would like that to be included in the record of the 

hearings. 

78

I would like to anchor my brief opening statements on three 

main tenets. First, the rise of anti-Semitism has complex reasons, 

but at its core the current phenomenon is an expression of frustration with Hungary’s imperfect democratic transition. Second, only 

Jobbik, a party with a 10-percent base among the national population is an openly anti-Semitic party. There is a clear line of demarcation between Jobbik and the center-right government and all 

other mainstream political parties in Hungary. Third, despite the 

presence of Jobbik and anti-Semitic rhetoric, Jewish life including 

religious life has been witnessing a renaissance in Hungary that is 

welcomed by all mainstream parties. 

Let me put all this into historic perspective. Prejudice against 

Jews both open and latent has always been present in Europe. But 

it is important to distinguish between deep-seated prejudice 

against Jews and the use of anti-Semitism for political manipulation. Following the era of Admiral Horthy, which was marked by 

a Nazi-style, anti-Jewish legislation and ultimately by the Hungarian Holocaust, the issue of anti-Semitism was swept under the 

rug during the almost 45 years of Communist rule. The democratic 

changes of 1989–1990, including freedom of speech and of the press 

allowed for suppressed frustrations and debates about our troubled 

past to come to the surface. They also enabled ever-present latent 

anti-Semitism to become manifest. Several openly anti-Semitic political and civic organizations were formed, but they never—let me 

emphasize this point—never ended up in government. 

The most recent example is the xenophobic party, Jobbik, which 

started out as a radical anti-establishment movement. In 2010, 

after 8 years of socialist-liberal government which brought Hungary to the brink of economic collapse, Jobbik managed to get 

around 15 percent of the popular vote to become the third largest 

party in the Hungarian Parliament. It also cultivated an agressive 

paramilitary arm which was banned by the present government 

but keeps reinventing itself. It has become a fact of life that Jobbik 

politicians taking advantage of freedom of speech have the openly 

racist views on Web sites and in print magazines and even in the 

Hungarian Parliament. 

A negative consequence of this has been the decline of public sensitivity toward racism. What is also there, however, is that Jewish 

life in Hungary started to blossom from day one of the advent of 

democracy. Hungary has one of the largest Jewish populations in 

Europe, with some estimates going as high as 120,000. It supports 

extremely popular summer camps, schools, synagogues, and the 

Summer Festival that attracts Jews from all over Europe. There 

are courses in Hebrew offered by language schools and there are 

a number of new Jewish weeklies and periodicals. All historic Jewish groups are acknowledged and registered as established religions. Along with growing anti-Semitism these facts should not be 

ignored. 

Let me briefly list the milestones that democratic Hungary has 

carried out since the collapse of communism in an effort to reconcile with the Jewish community. The establishment of the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Fund. The Kaddish was recited in Parliament in a memorial for victims of the Shoah. A national Holocaust Memorial Day is compulsory in all public schools on April 

79

16th, commemorating the anniversary of the start of deportations 

in 1944. Teaching Holocaust history was made mandatory in 

schools from fifth to twelfth graders. The Holocaust Memorial and 

Documentation Center and the House of Terror Memorial Museum 

were established. 

Holocaust survivors restitution claims have been settled. Pension 

payments to Holocaust survivors were doubled. 2012 was designated Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Year. A Holocaust Memorial 

Committee chaired by the head of the Prime Minister’s office has 

been set up to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Holocaust next year. Hungary repeatedly requested the U.S. 

authorities to shut down the openly anti-Semitic, Nazi-style Hungarian language Web site called kuruc.info which operates in the 

United States. Paramilitary groups inciting hatred were banned 

and the criminal code was tightened regarding uniformed crime. 

Parliamentary House Rules were amended to allow the Speaker of 

the House to fine or expel MPs if they use hateful language. Finally, the first court verdict that convicted a Holocaust denier was 

handed down. The court sent the offender to visit either the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem or Auswitz, and write a report about 

the trip. 

I earlier referred to the fact that anti-Semitism and racism in 

general have been on the rise, which tells us that Hungary must 

do much more in this field. Having said this, let me conclude by 

a probably surprising closing statement. In terms of government 

actions to foster Jewish life and combat anti-Semitism in Hungary, 

all of the milestones I listed a minute ago, with the exception of 

the Jewish Heritage Fund, put in place during the first and second 

administrations of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. 

Thank you very much for your attention. I am ready for your 

comments and questions. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Fellegi follows:]

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Testimony of Tamas Fellegi 

Before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 

Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations 

Hearing on "Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths" 

February 27,2013 

Chairman Smith, Distinguished Members of the Hearing Committee, 

Ladies and Gentlemen: 

It is a real honor for me to be invited to testify for and about Hungary. A country, where I 

was born and where as a jew I feel at home. I cannot stress enough the importance of this 

hearing, which comes at a time when Hungary is going through major changes internally. 

Preparing for this public hearing, I spoke to several prominent figures of Hungarian public 

life, including executives of jewish organizations, religious leaders, intellectuals, university 

professors, government people and opposition figures, including the prime minister and 

the president of the Hungarian Socialist Party. However, what follows here represents my 

ideas and my evaluation of the current situation. 

I would like to anchor my brief opening on three main tenets: 

First, anti-Semitism has been on the rise in Hungary. This fact has complex reasons but at 

its core, the current phenomenon is an expression of frustration with Hungary's imperfect 

democratic transition, and especially with the deep political, moral and economic crisis 

dominating Hungary since 2006. 

Second, only jobbik, a party with a ten percent base among the national population, is an 

openly anti-Semitic party. There is a clear line of demarcation between jobbik, and the 

center-right government and all other mainstream political parties. 

Third, despite all this, jewish life, including religious life, has been enjoying a renaissance in 

Hungary that is welcome and encouraged by all mainstream parties. 

Let me put these points into a historical perspective. Similarly to most of Europe, prejudice 

against Jews has always been present in Hungary, both open and latent. However, it is 

important to distinguish between deep-seated prejudices and anti-Semitic manifestations, 

and the use of anti-Semitism for political manipulation or to gain political advantages. 

1 
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In Hungary, jews lived, ever since the 13th century, under circumstances that were 

unparalleled in Medieval and early modern continental Europe. By the 19th century, the 

Hungarian jewish community became one of the most numerous, successful, integrated and 

assimilated minorities in Europe, in all aspects of life: education, business, culture, and the 

arts. But this favorable and welcoming atmosphere changed for the worse following World 

War I. While Europe's Jews found refuge in Hungary fleeing from Nazism, the political elite, 

lead by Regent Miklos Horthy - who is still one of the most debated public figures of 

Hungary - eventually bowed to the pressure of Nazi Germany. Between 1920 and 1945, he 

oversaw the introduction of anti-jewish legislation, and Hungary's involvement in the 

Second World War on the side of Nazi Germany. The Hungarian Holocaust, which happened 

with the active participation of the Hungarian political establishment, became a tragedy of 

our entire nation. 

During the almost 45 years of Communist rule, any realistic chance to honestly face the 

legacy of the pre-war era and the Second World War was denied by the one-party rule. 

Anti-Semitism, however, was tangible in the infighting of the Communist elite. In society in 

general, anti-Jewish sentiments took the appearance of an anti-Israeli stance, especially 

after the 1967 Middle East war, when the open manifestation of anti-Semitism by the 

European Left was disguised as criticism of Israeli policies. Undoubtedly, we still carryon 

this legacy in Hungary and elsewhere in Europe. 

The democratic changes of 1989-1990, the freedom of speech and of the media allowed 

open discussion about our twentieth century history and its legacy. Previously suppressed 

frustrations and open debates we never had before about our troubled past came to the 

surface. Thus, the same democratization itself made ever-present latent anti-Semitism 

manifest. 

Several openly anti-Semitic political and civic organizations have surfaced, but they have 

never - and let me emphasize this point - never ended up in government.. Here, I have to 

mention the establishment of the openly anti-Semitic and anti-Roma party, jobbik, which 

started out as a radical anti-establishment movement, revolting against the postcommunist political elite, and has picked up its racist and anti-Semitic edge as a tool of 

political marketing, only to be immediately engulfed by it. 

Today, the essence of jobbik is a gut reaction against the status quo. It is a radical statement 

made against the EU, against the entire 'post-Communist' political establishment, against the 

unrealized economic security of the democratic transition, dressed up in racism. It is a 

catch-all party, giving everyone a little bit of something to hate and someone to blame. 

After eight years of socialist-liberal government, which brought Hungary to the brink of 

economic collapse and essentially let the rural population of Hungary become a prey of 

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local gangs, Jobbik managed to get around 15 percent of the popular vote in 2010 to 

become the third largest party in Parliament It has also cultivated an aggressive 

paramilitary arm, which was banned by the present government but keeps reinventing 

itself. Constitutionally-protected freedom of speech enables Jobbik to voice its openly racist 

views on websites and print magazines and even in the Hungarian Parliament. I personally 

believe that the most negative consequence of this has been the decline of public sensitivity 

to racism. Whether people dismiss the ideas of Jobbik or not - it is still there. 

What is also there, however, is a rebirth ofjewish culture. Jewish life in Hungary started to 

blossom from day one of democracy. Thousands of families started to speak about their 

history, both as individuals and as a people. The Lubavich Community has a strong 

presence. An extremely popular summer camp for Jewish children in Szarvas brings 

together Jewish children from all across Hungary; there is a high school to complement to 

the Rabbinic Seminary, which, by the way, happened to be the only functioning one in any 

Communist country. A new synagogue will be built in Csepel for the first time in 80 years. 

The Main Synagogue in Dohany utca, which was for a long time the second largest 

synagogue in the world, has become a touristic and cultural hub. Budapest's formerly 

abandoned Jewish district is now the most lively part of downtown Pest. The Lauder Yavne 

School is one of the best educational institutions in the nation, and Hungary just opened the 

International Israeli Cultural Institute. The annual Jewish Summer Festival brings 

thousands from all across Europe; there are courses in Hebrew offered by language schools 

and there is a number of Jewish weeklies and periodicals which did not exist before. All 

historic Jewish groups are acknowledged and registered as religious institutions entitled to 

receive state support for the cultural contributions they make. These facts about the state 

of Jewish life in Hungary cannot be ignored. 

In our newly born democracy, both anti-Semitism and pro-Jewish sentiments have become 

openly political. Political parties and civil organizations very quickly recognized how antisemitism could be used to gain political support and sympathy at home and abroad. AntiSemitism has become a political card to be used. 

Patterns of voting behavior and public opinion polls clearly indicate that, when it comes to 

anti-Semitism, there is a substantial overlap between the electorate of the Left and that of 

the far-right Jobbik Party. Does this mean that the political Left is racist or the center-right 

is devoid of prejudices? The answer to both questions is no. One should not really argue 

that certain writings by journalists associated with the center-right, such as the infamous 

commentaries of Zsolt Bayer, cannot be deemed as racist. It is also a fact that there are 

people associated with the center-right political community who support the rehabilitation 

of the historic period of Admiral Horthy. I am personally against his rehabilitation, and that 

applies to a wide range of political and literary figures ofthat era. 

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Let me briefly list the milestones that democratic Hungary has done as a nation since the 

collapse of Communism to reconcile with the Jewish community: 

Establishment of the Hungarian Jewish Heritage Fund 

The Kaddish was cited in Parliament to commemorate the victims of the Shoah; 

Designating April 16th as a national Holocaust Memorial Day compulsory in all public 

schools to commemorate the anniversary of the start of deportations in 1944 ; 

Teaching of Holocaust history was made mandatory in schools for 5t1'_12th graders; 

The Holocaust Memorial and Documentation Center and the House of Terror Memorial 

Museum have been established; 

Restitution claims of Holocaust survivors have been settled; 

Establishment and financial support of the Tom Lantos Institute in Hungary in 

association with the Lantos Foundation on Human Rights; 

Doubling the pension payments of Holocaust survivors; 

2012 was proclaimed as Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Year 

A Holocaust memorial committee chaired by the head of the Prime Minister's Office has 

been set up to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Holocaust in 2014; 

Each section of the bank of the Danube bears the name of people who saved lives 

making these unsung heroes household names for Hungarians and visitors alike; 

A ground-breaking, historic data exchange agreement has been signed with Yad Vashem 

to open Hungarian archives so that the history of the Shoah can be more thoroughly 

studied and the victims accurately named, accounted for and remembered; 

Hungary repeatedly requested the US authorities to shut down the openly anti-Semitic, 

Nazi-style Hungarian language website called kuruc.info which operates in the United 

States; 

Paramilitary groups inciting hatred were banned and the criminal code was tightened 

regarding uniformed crime; 

The House Rules of the Parliament were tightened and now the Speaker can fine or 

exclude MPs from the floor if they use hateful language; 

In a first, the courts convicted a Holocaust denier. In the sentence, offender was 

ordered to visit either the Holocaust Museum, Yad Vashem or Auswitz, and write a 

report about what he leant from that trip. 

Is it a respectable list? Yes, it is. Has the Hungarian political and cultural elite done enough 

to counter racism in Hungary? No, not by a long shot. Is it true that occasionally the 

government side was slow and ineffective in its statements and actions? Yes, unfortunately 

itis true. 

I earlier referred to the fact that anti -Semitism and racism in general have been on the rise, 

which tells us that both official Hungary and civil society must do much more in this field. 

Having said this, let me conclude by a probably surprising closing statement: in terms of 

government actions to foster Jewish life and to combat anti-Semitism in Hungary, all of the 

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milestones I cited a minute ago, I mean: all of them, with the one exception of the Jewish 

Heritage Fund, have been introduced by either the first or the second administrations of 

Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Actions speak for themselves. 

Thank you very much for your attention. I am ready for your comments and questions. 

5 
85

Mr. SMITH. Mr. Fellegi, thank you very much for your testimony. 

I would now like to ask Mr. Silberstein, if you could proceed. 

STATEMENT OF MR. WILLY SILBERSTEIN, CHAIRMAN, 

SWEDISH COMMITTEE AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM 

Mr. SILBERSTEIN. Let me start by telling you about Shneer 

Kesselman. Shneer Kesselman is a rabbi in the Swedish city of 

Malmo, a city which I am sorry to say is infamous for its anti-Semitism. When Shneer Kesselman, sometimes when he goes out with 

his children he is being threatened. People throw cans after him. 

They curse him and say things I do not wish to repeat here. And 

what differs Shneer Kesselman from other Swedish citizens who 

are Jewish in Malmo is that people can see that he is Jewish because he wears orthodox clothes. And this means that had it been 

possible to identify other people in my Malmo or elsewhere as 

Jews, they would have had the same problems. 

We have seen that a number of Jewish families in Malmo have 

left the city. They moved to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, some 

of have also moved to Israel. Who would have thought some decades ago that Jewish families in Sweden would feel ashamed to 

live in a city with so much anti-Semitism, and move? I don’t think 

anyone would have guessed that. So who is behind this anti-Semitism mainly in Malmo? Of course there are several groups. We 

have extremists to the left, we have extremists on the right side, 

and we have also people who are not really that much into politics 

but who do have prejudice against the Jews. 

And then we must also admit that there are people who have 

moved to Sweden from the Middle East, Muslims who take with 

them the conflict from the Middle East to Sweden, and they make 

Swedish citizens who are Jewish responsible for what another 

country, Israel, does. Needless to say, that is totally unacceptable. 

And let me at the same time be clear, I believe a large portion of 

the Muslims in Malmo and elsewhere in Sweden are not anti-Semitic, but still there are too many who are. 

At the same time we have seen positive counter-reactions. An organization called Young Muslims Against anti-Semitism has been 

formed and is active. In Malmo, you may have heard about that, 

we had so-called kipa-marches. People have gone out to the streets, 

some of us with a kipa on our head, and we have protested against 

anti-Semitism in Malmo. And to my great pride, I would like to add 

that many of those who march with us were non-Jews. 

We know more or less for a fact that anti-Semitism is on the rise 

in Sweden. Polls have been made that confirm that. We get more 

people who, for instance, agree with statements like, the Jews are 

too influential in the world. One out of three say there is too much 

talk of the Holocaust in the world, and one out six say Jews are 

greedy. That happens among high school students in Sweden today. 

And as been said here before, I would like to say the same thing. 

Fighting anti-Semitism in the long run is also working against racism that can hit anywhere. A society that accepts hatred against 

Jews will surely pick other groups be it Muslims, Christians, homosexuals, and other groups. It may start with the Jews. It will surely not end with the Jews. 

86

And let me end on a personal note. My mother was liberated by 

American soldiers in a concentration camp in 1945. She would have 

been impressed if she could have seen this which is going on in this 

room right now. She would have been proud, but she would not 

have been surprised. So therefore, thank you so much for bringing 

your spotlight to a rise in anti-Semitism in a continent that has endured so much hatred already. And I would like to see a manifestation like this on high political level with European politicians. We 

must show that we have learned our lesson. Silence is never again 

an option. Thank you very much. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Silberstein follows:]

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Statement of Willy Silberstein 

The Swedish Committee againstAntisemitism 

Anti-Semitism, A Growing Threat to All Faiths 

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International 

Organizations 

February 27,2013 

Let me start by telling you about Shneer Kesselman. He is a Rabi, born in the US. 

He is working in the Swedish city of Malmo, which is rather infamous for its anti-Semitism in 

recent years. 

What differs him from other Jews of Malmo is that people can see that he is Jewish. He wears 

traditional clothes. 

For some years now he has been systematically harassed. People spit at him, throw cans after 

him, threaten him and call him things like bloody Jew. 

He represents a high proportion of the total hate-crimes in Malmo. 

This is of course scaring in itself. AJew cannot walk in a Swedish city without being scared. 

But this also means that if people could identify other Jews as Jews they would also risk 

harassment. In Sweden in the year of 2013. 

Let me add that many Jews have left Malmo, simply because they are afraid and ashamed to 

live in a city which treats its Jews like this. Some have moved to the capital of Sweden, 

Stockholm, a few have also moved to Israel. 

One big group that is active against Jews in Malmo - and other parts of Sweden - are Moslem 

immigrants. They cannot differ the conflict in the Middle East from Swedes who are Jews. 

Just recently Swedish public television showed an interview with at Jewish woman who had 

been threatened to death by Moslems. And interviews with Moslem immigrants confirmed their 

hatred towards Jews. 

Let me at the same time be clear. A large portion of the Moslem immigrants in Sweden are not 

anti-semitic. 

We have also seen very positive counter-reactions. An organization called Young Moslems 

against antisemitism has been formed and is active in educating young Moslems. 

In Malmo, my committee against anti-Semitism has been very active and we have taken part in 

so called kipa-marches, where people, Jews and non-Jews, have manifested their support for 

the Jews of Malmo. 

This has been very successful and has received a lot of attention also internationally. 
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The Swedish committee against anti-Semitism will also, with the help of funds from the 

government, hold seminars for teachers on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. 

We know that anti-Semitism is on the rise, polls confirm that more people now than a few years 

ago say yes to statements like: The Jews are too influential in the world. 

1 of 3 say there is too much talk of the Holocaust in the world. 

1 of 6 say Jews a re greedy. 

Let me add that working against anti-semitism is in the long run working against racism that can 

hit anywhere. 

A society that accepts hatred against Jews will surely pick another group, be it Moslems or 

Christians or others. 

A fight against anti-semitism is therefore a fight for the right for all minorities. 

It may start with the Jews but it will surely not end with that. 

Let me end on a personal note. My mother was liberated by American soldiers in a 

concentration camp in 1945. She would have been impressed if she could have seen this. She 

would have been proud - but not surprised. 

So therefore, thank you so much for bringing your spotlight to a rise in anti-semitism in a 

continent that has endured so much hatred already. 

This shows that we at least have learnt a lesson, silence is no option. 
89

Mr. SMITH. Thank you so much, Mr. Silberstein, and thank you 

for traveling here, coming such a long way. 

Rabbi Baker, welcome. 

STATEMENT OF RABBI ANDREW BAKER, PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE ON COMBATING ANTI-SEMITISM, OFFICE OF 

THE CHAIRPERSON-IN-OFFICE, ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE 

Rabbi BAKER. Mr. Chairman, thank you, and of course thank you 

for everything you have done in this critical area. I would like to 

lay out what I think are really the major themes suggesting the 

problems that are faced, that are being addressed here in this 

hearing today. The first goes to the basic issue of community security. Only a week ago, the security service of the Jewish community 

in France issued its annual report and it described 2012 as a year 

of unprecedented violence against Jews. Physical attacks nearly 

doubled over the previous year, and that increase was more than 

eight times higher than all other racist and xenophobic acts in the 

same period. You will recall that those acts included the murder 

of four at a Jewish school in Toulouse, an event that drew international attention. 

But that report reveals that following this attack there was, in 

fact, a spike in incidents. Rather than generating awareness and 

sympathy, there were instead support and identification with that 

anti-semitic murderer. Now France may stand out with the number 

of attacks. With the largest Jewish community in Europe it surely 

offers the largest number of potential targets. But that community 

is not alone in the need to address an increasing security threat. 

Other western European Jewish communities face similar challenges. 

Physical attacks directed toward persons and property are a part 

of daily life, so the need to protect synagogues and community centers with secure entryways. Experts indicate now they need to be 

prepared as well for the possibility of international terror attacks. 

It is a formidable challenge, especially for small communities with 

limited budgets. It spans the continents as, in fact, I witnessed 

during my OSCE travels. The 1,000 Jews of Olso, Norway, and the 

1,000 Jews who live in Melilla, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, 

may appear to have very little in common. But both communities 

are spending an inordinate share of their budget simply to keep 

their members safe. 

Governments have a basic obligation to provide for the security 

of their citizens and they also affirm a bedrock commitment to the 

free exercise of religion. And yet these security needs and the financial burdens that many communities now face seriously call 

these principles into question. So it is that these quite elemental 

challenges of a decidedly practical nature ultimately pose an existential threat to the future of Jewish life in Europe. The sources 

of these attacks are generally well known. Right wing, neo-Nazi 

groups have long been a focus of concern, and we need to remain 

vigilant about that. But the recent increases that are documented 

in France and elsewhere in Western Europe largely come from 

parts of the Arab and Muslim communities. 

90

Knowing the source of these attacks is necessary in order to devise ways to prevent them, through law enforcement in the short 

term and through education in the longer term. Yet some governments willfully do not want to know and they have limited their 

monitoring tools so that they will not be confronted with these 

facts. That may be a reflection of political correctness or a fear that 

such data are likely to increase anti-Muslim sentiments, but either 

way they contribute to the problem. 

Anti-Semitism in public discourse is something you know well, 

Mr. Chairman. You participated in 2011 in the OSCE conference 

in Prague that addressed this issue. The fact is that popular attitudes about Jews may not derive from firsthand knowledge. Jewish 

populations are often quite small in these countries. So they more 

frequently come from inherited prejudices or what people see and 

hear in the media. That media coverage often features highly critical descriptions of the State of Israel, and at times as some have 

already indicated, that criticism crosses over into anti-Semitism. 

When Israel is demonized, when its legitimacy as a Jewish state 

is questioned, when its actions are compared to the deeds of the 

Nazis, this is not mere criticism. 

Aspects of this problem were referenced in that seminal OSCE 

Berlin Declaration adopted in 2004. It was described in more detail 

a year later in the working definition of anti-Semitism promulgated 

by the EUMC, now the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. That 

working definition also warns against holding local Jewish communities responsible for the actions of the State of Israel. But that 

regularly happens. Jews and Israel are conflated, and the incidents 

in the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict trigger attacks on Jewish targets in Europe. European Jews have their own 

views about Israel, and they may vary widely. But only they are 

being told that they must publicly condemn the Jewish State as the 

price for support or for civic inclusiveness. 

Last year a government funded Norwegian study found that 38 

percent of the population agreed that Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians was akin to the policies of the Nazis. It was a sobering 

statistic even for political leaders who are openly pro-Palestinian in 

their views. 

Extremist political parties. The growth of right wing, populist 

parties in some European countries is a new cause for alarm. The 

severe economic problems and the inability of mainstream political 

parties to cope have opened a door to extremist views. Parties such 

as Jobbik in Hungary, Svoboda in Ukraine, Golden Dawn in Greece 

have found success following a path already trod by established 

movements such as the National Front in France, the Freedom 

Party in Austria. Xenophobic appeals vie for primacy with equally 

hateful anti-Semitic messages. And as a result of election successes 

these words are no longer confined to street corner rallies. They 

now echo in the halls of Parliaments. 

Jobbik leaders demand a listing of Hungarian Jews. Golden 

Dawn party attacks the very idea of Holocaust education. The 

Svoboda Party features anti-Jewish rhetoric in the halls of Parliament defending the use of the word ‘‘kike.’’ The danger may not 

be in the support that these parties have. They are relatively confined to 10–15 percent of the population. But they already exert a 

91

gravitational pull from even mainstream parties. They are nervous 

about those potential voters or they are seeking those votes themselves. 

Finally, a fourth area to be identified has been the limits being 

placed on basic Jewish ritual practice. We have witnessed the efforts in various European countries to restrict or to ban the practice of ritual circumcision and kosher slaughter. Proponents of 

these efforts may not necessarily be anti-Semitic, they may be selfdescribed animal rights advocates or protectors of children. Political support, in fact, is broader. It may draw particularly on antiMuslim sentiments, since a ban on these practices affects Muslim 

communities as well. But the reality is that legislation came close 

to being passed in the Netherlands. A regional court in Germany 

issued a ruling prohibiting circumcision causing the government to 

come forward with new legislation. 

The fact is that some countries have maintained bans on ritual 

slaughter that pre-date any animal rights activism. They were intended to be anti-Semitic in nature, to keep Jews out. Country by 

country Jewish communities in postwar Europe worked out their 

own understanding of what was needed. They quietly negotiated 

with their respective governments. In some cases exceptions were 

granted or conditions were voluntarily accepted. Rarely did these 

issues rise as topics of public debate. But that has now changed for 

several reasons. Western European societies have become increasingly secular, and as a result there is less respect for religious 

practice generally. It is particularly evident when addressing these 

practices that are considered archaic or even barbaric, such as 

shechita and brit milah. A large and growing Muslim population in 

Europe means that they are more prevalent and thus more likely 

to require a legal framework, an official regulation in which to operate. As a result, the ad hoc approach that served the needs of 

mostly small Jewish communities is now beginning to unravel, and 

public discussions and blog postings easily turn to anti-Semitic expressions. 

With all of the difficulties that have been enumerated above, we 

should not lose sight of the fact that if there is a ban on these age 

old precepts of Judaism, it would also threaten the very future of 

Jewish life. Let me conclude here, and I have appended to my written testimony a number of my OSCE reports. And thank you again, 

Mr. Chairman. 

[The prepared statement of Rabbi Baker follows:]

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RABBI ANDREW BAKER 

Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism 

AJC Director of International Jewish Affairs 

TESTIMONY 

Committee on Foreign Affairs 

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations 

February 27, 2013 

Washington, DC 

Let me layout here in this testimony what I believe are the main concerns that define the 

problem of anti-Semitism in Europe today recognizing that they may vary from country to 

country. 

Jewish Community Security 

Only a week ago the Jewish Community Security Service of France (SPCJ) issued its annual 

report, which described 2012 as, "a year of unprecedented violence against Jews in France." 

Physical attacks nearly doubled over the previous year. That increase in anti-Semitic acts was 

more than eight times higher than all other racist and xenophobic acts in the same period. You 

will recall that those acts included the murder of four at a Jewish school in Toulouse, an event 

that drew international attention. But the SPCJ report reveals that following this there was a 

spike in incidents. Rather than generating awareness and sympathy, there was instead support 

and identification with the anti-Semitic murderer. 

France may stand out with its significant number of violent acts, and with the largest Jewish 

community in Europe it offers the largest number of potential targets. But the French Jewish 

community is not alone with the need to address an increasing security threat. Other Western 

European Jewish communities face similar challenges. Physical attacks and threats directed 

toward persons and property are now a part of daily life. Synagogues, schools and community 

centers have been refitted with secure entryways and sidewalk barriers. Experts say they need 

to be prepared not only for home grown violence but also the possibility of international terror 

attacks. This is a formidable challenge especially for small communities with limited budgets, 

and it spans the continent as I witnessed in my OSCE travels. The 1000 Jews of Oslo, Norway 

and the 1000 Jews who live in Melilla, a Spanish enclave on the North African coast may have 

little in common, but both communities are spending an inordinate share of their budgets to 

keep their members safe. 

Governments have a basic obligation to provide for the security of their citizens. They also 

affirm a bedrock commitment to the free exercise of religion. And yet the security needs and 

the financial burdens that many Jewish communities now face seriously call these principles 

into question. So it is that these quite elemental challenges of a decidedly practical nature 

ultimately pose an existential threat to the future of Jewish life in Europe, 
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79580f-2.eps

The sources of these anti-Semitic incidents are generally known. Right wing, neo-Nazi groups 

have long been a focus of concern, and they remain a steady source of the problem. But the 

recent increases that are documented in France and elsewhere in Western Europe largely come 

from parts of the Arab and Muslim communities. Knowing the source of attacks is necessary in 

order to devise ways to prevent them-through law enforcement in the short term and 

education over time. Yet some governments willfully do not want to know, and they have 

limited their monitoring tools so that they will not be confronted with the facts. This may be a 

reflection of political correctness or a fear that such data are likely to increase anti-Muslim 

sentiments. Either way they contribute to the problem. 

To be sure there are also examples of good practices which include close cooperation with law 

enforcement and government funding for security enhancements. But we need to find ways to 

get more countries to follow suit. This will be one of the primary goals of an OSCEjODIHR 

conference on Jewish community security that we anticipate will take place in early April. 

Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse 

In 2011 the OSCE convened a conference on anti-Semitism in public discourse. It noted that 

popular attitudes about Jews may not derive from firsthand knowledge, especially as the Jewish 

population is often quite small. Instead they are more frequently informed by inherited 

prejudices and media coverage. That media coverage often features highly critical depictions of 

the State of Israel. And at times that criticism crosses over into anti-Semitism. When Israel is 

demonized, when its legitimacy as a Jewish state is questioned, when its actions are compared 

to those of the Nazis this is not mere criticism. 

This aspect of the problem was referenced in the seminal OSCE Berlin Declaration adopted in 

2004, and it was described and defined in more detail a year later in the Working Definition of 

anti-Semitism promulgated by the EUMC, now the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. That 

working definition also warns against holding local Jewish communities responsible for the 

actions of the State of Israel. But that regularly happens. Jews and Israel are conflated, and 

incidents in the Middle East and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict trigger attacks on Jewish targets 

in Europe. European Jews have their own views about Israel, and they may vary widely. But 

only they are being told that they must publicly condemn the Jewish State as the price for 

support and civic inclusiveness. 

Last year a government funded Norwegian study found that 38 percent of the population 

agreed that Israel's treatment of the Palestinians was akin to the policies of the Nazis. It was a 

sobering statistic even for political leaders who are openly pro-Palestinian in their views. Israel's 

Hasbarah challenges are formidable, and they should be carefully separated from the problem 

of anti-Semitism. But for Norway's small Jewish community-a third of whom were murdered 

in the Holocaust-such distinctions have little meaning. 

2 
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Extremist Political Parties 

The growth of right wing, populist parties in some European countries is a new cause for alarm. 

The severe economic problems and inability of mainstream political parties to cope with them 

have opened a door to extremist views. New parties such as Jobbik in Hungary, Svoboda in 

Ukraine and Golden Dawn in Greece have found success following a path already trod by more 

established movements such as National Front in France and the Freedom Party in Austria. 

Their success draws from anti-foreigner, anti-immigrant and anti-Roma prejudice. 

But these xenophobic appeals vie for primacy with equally hateful anti-Semitic messages. As a 

result of election successes these words are no longer confined to street corner rallies; they 

also echo in the halls of Parliaments. Jobbik leaders demand a public listing of Hungarian Jews 

whom they accuse of undermining national identity. The Golden Dawn party now attacks 

Holocaust education in Greek schools and calls for the reversal of the Parliamentary decision 

that established an official commemoration day. Local rallies of the Svoboda Party often 

featured anti-Jewish rhetoric. Now that they sit in Parliament they defiantly defend the use of 

the word "kike" in their speeches. 

The danger may not be that these parties will come to power; after all their support for now is 

in the 10-15 percent range. But they already exert an influence beyond their numbers, as there 

is a discernible gravitational pull to the right. FIDESZ leaders periodically condemn antiSemitism, but they also play to the Jobbik voters with more artfully worded attacks or with 

those attacks being spoken by trusted friends who stand just outside the door. In Ukraine 

Jewish community leaders report that now when they press local officials to investigate antiSemitic incidents they're given a new reason for hesitation: Svoboda party members will 

denounce them if they are too active in taking up these concerns. The thuggish behavior of 

Golden Dawn party members openly attacking immigrant merchants on the streets of Athens 

has been caught on camera. But that behavior extends to the halls of Parliament as well. Greek 

MPs visiting Washington in November (as part of an election observer team) confided that 

when they speak out they and their families are physically threatened by Golden Dawn MPs. 

The problem they said is that there is just not enough security to protect them all. Perhaps as 

economic conditions improve support for these movements will diminish. But this is a poor 

prescription for addressing what is undeniably an acute problem. 

Limiting Jewish Ritual Practices 

We have also witnessed efforts in various European countries to restrict or ban the practice of 

ritual circumcision and kosher slaughter. The proponents of these efforts are not necessarily 

anti-Semitic. In fact they are self-described animal rights advocates or defenders of children. 

Political support is broader, and as these ritual practices are also a part of Islam that support 

may likely reflect an anti-Muslim bias as well. Legislation banning ritual slaughter came close to 

passage in the Netherlands, and a regional court decree in Germany prohibiting circumcision 

left the Government scurrying to draft legislation upholding the practice. Several countries have 

long-standing legislation that bans kosher slaughter outright. Adopted long before there were 

3 
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any animal rights activists, these laws were anti-Semitic by design, intended to limit the number 

of Jews who would otherwise consider moving there. 

Country by country Jewish communities in the postwar years worked out their own 

understanding of what was needed and quietly negotiated arrangements with their respective 

governments. In some cases exceptions were granted or some conditions were voluntarily 

accepted. Rarely did these issues figure as topics of public debate. That has now changed for 

several reasons. Western European society has become increasingly secular, and as a result 

there is less respect for religious practice generally. It is particularly evident when addressing 

those practices that are considered archaic and even "barbaric" as shechita and brit milah are 

viewed. A large and growing Muslim population in Europe also means that they are more 

prevalent and thus more likely to require a legal framework and official regulations in which to 

operate. As a result the ad hoc approach that served the needs of mostly small Jewish 

communities is now beginning to unravel. And public discussions and blog postings easily turn 

to anti-Semitic expressions. With all of the difficulties that have been enumerated above, we 

should not lose sight of the fact that if a ban on these age old precepts of Judaism were to be 

imposed it would also threaten the future of Jewish life. 

I append to this testimony copies or excerpts from my OSCE country reports prepared in 2012, 

which describe these problems in more detail and also offer specific recommendations for 

action. 

Country Visit: Hungary 

Report of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on 

Combating Anti-Semitism 

Rabbi Andrew Baker 

March 21-23, 2012 

The FIDESZ led government of Hungary has been criticized by the Venice Commission and 

others for imposing new laws and constitutional changes that will have a significant impact on 

social and political life-among them a media law, changes in the appointment of judges and a 

religion law that sharply reduces the number of officially sanctioned churches. Inside the 

country government officials speak of these steps as a necessary "consolidation" of laws and 

regulations while opposition voices decry what they believe is a "democracy deficit" in the 

country. My visit to Budapest came shortly after National Day events which included a fiery 

speech by Prime Minister Viktor Orban widely understood as an attack on Brussels and the EU 

establishment. 

The state of the Jewish community in Hungary and questions about anti-Semitism in society 

should be examined separately from this broader discussion, but of course they cannot be 

entirely divided. Hungarian Jewry, numbering 80,000-100,000, represents the largest Jewish 

community in Central Europe. They are deeply-rooted, largely assimilated and well-integrated 

into Hungarian social life. They have naturally gravitated to politically left-leaning parties and 

are understandably troubled by appeals to Hungarian nationalism even when voiced by centerright politicians. Six hundred thousand Hungarian Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and 

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that trauma still hovers over the present-day community which is virtually entirely a community 

of survivors and their offspring. Like other former Communist states, Hungary has only recently 

confronted its own Holocaust-era past, and this process of self-examination remains 

incomplete. 

The emergence of the Jobbik Party-an unabashed, right wing force that espouses a strong 

anti-Roma and anti-Semitic agenda-has unnerved many people in Hungary and abroad. The 

periodic gatherings of its affiliated, militia-like Hungarian Guard dressed in uniforms modeled 

after the wartime, fascist Arrow Cross, are at the very least a provocative symbol especially to 

those Jews who lived through the Holocaust in Hungary. When the Hungarian Guard masses in 

towns and villages with significant Roma populations they pose a threat to physical security and 

safety. Few people in Hungary believe that the party will be able to increase its level of support 

much beyond its current level of 20 percent, and they note that a considerable number of 

Jobbik voters are only looking for a way to express their dissatisfaction with the political 

establishment and a deteriorating economic situation. Nevertheless, Jobbik's presence means 

extremist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric is now a regular feature of Parliamentary 

debate. 

Hungarian Jews largely agree that FIDESZ leaders are very careful in their own public remarks 

and do not accuse them of espousing anti-Semitism. There are some who see in the general 

attacks on certain European and economic interests coded references to attacks on Jews, 

although this is surely open to debate. However, there is general agreement that in the outer 

circles of the party or among traditional party supporters in the media more explicit antiSemitic appeals are present, and they believe that the FIDESZ leadership turns a blind eye to 

this. With a worsening economic climate and the prospect that FIDESZ will need to ratchet up 

its populist appeals in the next election, Hungarian Jews-not a terribly optimistic people in the 

best of times-are quite understandably on edge. 

Assessing the Climate of Anti-Semitism: 

By coincidence the Anti-Defamation League released a survey on attitudes toward Jews in ten 

European countries at the same time as my visit to Budapest. Based on telephone interviews 

conducted in each country, ADL determined that the level of anti-Semitism was highest in 

Hungary. Although a prominent Jewish researcher in Hungary criticized the survey's 

methodology and questioned its findings, his own research work shows the problem increasing 

in recent years. No doubt the presence of the Jobbik Party in the Parliament is a contributing 

factor; for the first time in post-Communist Hungary one can hear overt anti-Semitic language 

from the mouths of MPs. While the worst of this rhetoric has been condemned by MPs from 

other parties, they have yet to figure out how to prevent its continuation. Also during my brief 

stay in Budapest anti-Semitic posters appeared on some city kiosks. Professionally produced, 

they depicted a paramilitary man in an Arrow Cross-like uniform dangling a crude caricature of 

a Jew from his fingers with words below reading, "Join the Fight."(A photo of this poster 

appears at the end of this report.) 

Such unvarnished anti-Semitic manifestations may be largely relegated to the extreme-but not 

insignificant-right. However, there are those who see in the populist and frequently antiEuropean and anti-business rhetoric of mainstream politicians veiled references to Jews. As one 

moves outward from this core of national, political leaders to columnists and writers associated 

with them or to regional and local politicians, the anti-Semitic references are more evident. 

5 
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Internet web sites frequently host anti-Semitic postings, and Jewish leaders point out that even 

major newspapers are lax in removing such writings from their own on-line publications. When 

they protested to the Mayor of Budapest on the appointment as director of the city-sponsored 

theater of the late Istvan Csurka-more noted in recent years for his anti-Semitic political 

agenda than as a dramatist-they were told that the city deserved at least one "Hungarian" 

theater. At the same time, physical attacks are rare, and security precautions taken at Jewish 

institutions in Budapest are less stringent than those in most Western European capitals. 

Development of a National Curriculum: 

At the present time the Ministry of National Resources is developing a national curriculum for 

use in all Hungarian schools. It provides an important opportunity to address the general lack of 

information on Jews and Jewish life in the country and its history. According to those familiar 

with the current teaching materials, Jews "appear" on three occasions-in the time of Jesus to 

account for the birth of Christianity, in the Nazi era as victims of the Holocaust, and in modern 

times as part of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Nothing is presented of the long history of the Jewish 

presence in Hungary and its contribution to Hungarian culture. This limited, two dimensional 

picture of Jews is likely to perpetuate old stereotypes and prejudices, especially in regions 

where few if any Jews live today. This serious omission should be corrected. A consortium of 

Hungarian Jewish organizations has prepared a detail analysis of the national curriculum and 

offered its recommendations; they should be given serious consideration. Minister Rethelyi 

citied the educational programs of Centropa which offer a more detailed picture of Jewish life 

in Hungary before and after the Holocaust, and more support should be given to this effort. 

ODIHR has developed secondary school teaching materials in cooperation with the Hungarian 

Holocaust Memorial Center and the NGO Zachor Foundation designed to combat anti-Semitism 

through education, and the Ministry is encouraged to facilitate their dissemination and use in 

Hungarian schools. 

The Hungarian Jewish Community: 

As noted above, the Jewish population in Hungary is the largest in Central Europe. While the 

adoption of a new religion law severely reduced the number of officially recognized and 

supported church groups-and as a result engendered considerable criticism abroad-it 

actually extended designation to two new Jewish congregations. (Until now the government 

had accorded recognition only to the Jewish Federation of Hungary.) However, many were 

surprised that the Reform synagogue movement was not included in the legislation. Foreign 

Minister Janos Martonyi conceded that this was a mistake which should be corrected when the 

law is next amended. 

A larger but related question-and not necessarily the full responsibility of government-is 

predicated on the fact that Hungarian Jews are a largely assimilated community with relatively 

few identifying through synagogue affiliation. Many more are likely to express their Jewishness 

through social, cultural and educational activities, but these institutions receive only limited if 

any financial support. 

Holocaust Remembrance and Education: 

The Holocaust Memorial Center in Budapest contains a permanent exhibit detailing the story of 

the Holocaust in Hungary, research facilities and a moving memorial to the 600,000 Hungarian 

victims. In principle, it is an invaluable resource for training teachers and instructing students. 

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However, some critics say its remote location and the lack of any mandated Holocaust 

education in the schools leave it underutilized. With the change in government in 2010, there 

were charges that the new authorities sought to change the content of the permanent 

exhibition so as to downplay Hungarian culpability in the Holocaust. In fact the subject was 

raised in my meeting with Andras Levente Gal, Commissioner for Good Governance in the 

Ministry of Public Administration and Justice and the official primarily responsible for dealing 

with Holocaust-related issues. Mr. Gal defended his criticism of the exhibition saying it was 

time, "to go beyond well-established Communist history." In the meantime the controversy has 

partially abated and for the time being the exhibition remains unchanged. 

The Museum was officially opened during the previous term of Prime Minister Orban, whose 

government also established an official Holocaust commemoration day. Despite the singular 

presence of this center in Southeastern Europe there are also critics who contrast it 

unfavorably to the larger, more centrally located and more frequently visited House of Terror 

Museum which focuses primarily on the crimes of Communism. 

The Hungarian government has created a special commemorative committee to mark 2012 as 

the centennial anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg. The committee has organized events inside 

Hungary and abroad to highlight the Swedish diplomat's rescue of Jews in Hungary during the 

war. Certainly Raoul Wallenberg is a rare example of what a committed individual could do 

even in those darkest days, and Hungary should be commended for raising awareness of his 

efforts. 

Professor Szabolcs Szita, Director of the Holocaust Memorial Center, also indicated that they 

intend to focus more on the prewar experience of Jews and Hungarians living together. By way 

of example, he cited an exhibit which just opened that described day-to-day Jewish life in those 

times prepared by Centropa. 

Hungary's new constitution declares that the country lost its self-determination with the Nazi 

occupation in March 1944 and only regained it in 1989. There are some who see in this 

language-especially when taken together with calls for changing the narrative of the museum 

exhibition-an effort to distance Hungary from taking responsibility for the worst crimes of the 

Holocaust. Although the mass deportations were ordered by the Nazi occupiers they were 

largely implemented and carried out by Hungarian civil and police authorities. It would be 

unfortunate while other European countries such as France and Austria have belatedly 

confronted their own complicity in Holocaust-era crimes if Hungary would march in the 

opposite direction. In this regard it is worth making special note of Foreign Minister Martonyi's 

words in his January 2012 speech marking the opening of the Wallenberg Centennial 

Commemoration: "It is especially painful for me as minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary to say 

this: during the Holocaust the Hungarian State was weighed on the scales and found wanting. It 

could not protect its citizens, what's more-even if under foreign occupation-it assisted in 

their extermination." 

Combating Hate Crimes: 

Peter Polt, the Prosecutor General, explained that the concept of a hate crime is not defined 

under Hungarian law. In cases of violence directed at specific ethnic communities authorities 

have no difficulty in categorizing them as hate crimes. But it is far more difficult when 

examining hate speech, especially as the constitution offers a wide protection of freedom of 

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opinion and speech, and the line is not clearly defined. As a result there have been very few 

cases of prosecuting hate speech-24 in 2009, 16 in 2010 and 16 in 2011. 

Data collection is also a problem. Not only is it not the practice of police to note the ethnic or 

religious identity of a victim, but according to the prosecutor data protection laws forbid it. The 

only exception is where the victims themselves ask that it be noted. 

In my 2009 visit the Hungarian Guard was a new and disturbing presence and drew 

considerable attention. This paramilitary organization with connections to the Jobbik Party 

continue to parade in central Budapest and in other towns and cities in uniforms modeled on 

those of the wartime, fascist Arrow Cross. In an effort to prevent their activities laws were 

passed that banned the display of certain symbols, the wearing of certain uniforms and even 

marching in formation. And yet, despite this legislation, they continue virtually unabated. By 

their own admission, officials in the Ministry of Interior said the laws simply do not work. By 

making small changes to their uniforms or to the way they assemble or to the symbols they 

display, they manage to avoid prosecution. In fact, Deputy State Secretary Dr. Krisztina Berta 

explained that they frequently come to their demonstrations with legal counsel. These 

attorneys will explain to the police who are present why these guardsmen are not in violation 

of the law, and are thus left unhindered. Police and authorities are equally frustrated by this. 

Addressing Concerns of the Roma Minority: 

By all accounts anti-Roma attitudes in Hungary are dramatically high. They playa significant role 

in fueling support for the right wing Jobbik Party and surely are a contributing factor in the 

physical attacks that have occurred on Roma villages and encampments. Although the Roma in 

Hungary are quite different from Hungarian Jews, the two groups are often dual targets by 

xenophobic extremists in what is a largely homogenous society. A national social inclusion 

strategy has been drafted by the government which includes job training, economic 

development and the training of local community leaders. 

Recommendations: 

1. The Ministry of National Resources should accept the recommendations offered by 

Hungarian Jewish organizations in the development of the national curriculum. (See 

appendix.) Education officials should support and facilitate the use of materials 

prepared by ODIHR and the Zachor Foundation and by Centropa in Hungarian schools. 

Greater use should be made of the Holocaust Memorial Center as an educational tool by 

encouraging more comprehensive visits by student groups and teachers. 

2. The presence of the Jobbik Party in the national Parliament and in local and regional 

councils has brought overt anti-Semitic (and racist and xenophobic) rhetoric to a new 

level in Hungarian society. It is thus incumbent on all mainstream political leadership 

and especially those of the ruling FIDESZ Party to counter this. Wherever possible and 

permitted under the law this hate speech should be prosecuted. Senior government 

leaders should swiftly and loudly condemn such anti-Semitic outbursts. They should 

avoid any unnecessary contact or seemingly friendly relations with Jobbik members 

which might thereby accord the party de facto respectability. 

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3. The OSCE Prague Conference on Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse (March 2011) warned 

of the dangers of anti-Semitic rhetoric and note the corrosive effect they posed to the 

security of Jewish communities. Hungarian political leaders should continue to be 

careful in their own speech and to admonish their allies and supporters when such 

language presents itself. 

4. Despite sincere interest on the part of Hungarian authorities, efforts to curtail the 

presence of the (newly renamed) Hungarian Guard have not succeeded. New methods 

should be explored and undertaken. Perhaps with the assistance of ODIHR or other 

governments new legislative language could be found and adopted that would prove 

more effective in day-to-day use. Police should be encouraged to act more aggressively 

(albeit within the law) and in greater numbers so as to minimize the impact of the 

group's gatherings. 

5. It is well-established that comprehensive methods of the monitoring and data collection 

of hate crimes serve multiple, positive purposes. By identifying victims and perpetrators 

and the locations of these crimes, police, prosecutors and public officials are better able 

to deal with them at all stages of the justice process and to take effective countermeasures going forward. Other countries with strong data protection laws have 

nevertheless been able to carry out this work, and guidance should be sought from 

ODIHR and/or other governments. 

6. Hate crime data collection starts with proper reporting by the police. As reported to 

ODIHR, no hate crimes were recorded by the police in 2010 whereas 15 were recorded 

in 2009. The Hungarian authorities should accept ODIHR's offer to deliver training for 

law enforcement in the framework of its TAHCLE program. 

Appendices: 

Poster appearing on Budapest kiosks (as reported in Nepszava, March 23 2012): 

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A report and recommendation on the proposed national curriculum was prepared by a consortium of 14 

Jewish congregations and NGOs (identified below) and shared with the Ministry of National Resources. 

(The full report can be accessed here: http://www.jmpoint.hu/nat.) 

Az eloterjeszto szervezetek: 

Magyarorszagi Autonom Ortodox Hitk6zseg, Balazs Gabor EI61jaro 

Egyseges Magyarorszagi Izraelita Hitk6zseg, K6ves Siomo vezeto rabbi 

Budapesti Zsido Hitkozseg Frankel Leo uteai Zsinagogai Korzet, Vera Tamas f6rabbi 

BZSH Bet Salam zsinagoga Radnoli Zollan rabbi es Heisler Andras a MAZSIHISZ korabbi elnoke 

Szim Salom Progresszfv Zsid6 Hitk6zseg 

Magyarorszagi Cionista Sz6vetseg, Dr Kardi Judit eln6k 

Magyar Zsido Kulturalis Egyesulet, Kirschner Peter eln6k 

B'nai B'rith Budapesti Szervezete, Vadasz Magda eln6k 

Magyar Zsido 6rokseg Kozalapilvany, Szabo Gyorgy mb. elnok 

Lauder Javne Zsido K6z6ssegi Iskola 

Bet Menachem Oktatasi K6zpont, Betseva Oberlander igazgat6 

HAVER Alapftvany, Kuratorium 

JMPoint a Zsido Kozossegert Kozhasznu Alapitvany, Kurti Csaba igazgato 

Balint Haz, Fritz Zsuzsa Igazgat6 

(csatlakozasi sorrend) 

Meetings: 

Representatives of civil society 

Ms Andrea Szonyi, Regional Consultant in Hungary of the USC Shoah Foundation 

Institute, Chairperson ofthe Board of Trustees - Zachor Foundation for Social Remembrance 

Ms M6nika Kovacs, Vice-Dean for International and Scientific Affairs of the Faculty of 

Education and Psychology - E6tv6s Lorand University 

Mr Laszl6 Csosz, Historian - Holocaust Memorial Center 

Mr Andras Kovacs, Sociologist, Professor at the Nationalism Studies and Jewish Studies 

Program at the Central European University 

Mr Laszl6 Varkonyi, President and CEO of the International Centre for Democratic 

Transition 

Mr Mate Fischer, Operations Officer of the Tom Lantos Institute 

Ms Nora Kuntz, Programme Director of the Tom Lantos Institute 

Mr Imre Szebik, M.D. Master of Bioethics, Institute of Behavioral Sciences 

Rabbi SIom6 K6ves, Chief Rabbi of the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation (EMIH) 

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Mr Andras Megyeri, Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation (EMIH) 

Mr Gabor Szant6, Chief Editor of "Szombat" The Hungarian Jewish monthly 

Mr Janos Gado, Editor "Szombat" The Hungarian Jewish monthly 

Prof. Szabolcs Szita, Executive Director of Holocaust Memorial Centre 

Dr. Janos Botos, Deputy Director of Holocaust Memorial Centre 

Mr Peter Feldmajer, President of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities 

(MAZSIHISZ) 

Ministry of National Resources 

Mr Mikl6s Rethelyi, Minister for National Resources 

Ms Agota Schmidt, Chief of Cabinet of the Minister 

Ms Maria Lad6, Head of International Department 

Ms Bettina Torok 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Mr Janos Martonyi, Minister for Foreign Affairs 

Mr Gergely Prohle, Deputy State Secretary for EU Bilateral Relations 

Mr Zsolt Nemeth, Deputy Minister for State for Foreign Affairs 

Ms Andrea Komaromy, Deputy Head of Delegation, Head of Department for Cultural 

Diplomacy 

Mr Mihaly Dudas, OSCE Desk Officer 

Ms Anna Miklos, Third Secretary, Cabinet ofthe Minister 

Parliament 

Mr Janos F6nagy, MP (KDNP), member of the Economic and Information Technology 

Parliamentary Committee 

Mr Laszl6 Kovacs, MP (MSZP), member of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign 

Affairs (former Minister for Foreign Affairs) 

Mr Andras Schiffer, MP (LMP), member of the Constitutional, Judicial and Standing 

Orders Parliamentary Committee 

Mr Karoly Tuzes, Head of Secretariat for Security and Defense Policy of the Foreign 

Affairs Office of the Parliament 

Office of Prosecutor General 

Mr Peter Polt, Prosecutor General 

Ms Eszter Maria Kopf, Head of Department of International and European Affairs 

Ms Katalin Gaspar, Adviser of the Department of Supervision of Investigations and 

Preparing of Charges 

Mr Krisztian Eperjes 

Ministry of Interior 

Dr Krisztina Berta, Deputy State Secretary 

Mr Istvan Erdos, Head of International Department 

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Ministry of Public Administration and Justice 

Mr Bela Locsmandi, Deputy State Secretary for Social Inclusion 

Mr Andras Levente Gal, Government Commissioner for Good Governance 

Mr Marton Lacsni, Senior Advisor, Cabinet of Mr Gal 

Ms Eszter Andits, Advisor in international affairs of the State Secretary for Social 

Inclusion 

US Embassy 

Ambassador Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis 

Hungarian News Agency 

Ms Alexandra Nadori (Hungarian News Agency) 

Accompanied by (OSCE/ODIHR) 

Ms Floriane Hohenberg, Head ofthe Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department 

Mr Timur Sultangozhin, Associate Programme Officer 

country Visit: Spain 

Report of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office 

on Combating Anti-Semitism, Rabbi Andrew Baker, April 22-25, 2012 

This visit served as a follow up to a visit in June 2009. At that time the release of several opinion surveys 

showing a high level of prejudice against Jews together with a spike in anti-Semitic incidents occurring 

during and after the war in Gaza focused significant attention to the problem of anti-Semitism in Spain. 

Since that time there have been genuine efforts to address it. 

The timing of this visit enabled me to attend the Jewish community's Yom Hashoa commemoration in 

King Juan Carlos I Park in the outskirts of Madrid. The ceremony took place at the Holocaust memorial in 

the park, a moving and modern sculptural installation that was erected in 2005. Although the audience 

was relatively few in number and came largely from the Jewish community, it was an impressive event 

featuring the mayor of Madrid. It reflects a growing interest and attention to Holocaust remembrance, 

which is officially commemorated by the government on January 27. 

Surveying anti-Jewish Attitudes 

Attitude surveys in Spain continue to describe a rather significant degree of anti-Jewish sentiment 

among the general popUlation-which has ranged in recent years from 30 to 50 percent. Because of the 

very small number of Jews in Spain (estimated at no more than 40,000) and the fact that the Jewish 

community was only formally recognized in 1978, there has been considerable speculation as to the 

reason for these highly negative numbers. Since these attitudes cannot be based on a firsthand 

knowledge of individual Jews, some have speculated that the source lies in the generally strong antiIsrael depictions in the Spanish media. This was certainly an argument heard frequently at the time of 

my 2009 visit, which occurred only a few months after the war in Gaza. However, the Spanish Jewish 

scholar Alejandro Baer maintains that the basis for these anti-Jewish views can be traced to the 

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Expulsion from Spain in the lS'h Century and the nationalist identity politics that remain a strong legacy 

of the Franco regime. According to Professor Baer, Spain is essentially a case of "anti-Semitism without 

Jews" and thus these attitudes are not based on any objective considerations but rather on "imaginary 

or abstract Jews./I 

This is certainly more than an academic debate, for if we are to devise appropriate strategies to combat 

these anti-Jewish views we shall need to know their source. 

In an opinion poll released only weeks before this visit, the ADL found that anti-Jewish sentiments in 

Spain were held by over 50 percent of the population, putting them among the highest of the ten 

European countries surveyed. A more detailed survey conducted two years ago by Casa Sefarad-Israel 

concluded that a third of the population harbored prejudice against Jews-a lower number but still 

cause for concern. 

Whatever the actual figure, there seems to be a general consensus on the part of Jewish community 

leaders, interested observers and government officials that there are now positive and concerted efforts 

to address this anti-Semitism. In particular the Jewish community leaders believe they have a sincere 

partner in the current government which can build on some of the initiatives undertaken by the 

previous one. In this regard the community leadership did not hide its annoyance with those who have 

been using the recent survey results to castigate the Spanish government, fearing that they may retard 

the cooperative work inside Spain. In any case there appears to be a distinct change from 2009. At that 

time there were still many in Spain who disputed the presence of anti-Semitism. Today this is no longer 

questioned, and instead the discussion is focused on what can be done about it. 

Jewish Community Views 

The Jewish community recognizes that its small numbers and low profile may be a contributing factor to 

the negative sentiments, since it inevitably falls to others to define them. They identify anti-Israel views 

related to the Middle East conflict, traditional Christian prejudice toward Jews and the unhelpful role of 

the media as the sources for these views. In recent years the Jewish Federation has undertaken efforts 

to monitor media coverage and now prepares an annual report. Selected cartoons and opinion pieces 

offer evidence of anti-Semitic depictions particularly with reference to the State of Israel. Community 

leaders have taken up the issue with some newspaper editors/ and there has been some discussion of 

establishing-with media cooperation-an outside, independent monitoring body. Jewish leaders are 

divided on this approach/ with some fearing that doing so would limit its own freedom to criticize. 

Spain had in place Holocaust denial legislation that resulted in two well-publicized convictions after 

years-long litigation, but in 2009 the law was overturned by the high court and effectively eliminated. 

Both the Jewish community and government officials expressed their dismay at the "legal vacuum" that 

has ensued. They would like to see a new law adopted that will allow for some prosecution. The Ministry 

of Justice has asked the Jewish community for its analysis and suggestions, but it is unclear how much 

more time will pass before any new legislation is proposed. 

The community recognizes the importance of getting Spanish schools to include material in curricula 

that portrays the history of Jews and Judaism including the Holocaust. They note that the difficulties are 

compounded because of a decentralized educational system that grants autonomy to the regions. At the 

very least they would like to see strong guidelines issued by the national government in Madrid. 

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Jewish leaders expressed their belief that they have a "cooperative partner" in the current government 

that shares its concerns and wants to work with them. Because of this they note that while some 

attitude surveys carried out and publicized by outside organizations may have served to focus renewed 

attention on the problem of anti-Semitism in Spain they are not necessarily helpful. They would like to 

see prior coordination with their community leadership and a greater awareness of the Jewish 

community's own activities in this area. 

The Jewish community maintains contact with Muslim religious leaders in Spain, but there is no 

cooperative activity. 

As in other European countries, the Spanish Jewish Community has special concerns about maintaining 

the security of its synagogues, schools and other institutions. It maintains regular communications with 

the Director General of Police but must spend 15 percent of its total budget on security needs. A focus 

of special concern is the Jewish community of Melilla, which has a relatively large Jewish population of 

1,000 on territory surrounded by Morocco. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Spain has appointed an Ambassador at Large for relations with the Jewish community and international 

Jewish organizations. He and his colleagues share a similar analysis to that of the Jewish community in 

describing the contributing factors to anti-Semitism in Spain. They describe a number of specific 

initiatives that they have encouraged or implemented. These include the adoption of an official 

Holocaust commemoration day which was observed in 2012 in the Senate and in most regional 

parliaments; public participation in Jewish holiday events such as lighting a Chanukah menorah in 

Madrid, Barcelona and Malaga; organizing study trips to Israel for members of Spanish think tanks; and 

promoting a visit by the leader of the Spanish Church to Auschwitz, to Israel and to the main synagogue 

in Madrid. 

The Ambassador at Large who heads the Spanish delegation to the Task Force for International 

Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research (ITF) also coordinates a working 

group in Spain that is tasked with transmitting the lessons of the Holocaust to educators, journalists, 

jurists, and religious leaders throughout the country. 

Police and Interior Ministry 

In 2009 we were informed of a newly-established special prosecutor in Barcelona with a mandate to 

focus on hate crimes. He has now established himself and receives positive reviews for his work. 

However, the need remains to make this a nation-wide and comprehensive approach. 

Data collection on hate crimes-particularly with disaggregating data on anti-Semitism-can be 

improved. We were informed of 60 cases of anti-Semitism-the majority of which are believed to be 

Internet related-but no official data are collected. 

Spain was an early participant in police training efforts pioneered by ODI HR. Now that the police training 

program has been revamped and reactivated by ODIHR, there is hope that they might renew that 

relationship. 

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Officials report no increase in social unrest as a result of the worsening economic crisis in Spain and 

despite frequent public demonstrations. However, they say they are prepared should the need arise. 

While the budgets of other government ministries have been slashed, theirs remains nearly unchanged. 

Ministry of Justice 

The 1992 law which formally reestablished the Jewish community in Spain provided the legal framework 

for relations between the government and the community. This enables the community to receive 

grants for specific projects channeled through the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation amounting to 

€1 million over the last three years. In such fashion the community is placed on an equal level with, for 

example, the Evangelical Church. Ministry officials reported that they have held discussions with the 

Jewish community regarding security needs, but there was no clear answer when asked about the 

availability of financial support. 

Ministry experts were quite candid in describing a widespread lack of knowledge in Spain about religions 

other than Catholicism. They have developed guides intended for internal use by other ministries and by 

municipalities to help them in dealing with Jews and with other minority religious communities. 

Officials also acknowledged that there is a "feeling of impunity" when it comes to Holocaust denial and 

even some aspects of anti-Semitism as a result of the high court decision to overturn the previous 

Holocaust denial law. However, they believe this is largely a "technical issue" that can be corrected with 

new legislation that could be sent to Parliament in the coming months. 

Education Ministry 

The Ministry maintains that Holocaust education is an important tool in combating anti-Semitism and it 

is identified in eight different subject areas of school curricula. At the request of the Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs it is now preparing a report on how Judaism and Jewish history are also taught. 

Significant credit is given to the role of Casa Sefarad-Israel as a vehicle to teach both children and adults 

about Jewish culture. It has directly sponsored public Jewish holiday events and book fairs and 

supported the activities of other organizations with these aims. Casa Sefarad-Israel also assumes 

responsibility for training Holocaust education teachers, and our visit included a discussion with several 

dozen teachers from the Madrid area. They are an impressive and inspiring group, and they have taken 

their own initiative to expand programs and identify new student populations. These range from 

primary school classes in religious education to university students in the faculty of medicine. 

Unfortunately in the current financial crisis the budget of Casa Sefarad-Israel has been significantly cut 

and this has also affected what it can do in the area of Holocaust education. 

Melilla visit 

At the suggestion of Spain's Ambassador to the OSCE we included a visit to the Spanish territory of 

Melilla in our visit. An enclave of 70,000 people in North Africa, Melilla once boasted a Jewish 

community of 10,000. Even today, with 1,000 Jews it is a relatively sizeable community compared with 

the rest of Spain. 

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During our brief stay we had an opportunity to meet with the leaders of Melilla's Jewish, Catholic, 

Muslim and Hindu communities, and there is obviously an easy and genuine spirit of friendship and 

cooperation among them. Asked how this came to be, they all described the experience of growing up 

together and sharing holidays and celebrations with each other. 

The oldest buildings in Melilla, part of the original fortifications, have been converted into museums 

which showcase the diverse cultural history of the enclave, and a presentation of Jewish history and 

Judaism is a significant component. 

Much has been made of Spain's history as a center for Jewish, Christian and Muslim civilization. But 

Melilla is a moving and positive symbol-if not very well known-of present-day tolerance and 

interreligious cooperation. It surely deserves more attention and recognition. 

Recommendations 

1. Resolve remaining barriers to the adoption of appropriate, revised Holocaust denial legislation. 

2. Bolster support for Holocaust education teachers, including national endorsement of their 

efforts. 

3. Continue in the development and implementation of educational materials that address the 

history of Jews and Judaism in Spain and combat anti-Semitism, including those prepared by 

ODIHR and Casa Sefarad-Israel. 

4. As accurate and comprehensive information is important to understanding the extent of the 

problem, more should be done by authorities to collect data on hate crimes including antiSemitism. 

5. The Jewish Federation should be assisted in its efforts-including assistance from ODIHR-to 

monitor and report on anti-Semitism in Spain. 

6. Encourage cooperative efforts by the government and the Jewish community and support the 

work of Casa Sefarad-Israel in fostering a positive picture of Jews and Judaism in Spain. 

7. Reengage with ODIHR in its training for police and prosecutors on combating hate crimes. 

Meetings included the following participants: 

Representatives of civil society and non-governmental organizations 

Mr. David Hatchwell, President of the Madrid Jewish Community 

Mr. Issac Querub, President of the FUE 

Ms. Carolina Aisen, Executive Secretary of the FUE, and Coordinator of the Anti-Semitism 

Observatory 

Mr. Esteban Ibarra/ Expert on intolerance issues/ IIMovimiento contra la Intoleranciall 

(Movement against intolerance) 

Mr. Antonio Domingo/ Fundaci6n Violeta Friedman 

Mr. Jorge Trias, lawyer, defended Violeta Friedman in the Leon Degrelle trial 

Mr. Ricardo Ruiz de la Serna, lawyer from the Anti-Semitism Observatory civic network 

Ms. Mayte Rodriguez, Centro de Estudios Judeo-Cristianos (Centre of Jewish-Christian Studies) 

Mr. Pedro Tarquis, Speaker, Consejo Evangelico de Madrid (Madrid Evangelic Council) 

Mr. Miguel Palacios, Minister, Iglesia Evangelica de Filadelfia 

Ms. Concha Diaz, Amical Mauthausen 

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Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Mr. Juan Gonzalez-Barba, Director General for the Maghreb, the Mediterranean and Africa 

Mr. Juan Manuel Cabrera, Ambassador at Large for Human Rights 

Mr. Alvaro Albacete, Ambassador at Large for Relations with the Jewish Community and Jewish 

Organizations 

Ms. Cristina Fraile, Under-Director General ofthe Human Rights Office 

Mr. Juan Armando Andrada-Vanderwilde, Head of the Council of Europe and OSCE Division 

Mr. Martin Remon Miranzo, Council of Europe and OSCE Division 

Ministry of Justice 

Mr. Angel Llorente, Director General on International Legal Cooperation and Relations with 

Religions 

Mr. Jose Maria Contreras, Under-Director General of Relations with Religions 

Ministry of Interior 

Mr. Carlos Abella, Director General of International Relations and of Alien Status 

Mr. Antonio Arrabal Villalobos, Under- Director General for International Police Cooperation 

Ministry of Education 

Mr. Carlos Marfa Rodrfguez Amunategui} Under-Director General of Academic Planning 

Ms. Angeles Munoz, Under-Director General of External Education Promotion 

Ms. Yolanda Zarate, Technical Counsellor 

Mr. Antonio Lopez Soto} Under-Director General of International Cooperation 

• Mr. Angel Santamaria, Technical Counsellor 

Mr. Juan Lopez Martinez, Inspector Central De Educaion 

Centro Sefarad-Israel 

Mr. Florentino Portero, Director General 

Mr. Miguel de Lucas, Secretary General 

Ms. Henar Corb!} Director of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism Department 

Ms. Yessica sanroman, Coordinator ITF 

Ms. Esther Bendahan, Director for Cultural affairs 

Ms. Sonia Sanchez} Director for Educational affairs 

Mr. Fernando Martinez-Vara de Rey, Coordinator of Culture and Tribune 

Melilla Regional Government 

Mr. Miguel Marin, First Deputy President of the Regional Government 

Ms. Simi Chocron, La consejera de Cultura 

Interfaith Committee of Melilla "Mesa Interconfesional de Melilla" 

Episcopal Vicar D. Red Roberto Aguado, Highest religious authority of the Catholic Christians of 

the city of Melilla 

Mr. Abderrahman Benyahya, Spokesman of the Muslim Association in Melilla 

Mr. Jaime C,novas Azancot, President of the Jewish Community of Melilla 

Mr. Ramesh Ramchand, President of the Community Nanwani Hindu Melilla 

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US Embassy 

Mr. Alan Solomont, U.S. Ambassador to Spain 

Accompanied by (OSCE!ODIHR) 

Ms. Floriane Hohenberg, Head of the Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department 

Mr. Timur Sultangozhin, Associate Programme Officer 

Report of the Personal Representatives of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Tolerance 

and Non-Discrimination Issues 

Ambassador Adil Akhmetov, Rabbi Andrew Baker and 

Judge Catherine McGuinness 

Norway 

June 11-lS, 2012 

Norway is an exemplary state that both espouses a commitment to human rights and equality and seeks 

to implement these goals in practice. Long a homogenous and cohesive society, it has in recent decades 

opened its borders to growing numbers of immigrants and asylum seekers. The country's oil wealth has 

shielded it from some of the economic constraints-and accompanying social woes-that beset other 

European countries, but that does not make it immune to the social and political turmoil that comes 

with managing cultural and ethnic diversity. 

Our visit coincided with the trial of Anders Brejvik} the confessed mass murderer of 77 individuals 

including 69 young people at a political summer camp in July 2011. The physical and emotional scars of 

that terrorist act were quite visible in the still unrepaired government buildings that were bombed and 

in both formal and informal discussions with our Norwegian interlocutors. As one official put it, Brejvik 

was a Illone woW' but he acted flin a context. '1 Norwegian society appears to be wrestling with how to 

manage a public discussion of its multi-cultural evolution and allow more space for airing these critical 

views, now aware that forcing it underground means that some of the most extreme examples such as 

Brejvik go undetected. At the same time there is concern that doing so might also raise the level of 

public prejudice. 

Until now the largely positive climate of tolerance and more respectful debate (even on the part of right 

wing political parties) has had a mitigating effect on the country's minorities. Even though they confront 

tangible problems of prejudice and discrimination, they still speak admiringly of Norwegian society. 

Muslim Community 

While Norwegian census figures do not note religion, estimates can be drawn from data identifying 

residents who come from majority-Muslim countries. This suggests a Muslim population of about 

95,000. Of this about 70,000 are represented by the Islamic Council of Norway. Leaders of the Council 

speak positively about their freedom to practice their religion and organize themselves. They are directly 

engaged in dialogue with other religious and civic groups and are in regular communication with 

government ministries and political parties. 

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However, they also report numerous examples of discrimination primarily in the areas of employment 

and housing. They believe that having a foreign (Muslim-sounding) name puts them at a disadvantage 

when seeking a job. (One government survey proved this to be so.) As a way to promote diversity in 

hiring, government agencies are obligated to interview minority candidates, but the Council 

representatives believe it more frequently means "checking a box" rather than giving serious 

consideration to these job seekers. Local laws and informal practice, they say! result in concentrating 

Muslims in certain neighborhoods. By way of example, they point to restrictions of some municipalities 

on the building of mosques or limiting them to certain geographic districts. 

Legal restrictions on ritual slaughter-a problem for Jews as well as Muslims-is also a subject of 

concern for the Islamic Council. However, they are optimistic that they will find a solution. 

Jewish Community 

At the start of the Second World War there were 2100 Jews living in Norway. Following the German 

occupation and with the support of the puppet government of Vidkun Quisling, 775 Jews were deported 

to concentration camps where all but a handful were murdered. The remaining Jews survived by fleeing 

to neighboring (neutral) Sweden or finding refuge in other countries. Today's Jewish community of 

approximately 2000 concentrated in Oslo and Trondheim are mostly their descendants. 

In 1995 Norway was forced to confront its inadequate treatment of Jewish material and moral claims for 

losses during the Holocaust and established a commission to examine the situation and make 

recommendations. The commission itself was split and issued two reports. The minority report, chaired 

by a representative of the Jewish community, took into account the special nature of Nazi seizures and 

postwar bureaucratic negligence and also called for an official apology. In 1997, after public debate the 

government chose to accept and implement the minority report. Some of those funds were used in the 

establishment of the Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities, which is housed in 

the onetime Oslo residence of Vidkun Quisling. 

Shortly before our visit to Oslo the Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities issued 

the results of a national attitude survey designed to measure the level of anti-Semitism in Norway, and 

this was already generating discussion. Two findings in particular were drawing special note: According 

to the Center's researchers 12.5% of Norwegians harbor significant, anti-Jewish prejudice. This is a 

disturbing finding considering the small number of Jews in Norway, their successful integration into 

society and the general level of tolerance in the country. 

A second question found that 38% of Norwegians believe that Israeli treatment of Palestinians was 

analogous to Nazi actions against Jews. Although Norwegian political leaders have been quite critical of 

Israel in their discussions of the Middle East conflict, they claim to be taken aback by this. It surely 

reflects a lack of knowledge about the Holocaust, but its implications go further. Anti-Israel animus can 

also become a form of anti-Semitism, and the EU Fundamental Rights Agency has cited describing 

Israelis as Nazis to be one such example. Norway's small Jewish community must directly face the 

results of a larger society harboring strongly negative views of Israel that are frequently folded into their 

view of Jews. 

That said, Jewish community leaders describe a generally positive picture of day to day to life, marked 

by good relations with government authorities and effective dialogues with other religious and ethnic 

communities. Still, there are concerns that need to be addressed. 

The community conducted a survey of its own young people in Oslo and found that Jewish students 

faced a disturbingly high level of harassment in the public schools. Of particular concern was the 

seeming indifference of teachers and school officials and a reluctance to intervene. This has led to the 

development of an action plan (not yet implemented) by the Ministry of Education to combat antiSemitism in the schools. 

Since 1929, Norwegian law has forbidden the practice of ritual (kosher) slaughter, the legacy of an antiSemitic era. Because of the small size ofthe community this may be viewed today as more of a symbolic 

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than a real burden. However, Jewish leaders point out that the law already includes exceptions for the 

hunting practices of Norwals indigenous Sami people. Whatever its implications for Norway's Jews, the 

continued ban on kosher slaughter is surely a stain on the country's reputation for tolerance and 

inclusion. 

As with other Jewish communities in Europe, security is a very real concern. In 2006 a dozen high caliber 

rifle shots were fired on the synagogue and community center in Oslo, and police determined that the 

perpetrator had conducted prior surveillance of the site. While the government has paid for some 

physical enhancements of the building, ongoing security remains the sole burden of the Jewish 

community, a significant financial obligation for such a small population. 

Roma 

The Roma and Traveler population in Norway is estimated to be small (about 10,000) and divided 

between transient and settled communities. They appear to encounter better treatment in Norway than 

in some other European countries, but still believe the government can do more in recognizing their 

special needs. One Roma leader argued that their social conditioning means normal employment paths 

may not work for them. Until recently there was a special government office that served as the main 

point of contact between state authorities and Roma. However, this is now closed and Roma are instead 

directed to municipal authorities. This is particularly problematic for Roma travelers who may leave 

Norway for extended periods. Schooling for Roma children may include books in the Roma language and 

teachers who focus on Roma culture, but this is not always the case. Many students will leave school at 

an early age, and providing the necessary schooling for children in transient communities has particular 

challenges. 

Religious Groups and the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities 

The Council was originally established in 1996 as a vehicle for discussing the development of a 

curriculum on religion for the public schools. This itself reflected a change in education policy, which 

until then included only religious (Norwegian Lutheran) instruction. Education officials determined that 

students were largely ignorant about other religions. Today the Council is the central vehicle to bring 

together official representatives of major religious groups, including Jewish, Catholic, Baha'i, Muslim, 

Lutheran, and Protestant Free Churches, along with several humanist organizations. Council participants 

pointed out that education about religious diversity is important in more than theoretical ways, as 

Norwegian society itself has come to reflect that same diversity. 

Another sign of change-and topic for discussion-was the recent constitutional amendment that 

eliminated the designation of the Norwegian Lutheran Church as the country's official religion. This was 

to be understood, we were told, as recognition of religious pluralism in NorwaYI and it may also result in 

some additional state su pport for other religious groups. Some participants noted that it would not have 

occurred had not Lutheran Church leaders also agreed. Presumably the law gives them greater freedom. 

By way of example, it was pointed out to us that no longer will the Norwegian king serve as the head of 

the Church with the authority to appoint its bishops. 

Council participants expressed their belief that it was becoming increasingly more socially acceptable to 

be openly religious in Norwegian society. 

By all accounts the interreligious Council with the active participation of the Muslim community played a 

significant role in defusing the tensions that arose with the publication of the "Mohammed cartoons" 

which first appeared in neighboring Denmark. Government officials also echoed this view. 

Center for the Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities 

The Center was created in 2005 and is housed in the former residence of Vidkun Quisling, the Prime 

Minister of the wartime Nazi puppet state. It is located in a leafy suburb of Oslo close by other 

attractions such as the Viking Museum. The Center includes in its basement floor a museum with a 

permanent exhibition on the Holocaust in Norway. The work of the Center focuses on research and 

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education; about 5,000 students visit the Center yearly. Much attention is placed on engaging the 

student visitors (primarily 8th and 9th graders) and avoiding rote learning. 

Several years earlier a Norwegian broadcast report revealed that teachers of the Holocaust were 

reluctant to discuss the subject with their Muslim students. The Center was engaged to help develop 

ways to work with teachers and address this problem as part of broader efforts to combat antiSemitism. They are gearing up to work on a pilot project with five schools where student prejudice will 

be measured before and after the implementation of new teaching techniques. 

The Center had also recently released the results of an extensive attitude survey with 1500 respondents. 

As noted, it revealed that 12.5% of the population harbored strong, anti-Jewish prejudices. Center 

researchers reported that those with anti-Jewish views are also likely to harbor negative views of other 

minorities. The survey also reflected the fact that the Norwegian public is more critical of Israel and 

largely "pro-Palestinian." Much attention focused on the finding that 38% believe that Israeli treatment 

of the Palestinians is similar to the actions of the Nazis. They noted that people in this category were 

also more likely to share traditional anti-Semitic views of Jews. Among the Center's recommendations 

are educational programs that not only deal with Jewish history and the Holocaust but also address 

anti-Semitism as a special phenomenon with its own history. 

Foreign Ministry 

Norway's oil wealth places it in an enviable position when compared with other European states. 

However, its economic success means that it is fully dependent on immigration. Officials believe that 

they have had a more "mature" public debate on multiculturalism than have their neighbors, and they 

note that Norway's conservative opposition party is more "responsible" on this issue than similar parties 

in other countries. In part for this reason, the Brejvik murders have had an even more powerful impact 

on Norwegian society and leads to questions about how it is managing this social transition. 

Ministry of Children, Equality and Sociallnciusion 

Although the country's largest minority groups are Swedes and Poles for whom acculturation issues are 

not dramatic, there are also significant minorities from Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Vietnam and the Balkans. 

A strong focus is placed on integrating minorities in the labor market and society. To this end the 

government provides asylum seekers with stipends while they attend two year obligatory culture and 

language classes. Free language classes are also offered to most immigrants. Free kindergarten is also 

provided as a means to help encourage women to join the work force. The Ministry has established a 

goal of seeing women occupying 40 percent of public sector jobs and is keen on seeking immigrant 

women to fill some of these positions. 

There are established mandates for government ministries to promote social inclusion, which include 

obligations to interview minority candidates and to report regularly on the results. A white paper on the 

integration of minorities will soon be published which will contain proposals relating to integration and 

combating discrimination. 

Roma are classified as a national minority although their most visible presence appears to be begging in 

the streets of Oslo. Ministry officials note the absence of Roma children among these beggars, a 

common occurrence in other countries. They maintain that because of Norway's "zero tolerancell 

toward children not being in school, these Roma travelers do not bring their children with them. 

Within the Ministry representatives of the Department of Integration and Diversity highlighted several 

developments. These included the change in status of the Norwegian Lutheran Church as no longer the 

official State religion, a national action plan soon to be adopted that will offer 66 measures to combat 

discrimination, and a Justice Ministry action plan on extremism and the importance of measuring hate 

crimes. These representatives also highlighted the recent survey that found 12.5% of the public harbor 

negative attitudes toward Jews-a surprising figure, they said, considering the strong economy. 

Ministry of Education 

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There is a strong tradition in Norway of all students attending the same (public) schools, which provides 

the opportunity to promote shared values, including human rights, respect for diversity and citizenship. 

Early education is considered especially important for integrating immigrant children into Norwegian 

society. 

About 35% of Norwegian students will attend universities, while the remainder is channeled into 

practical studies. A much higher percentage of second generation immigrants will attend universities 

than those of a first generation. There are relatively few Roma children in the education system, and 

those of settled Roma tend to leave school at a relatively early age (around 12). Very few reach higher 

levels. A new plan is being implemented to educate Roma parents and children together, but no results 

can yet be reported. 

Media reports in 2010 on the harassment of Jewish students in the schools led the Minister to establish 

a working group to propose an action plan which calls for a three year pilot project. Due to technical 

delays it is only now being announced. More details about this were shared with us by the Holocaust 

Study Center, which has been involved in formulating the project. 

Department of Sami and Minority Affairs 

There are five official national minorities: Roma, Romany/Tater, Kvens, Forest Finns, and Jews. Annual 

funding of about 6 million Norwegian Kroner is provided by the state to organizations representing 

these groups. An additional 25-30 million Kroner is available for special projects. [Although Muslims are 

recognized as a minority in Norway, classification as an official national minority requires settlement in 

Norway for 100 years or more.] 

The Sami, numbering about 100,000, are classified as an indigenous people. There has been a 

resurgence in the use of the Sami language in recent years} which is viewed positively after efforts in the 

1950s and 1960s at forced assimilation. Surveys show that the Sami face a significant degree of 

prejudice in Norway, although the national minority groups facing the most prejudice are Roma and 

Jews. 

Addressing the problems with Roma has been particularly difficult. In 2008 the Minister stated that 

government policies regarding Roma had "failed totally." Limited education, disorganization and lack of 

trust contribute to the challenge. 

Department officials note that Norway is a young state whose independence was established only in 

1905. As a result in the search for a Norwegian identity, they said, it was a hard time for national 

minorities. Policies began to change in the postwar years, and Norway has issued a number of formal 

apologies for the mistreatment of them. 

Office of Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman 

The office was established in 2006 with responsibility to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination 

legislation adopted in the same year and with UN CERD commitments. It is the point of contact for 

public complaints about discrimination. It is hoped that it will serve to increase equality in society and 

promote ethnic diversity in the public and private sectors. 

The Ombudsman has no authority to impose remedies or penalties. It can and does issue 

recommendations, and it can also wield some power by "naming and shaming" violators. 

In 2011 the office received 350 complaints. Discrimination based on disability accounted for 57% of 

those complaints. Only 20 were cases of religious discrimination; one-third of which involved Muslims. 

At the same time the office conducted a test on hiring practices of employers and determined that 

applicants with a Pakistani name are 25% less likely to be offered a job. 

The office indicted that it would classify complaints by Muslim women who encountered discrimination 

because they wear the hijab as a gender issue and not a religious one. 

Because many private resolutions worked out with complainants are kept secret the Ombudsman1s 

Office has no way of knowing how many of the 350 complaints have been positively resolved. 

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Still, the office can assist those who cannot afford to hire legal representation. Since it is a new agency 

they hope their visibility and reach will increase over time. 

Officials also expressed some frustration, indicating that the laws are good but enforcement is an issue. 

They suggested that the police do not pay enough attention to discrimination and hate crime cases and 

believe that there are more cases than those registered. 

National Police Directorate 

When the doubts expressed in the Ombudsman Office were shared with representatives of the Police 

Directorate they were naturally defensive. At first they argued that hate crimes in Norway are low 

because crime in general is low. However, the most recent annual statistics available (2009) reported 

only 240 hate crimes (21 on religion, 183 on race and 33 on sexual orientation) a number dramatically 

lower than neighboring Sweden for example. Further discussion pointed to the need for a new and more 

reliable hate crime registration system. 

Exact data on minority representation in the police force is not available, but officials estimate it to be 

only about 2.2%. A campaign is underway to recruit more minorities focusing on 18-26 year olds. 

Police training on diversity is not focused on hate crime reporting but rather on addressing underlying 

personal prejudices they may hold and the need for professionalism in their work. 

The police maintain a special section to monitor hate on the Internet. Officials noted a significant degree 

of anti-Jewish hate speech at the time of the 2009 war in Gaza, which they say came as a revelation. 

Recommendations 

1. The Police Directorate needs to complete and implement its plan for more comprehensive 

monitoring and reporting of hate crime incidents. Police officers should receive the proper 

training on how to recognize and respond to hate crimes. In these areas ODHIRls Department on 

Tolerance and Non-Discrimination can offer assistance. 

2. The Foreign Ministry should promote a civil discussion of the Middle East conflict and admonish 

those who in the course of debate would demonize the State of Israel. 

3. The Government should bolster support for the Islamic Council and for the Religious Council 

dialogue as important civil society contributors to combating discrimination and promoting 

tolerance. 

4. The Government and Parliament should insure that Muslim communities face no barrier in 

providing for halal meat. As an important symbolic gesture it should repeal the 1929 ban on 

kosher slaughter. 

5. Consideration should be given to provide additional financial support to the Jewish community 

to meet its security needs, as was done recently in neighboring Sweden. 

6. The Holocaust Center and Ministry of Education experts might benefit from ODIHR's experience. 

ODIHR is ready to convene a regional roundtable to share information and exchange good 

practices on the development and implementation of teaching materials. 

APPENDIX: 

List of participants in meetings with the Personal Representatives 

Meeting with civil society representatives 

Gunnar Gulbrandsen} Head of one of the Roma organizations in Norway 

Gunnar Stalsett, Moderator of the European Council of Religious Leaders, Bishop Emeritus of 

Oslo, Church of Norway 

Senaid Kobilica, President of the Council; 

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Faruk Terzic/ Chairman/ Imam Committee; 

Shazia Mushtaq, IRN representative at STL. 

Guri Hjeltnes/ Director of the Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities; 

Peder Nustad, teaching assistant, Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities; 

Vibeke Moe, Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities; 

Mr Kjell Magne Bondevik, President of Oslo Center. 

Tore Torstad, Executive Director of Oslo Center; 

Einar Esteensnaes, Senior Advisor of Oslo Center; 

Anna Hushagen, Special Advisor of Oslo Center; 

Ervin Kohn, President and Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Community in Oslo. 

Meeting with the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities 

Britt Strandli Thoresen, the Baha'i Community of Norway; 

Ingrid Rosendorf Joys, the Catholic Church in Norway; 

Dag Nygard, Christian Council of Norway; 

Camilla Aschjem, the Church of Norway; 

Anne Sender, the Jewish Communities in Norway; 

Lars-Petter Helgestad, the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities; 

Lise T(Ilrnby, the Council for Religious and Life Stance Communities. 

Shazia Mushtaq, IRN representative at STL. 

Ministry of Children. Equality and Social Inclusion 

Inga Marthe Thorkildsen, Minister; 

Anne Folkvord/ Deputy Director General/ Department of Integration and Diversity; 

Thea Bull Skarstein, Deputy Director General, Department of Family Affairs and Equality; 

Tewasen Teshome, Senior Advisor. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

Torgeir Larsen/ State Secretary; 

Halvor Saetre/ Deputy Director General/ Section for Human Rights and Democracy; 

Rune Resaland, Deputy Director General, Section for Security Policy and the High North; 

Stein Iversen, Assistant Director General, Section for Russia, Eurasia and Regional Cooperation; 

Geir L(llkken/ Assistant Director General in the Section for Human Rights and Democracy; 

Birgit A. Kleven, Senior Adviser, Section for Russia, Eurasia and Regional Cooperation; 

Monika P. Thowsen, Senior Adivser, Section for Human Rights and Democracy. 

Ministry of Government Administration. Reform and Church Affairs. Department of Sami and Minority 

Affairs 

Raimo Valle, State Secretary for Sami and Minority Affairs; 

Bj(llrn Olav Megard, Director General, Department of Sami and Minority Affairs; 

Magnus Forberg Andersen/ Adviser/ Department of Sami and Minority Affairs. 

Ministry of Education and Research, Department for Education and Training 

Eli Telhaug, Deputy Secretary General; 

Kari Brustad, Deputy Director General; 

J(Ilrgen Haavardsholm, Senior Adviser. 

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Equality and Anti-Discrimination Om bud Office 

Bjorg Unstad, Head of Department, Department of Documentation and Policy Promotion; 

Margrethe Sobstad, Senior Adviser. 

Amna Velidar, officer. 

Ole-Fredrik Einarsen} officer. 

National Police Directorate 

Senior Adviser Ingvild Hoel, Section for Crime Prevention and Combating; 

Senior Adviser Trine Hinna, Section for Human Resources. 

Irish Chairmanship of OSCE 

Alan Owens, Senior Policy Adviser} Legal Affairs, Irish Mission to OSeE in Vienna; 

Accompanied by OSCE/ODIHR 

Floriane Hohenberg, Head, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination Department; 

Timur Sultangozhin, Associate Programme Officer, Tolerance and Non-Discrimination 

Department; 

Rabbi Andrew Baker 

Personal Representative of the OSCE Chair-in-Office on Combating Anti-Semitism 

November 20, 2012 

Mr. Erik Ullenhag 

Minister for Integration 

Stockholm, Sweden 

Dear Mr. Minister, 

I am grateful for the opportunity to meet with you in Stockholm on November 12, and for the assistance 

that was provided me by your government for other meetings during my brief visit. By way of this letter} 

I would like to acknowledge the positive steps that have already been taken, review some of the salient 

points that emerged during our discussions and propose some recommendations going forward. 

1. As I had pointed out in my 2010 report, the Jewish community in Sweden must assume an 

outsized security burden unlike any other religious or ethnic community, absorbing some 25 per 

cent of its overall budget. All governments bear the primarily responsibility to insure that 

minorities can function freely and safely within society. We very much appreciate that you were 

able to channel funds during this past year to provide a significant, one-time payment to the 

Jewish Community (as a national minority) to install security enhancements. However, much of 

the community security also requires maintaining trained personnel, and thus we hope that 

the Swedish Government will find a way to provide annual financial support. We have seen 

how events in the Middle East frequently trigger anti-Semitic incidents in Europe, and in light of 

the current conflict with Gaza we should be braced. 

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2. Sweden's National Council for Crime Prevention (BRA) is widely recognized for its 

comprehensive work in documenting incidents of hate crimes, including those of an anti-Semitic 

nature. Their data (available through 2011) document the high level of police reports with antiSemitic motives that have occurred in Stockholm, Gothenburg and especially Malmo. Incidents 

in Malmo in particular seem to parallel controversies relating to Israel and the Middle East, but 

the current reporting procedures of BRAdo not identify the perpetrators of these anti-Semitic 

incidents, even if they may be discerned from the police reports. However, BRA officials 

informed us that if tasked with such an assignment from the Government they would be able to 

review police reports and offer an informed analysis of the sources of anti-Semitic incidents. 

Such a report would have obvious value-a sharper knowledge of the source of the problem 

can help to devise better ways to combat it. Thus, the Government should ask BRA to prepare 

this analysis as soon as possible. 

3. It is also important to note that by BRA's own measures, approximately half of all hate crimes 

that the Council identifies from its analysis of police reports are in fact not classified as such by 

the police officers themselves. Even though reporting forms contain a box for police to check if it 

appears that the crime was such, they obviously lack the knowledge or instructions to do so 

properly. If only for this reason, it would be important for police officers in Sweden-and 

particularly those in the region covering Malmo-to participate in appropriate hate crime 

training programs. Recognizing that the final decision on such matters rests with the twentyone independent regional police agencies, we hope you and other senior officials in the 

Ministry of Justice will follow through as promised and encourage participation in the OSCE's 

TAHCLE police training program particularly for that region that encompasses Malmo. 

4. Sweden is to be commended for providing a generous grant to the Swedish Committee Against 

anti-Semitism to implement a teacher training program for combating anti-Semitism in the 

Malmo region that is expected to reach 400 teachers and that will make use of materials 

originally developed in conjunction with ODIHR. However, recognizing that Jewish students 

have reported that some teachers are often indifferent to or dismissive of their complaints, 

this teacher training project should also include an evaluation component to determine its 

effectiveness. 

5. There is little doubt that the frequently provocative and even incendiary statements of Malmo 

Mayor Reepalu have exacerbated the problem in that city while also projecting a negative 

picture of Sweden internationally. This only underscores the importance of national leaders to 

speak out dearly and swiftly when there are instances of anti-Semitism as well as finding ways 

to demonstrate their solidarity with the Jewish community at these times. One notable and 

innovative example has been the Kippah walks that have occurred on some Saturdays in 

Malmo, and I want to thank you for your personal participation in this. It is useful to note that 

they provide an innovative example of employing electronic social media to counter antiSemitism and intolerance which could be replicated elsewhere. 

In closing, I can report that most people with whom I spoke on this visit indicated that in recent months 

the problem of anti-Semitism in Sweden has received increased attention and generated thoughtful and 

serious discussion. We all know that this is an essential first step if the problem is to be properly 

addressed. And the problem, as we also see, is still very much present. However, I am hopeful that with 

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continued efforts and with the leadership in this area that you have personally exhibited, there will be 

success. 

As I noted during our meeting, we anticipate that the oseE will organize a conference on Jewish 

community security in the first part of 2013 that will bring together Jewish community leaders, 

governmental authorities and representatives of the participating States in order to discuss this critical 

problem and showcase best practices that are worth replicating. It would be a good opportunity for 

Sweden to share its own experiences. 

Let me thank in advance for your continued attention to this issue. 

With sincere regards, 

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Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much, Rabbi Baker. Without objection, your reports and your entire testimony and that of all of our 

distinguished witnesses will be made a part of the record. And 

thank you for that very fine testimony. 

I would like to recognize Rabbi Meyer, if you would proceed. 

STATEMENT OF RABBI DAVID MEYER, PROFESSOR OF RABBINIC LITERATURE AND CONTEMPORARY JEWISH 

THOUGHT, PONTIFICAL GREGORIAN UNIVERSITY 

Rabbi MEYER. I would like, first of all, to thank you for asking 

me to testify in front of this committee and to offer me the opportunity to share my experience of anti-Semitism in Europe, but as 

well my understanding of the nature of what I perceive as a renewed threat of European anti-Semitism. Now as a rabbi based in 

Brussels, at the heart of Europe, and carrying both a French and 

an Israeli citizenship, I have witnessed and experienced in my life 

the reality of what it means to be a Jew at least in Western Europe. 

I was born and raised in Paris. I have lived in France for many 

years. I have served as a rabbi in the United Kingdom and as well 

as in Brussels. I am working in universities in Rome as you have 

mentioned. But let me add that my personal life has taught me 

some difficult experience of anti-Semitism. First of all, of course, 

because of the memory of my own family which is the memory of 

the Shoah, but also because as a young boy at the age of 13 I was 

the victim of the first terrorist attack against my synagogue in 

1980. But also some more subtle forms of anti-Semitism that I 

have experienced later on in my life in the political French or British arena. So now between my work in Rome and France and Belgium and England, I think I have maybe some sort of perspective 

at least on the current state of anti-Semitism in Europe. 

Now I believe that two powerful trends of anti-Semitism are currently at work in most European countries, and permit me to illustrate this with just two recent concrete examples which have already been mentioned before in the panel. The first example just 

literally over a year ago in the small Jewish school of Toulouse in 

March of last year. And we know that there, a radical young 

French Muslim man killed, literally, in cold blood three Jewish 

children, age three, six and eight, as well as the rabbi who was also 

a teacher in the school and who was the father of some of the victims. And the killer not only did the killing but also filmed his action with a certain pride, certainly, and intended to post it on the 

Internet. And we all know and heard about that atrocity. 

The second example I want to mention relates to a trend that 

many have observed in Europe during the last decade. And that 

trend has taken the form of this proposed legislation that we have 

already mentioned a few times this morning that tend to outlaw 

some Jewish practices and some Jewish rituals. At first it started 

many years ago with questions about Jewish kosher ritual slaughtering, but more recently as we know, it moved against circumcision. And only last year the German courts attempted to ban circumcision, defining it really as a barbaric practice that was totally 

contrary to the understanding of European human rights, and inVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00123 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
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sinuating that such a Jewish practice was not equal or proper European custom. 

Now the idea spread within weeks to its neighboring countries, 

notably to Switzerland, to Austria, but to others as well, and what 

is worrying is that many in the intellectual and in the university 

circles have been very receptive and very sympathetic to that kind 

of arguments. Now of course today the German ruling have been 

quashed, but there is very little question in my mind that the problem will come back and eventually we will have to face such a difficult situation. So from these two very different examples of attacks against Jews and Judaism, I think some understanding of 

what is at stake in Europe can be gained. 

First, there is no doubt that many of the violent acts of anti-Semitism in recent years have been at the hands of radicalized youth, 

often from Muslim backgrounds, very often marginalized by society 

and influenced by their religious preachers and leaders. Often the 

acts of violence are linked as we know to the conflict of the Middle 

East, and what is a racist violence against Jews is often masked 

as a frustration and a real hate against the State of Israel. We are 

all aware that in that respect and for those people, the use of the 

term anti-Zionism is simply a code word and it really stands for 

anti-Semitism. Now it is of course totally impossible for any of us 

to understand what went through the mind of the killer in Toulouse as he shot the Jewish children, but I think it is not a stretch 

to say that the Israeli conflict was probably not, really not what 

made him put a bullet through the brains of these children and the 

rabbi. 

Now at this first level many in the Jewish community believe, 

and I think they are right, that as long as this link to the conflict 

in the Middle East is tolerated, as long as this radical form of violent Islam is tolerated, and as long as virulent calls to delegitimize 

the very existence of Israel is tolerated, then anti-Semitism will 

also of course be tolerated because as Jews, whether or not we 

carry a dual citizenship as I do, our link with Israel is deep, it is 

real and it is enduring, and as such we will continue to be seen 

as related to Israel. 

Now second, and developing in the shadow of these very violent 

and visible attacks against Jews, is the very concept of Judaism, 

I think, as a religion that is now somehow questioned by many in 

Europe as being simply not compatible with European ethics, 

human rights, charters, and sensitivities. As a European Jew, I can 

say that what hurts the most today is the knowledge that behind 

these various attempts at undermining the legality of Jewish practices lies the widely held view that even after 2,000 years of attested Jewish life in Europe we are still perceived as a foreign tribe 

who has recently landed on the continent, and that when all is said 

and done we are still often perceived as a tolerated minority whose 

religious practices are well below the standards of the image Europe likes to project about itself. 

Now antagonizing through the coverup of legal proceeding with 

a moralistic undertone, the ethics and practice of Judaism on one 

hand versus the European understanding of its own charter of 

human rights on the other hand runs the risk of putting for the 

long term Judaism in Europe on a colliding path that is most worVerDate 0ct 09 2002 11:57 May 21, 2013 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00124 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 F:\WORK\_AGH\022713\79580 HFA PsN: SHIRL
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risome and potentially very dangerous. In addition I feel it is important to add that the legal nature of this new anti-Semitism is 

particularly troubling. As worrisome as the street noises, it is 

through legislation that some in Europe are attempting to give a 

cloak of respectability to anti-Semitism, and the memory of the 

past century should make it crystal clear that legal proceeding 

against Judaism and its practice never stop with a attacks on religious practices alone. It inevitably ends with attacks against Jews 

which are eventually also done under the cover of legality. Now it 

is my view to conclude that what Europe needs to do maybe, in 

order to truly fight anti-Semitism, is to really accept, really to accept and not just to tolerate its own Jewish population. To value 

Judaism and to value Jewish community in Europe cannot be limited to simple words of comfort when tragedy strikes. We appreciate the words of comfort but that is not really what we need. It 

requires more than that. It needs a leader to show a real interest 

in Judaism and to do so publicly. An interest that would not simply 

be the expression of a devotion to the mythical image of the Jews 

that would be just a remnant from the past that once contributed 

to the makeup of Europe and its culture and later almost 

exterminated from Europe, but rather a genuine interest. Because 

as a minority even if very small in number, very small and declining, we are still contributing to make Europe what it is today, 

bringing a certain diversity of values and knowledge. Tolerating 

any level of anti-Semitic acts against Jews, either under the cover 

of anti-Zionism or less subtly for just being Jewish, is a sign of a 

wider feeling of intolerance and hate within our society and not 

just against Judaism but against all citizen of all faith and threatens a return to the darkest years in Europe when those who were 

different were selected for a fate that we all remember. 

So thank you so much for taking the time to listen to this brief 

testimony and contribution to your discussion. 

[The prepared statement of Rabbi Meyer follows:]

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David MEYER 

Rabbi and Professor of Rabbinic Literature at the Gregorian Pontifical University 

House Committee on Foreign Affairs - Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 

Global Human Rights and International organizations 

Wednesday 27 February 2013 

Title of Hearing: "Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths" 

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I would like first of all to thank all of you for asking me to testify in front of this 

committee and to offer me the opportunity to share with you my experiences of antiSemitism in Europe as well as my understanding of the nature of the renewed threat 

of European anti-Semitism. As a rabbi based in Brussels, at the heart of Europe, 

carrying both a French and Israeli citizenship, I have witnessed and experienced the 

reality of being a Jew in Western Europe. I was born and raised in Paris, I lived in 

France for many years, I have served as a rabbi in both the United Kingdom and in 

Brussels; I am currently a professor of rabbinic literature at the Gregorian Pontifical 

university in Rome as well as at the University of Leuven in Belgium. So between 

France, Belgium, England and Italy, I believe that my experiences as a Jewish 

religious leader in these countries has given me a perspective on the current state of 

anti-Semitism in Europe. 

My first encounter with the reality of anti-Semitism happened in 1980. In October of 

that year, as a young boy about to become a Bar Mitzvah, I found myself on a Friday 

night in synagogue. This particular synagogue was in central Paris - known as the 

Synagogue Copernic. Towards the end of the service, a bomb suddenly exploded 

just outside the doors; when the panic and confusion subsided, four people had lost 

their lives - one, a woman entering the synagogue and three others who were 

passing by. At almost 13, prior to this day, I could never have been able to imagine 

that as a Jew I could be targeted in such a way. In the hours following the bombing, 

the Jewish community heard the expected reactions, linking such an act of Jewish 

hatred to the never-ending conflict in the Middle East. What was not expected, 

however, and far more shocking, were the words of the then Prime Minister, 

Raymond Barre. In front of the nation, the Prime Minister deplored the attack on the 

synagogue and expressed condolences to the victims and their families, but then 

went further and made sure to specify that "this horrendous attack was aimed at the 

Jewish community but it is finally innocent French citizens that were mostly the 

victims". Even to a young and naIve boy, it did not take long to truly understand the 

meaning of these words. It was clear - the Jew entering the synagogue was not 

innocent whereas the people passing by were. From that day, more then 33 years 

ago, I have learnt and never forgotten that many in Europe could never see me as a 

citizen like any other. 

Many years after the bombing in Paris and by then an ordained Rabbi, I was once 

again profoundly shaken. I was honoured when I was invited as a guest speaker in 

front of one of the military sub-commission of the French Senate in Paris. The topic I 

was asked to address was "the impact of the Middle East conflict in European 

societies". As one does under such circumstances, I started to briefly present myself: 

as a rabbi, with dual citizenship (French and Israeli), having lived and worked in 

four different western European countries, widely published on both Jewish and 

Israeli issues in respected national newspapers. In so doing, I had believed that I was 

presenting my "credentials" - seeking to establish in my own way some from of 

credibility that would allow me to present to such a forum, my view on such an 

important topic. To my audience, however, I had done just the opposite. Certain 

members of this commission, who questioned the legitimacy of my dual citizenship, 

abruptly interrupted me. Not only were my credentials to speak before the 

commission deemed unsuitable, but my very loyalty to France was called into 

question and I was told very bluntly to "return to my country" - clearly the 

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reference being Israel. As a jew, claiming and affirming a deep relationship with 

Israel, in the eyes of this commission, I could not be a loyal citizen of France and that 

clearly I did not have a place among them. 

I could certainly carryon with more examples. I could tell you how a high official in 

England once very rationally explained to me (ironically during a discussion on 

interfaith dialogue) why as Jews we should never forget that we were only a 

"tolerated minority" in the country. By "tolerated" I can only assume that as 

humans, we were not equal. But going on with my personal examples would be to 

miss the point of my testimony today. My experiences of anti-Semitism have 

certainly wounded me and affected my views on my own personal future as a Jew in 

Europe but yet, they pale in comparison to the violence that has been inflicted to 

others within the Jewish community. How not to think of the sheer horror that was 

inflicted on a small Jewish school, in March of 2012 in Toulouse? There, a radical 

young French Muslim killed, in cold blood, three Jewish children aged 3, 6 and 8 as 

well as a rabbi; a teacher and a father of one of the victims. In Synagogues across 

Europe and in jewish community centres, who can say today that we do not have a 

moment of hesitation and fear as we enter the doors and pass through guards and 

security? How not to mention as well the never-ending cases where the Holocaust is 

both denied and in the same breath (and often by the same leaders) deemed not to 

have gone far enough. The memory of the Holocaust has now become in Europe a 

theme of division. As a father, how can I not look at my daughters without a mix of 

fear and apprehension about what jewish life in Europe will be, for not only them, 

but also for their own children? 

But is this a new reality to Europe? There is no denying that Europe has never been 

kind to its Jewish population and we can evoke unspeakable horror. Yet, what is 

new is that after a period of roughly 50 years following the second world war and 

the Holocaust, during which anti-Semitism - it was believed and hope - had ceased, 

we see and witness again renewed expression and acts of Jewish hatred in the public 

domain. We again see tragedies, we again see physical attacks on Jews whose only 

crime is to be Jewish, we see and hear verbal expressions of hatred against Jews and 

Judaism and we again see attacks on Jewish institutions and synagogues. Clearly, 

this is an upsetting trend and is deeply troubling. 

Of course, many leaders in Europe are committed to fighting this renewal of antiSemitic expression and violence. In France in particular, we have been fortunate to 

have had and continue to have courageous Presidents, one after the other, both from 

the right and from the left, clearly affirming that the fight against anti-Semitism was 

and is a national priority. In Germany as well, political leaders have been for many 

years now in the forefront of this fight against the resurgence of anti-Semitism. The 

words, in this respect, have been right, the speeches moving and the tone solemn. 

But anti-Semitism remains on the rise. Jewish communities are more and more 

fearsome for their own security and the physical safety of individual Jews is once 

again an issue. So beyond the words of condemnation that are heard after tragedies, 

beyond the words of comfort to the victims and their families, have our political 

leaders done what is necessary? The uncomfortable truth is that, whatever the words 

of politicians in Europe, it is somehow accepted for Jews to be targeted. There is a 

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level of "tolerance" to acts of violence against the jewish community that is 

profoundly disturbing. 

I believe that in order to try to understand why a certain level of anti-Semitism 

remains "tolerated", one needs to dig deeper into our analysis of anti-Semitism in 

Europe. There is no doubt that many of the violent acts of anti-Semitism in recent 

years has been at the hands of a radicalised youth, from Muslim backgrounds often 

marginalised and influenced by their religious preachers and leaders. Often the acts 

of violence are linked to the conflict in the Middle East and what is racist violence 

against jews is often masked as frustration against Israel. We are all aware that for 

these people, "anti-Zionism" is but a code word for" anti-Semitism". Of course it is 

impossible to understand what went through the mind of Mohamed Merah as he 

shot dead Jewish children in Toulouse last year but it is not a stretch to say that the 

Israeli conflict was probably not what made him put a bullet through the brains of 

these innocent children. At this first level, many in the Jewish community believe -

and they are right - that as long as this link to the conflict in the Middle East is 

tolerated, as long as a radical form of violent Islam is tolerated, as long as virulent 

calls to delegitimize the very existence of Israel is tolerated, anti-Semitism will also 

somehow be tolerated because as jews, whether or not we carry an dual citizenship 

as I do, our link with Israel is deep, real and enduring. 

Yet, anti-Semitism in Europe is not limited to these radical groups and this specific 

brand of anti-Semitism alone. A second level of anti-Semitism operates and thrives 

in the shadow of the first, one feeding from the other. It is a form of anti-Semitism 

that runs deep through the veins of European society - through its universities, 

leaders, policy makers and decision makers and politicians both from the far right to 

the radical left. It is the result of an old European mentality that has never really 

accepted the place of not only Jews as individuals but also of Judaism as a religion in 

its midst and that thrives in any historical moment of turmoil and economic 

difficulty. A situation and a reality that enables some level of anti-Semitism to 

remain "tolerated" within many European societies. One could hope that through 

education, perhaps even peace in the Middle East, the first level of anti-Semitism 

could, in some utopic future be eradicated. With this second level of anti-Semitism 

however, if the horrors of the Holocaust have not dampened it and it has not only 

survived but thrives in Europe today, not even the most naive form of hope seems to 

be on the horizon. As Jews, we have very good reason to worry. 

It is with great anxiety that over the last decade we have witnessed how this "old 

European based feeling of anti-Semitism" morphs into a new form of expression of 

rejection of Jews and Judaism. It has taken the form of proposed legislations that 

seek to outlaw Jewish practices and rituals. Recently, in Germany, a court attempted 

to ban circumcision as a barbaric practice contrary to European understanding of 

human rights and insinuating that such a Jewish practice is not "equal" to "proper" 

European customs. The idea spread within weeks to its neighbours, notably 

Switzerland and Austria. Many, in intellectual and university circles have been 

receptive and sympathetic to these arguments. This current situation raises an 

important question for Europe. The wording of the ruling makes it clear and states 

that the "irreversible bodily harm" thus imposed on the child without his consent is 

illegal. This, the court argues, amounts to a crime and a breach of the European 

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charter of human rights as it exposes the infant to "potential physical dangers" for 

no other reason then the religious conviction of his parents. One could easily 

extrapolate from there that the same conclusions could be reached regarding not just 

circumcision but the very notion of Jewish identity. Most Jews are simply born 

Jewish, without any form of choice. In light of European Jewish history, where the 

very act of being Jewish was enough to bring death and violence, one could then 

argue that being born from a Jewish mother could very well expose the child -

without his consent - to "potential physically dangers". By over-emphasising the 

rights of the child and the constant need for "consent", the German judges are 

setting themselves on a colliding path with Jewish identity, "choice-less" in its 

nature. Thus, the real issue is a philosophical one. Does Europe, in its own system of 

thought, leave a place for a tradition like ours based on a "choice-less" identity? The 

question is daunting. The "choice-less" reality of Jewish existence shatters many 

aspects of contemporary European thinking and is therefore not a stretch of the 

imagination to foresee a potential clash of deep philosophical values between 

Europe and its Jews. 

As a Jew, as a rabbi having spent a great deal of time studying Jewish European 

history, the current state of anti-Semitism leads me to some simple observations with 

which I would like to conclude. The first one is the realization that what hurts the 

most in Europe today is the knowledge that behind these various attempts at 

undermining the legality of Jewish practices, lies the widely held view that even 

after 2000 years of attested Jewish life in Europe we are still perceived as a foreign 

tribe recently landed on the European continent. 

The second observation is specifically linked to the "legal" nature of this new antiSemitism. As worrisome as the "street noises", it is through legislation that some in 

Europe are attempting to give a cloak of "respectability" to its anti-Semitism. The 

memory of the past century should make it crystal clear that legal proceedings 

against Judaism and its practices does not stop with attacks on religious practices. It 

inevitably ends with attacks against Jews. 

Thirdly, that Europe should learn to come to terms with the emotional bond many 

Jews have to Israel. As Jews, we do have deep emotional feelings for the State of 

Israel that goes well beyond the rigorous criticism of Israel's policies that is at time 

needed. As such, systematic diabolisation of Israel will always end with a 

diabilisation of the Jews and to anti-Semitic violence. 

It is my view that what Europe needs to do in order to truly fight anti-Semitism is to 

truly accept and not just tolerate its own Jewish populations. To value Judaism and 

Jewish communities in Europe cannot be limited to words of comfort when tragedy 

strikes. It requires much more then that. Our leaders need to show a real interest in 

Judaism and to do so publically. An interest that would not simply be the expression 

of a "devotion" to the mythical image of the Jews, remnant from the past that once 

contributed to the make-up of Europe and its culture and later almost exterminated 

from Europe. But rather a genuine interest, because as a minority, even if very small 

in numbers, we are still contributing to making Europe what it is today and bringing 

a certain diversity of values and knowledge. Tolerating any level of anti-Semitic acts 

against Jews - either under the cover of anti-Zionism or less subtly, for just being 

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Jewish is a sign of a wider feeling of intolerance and hate within our society- not just 

against Judaism but against all citizens, of all faiths and threatens a return to those 

darkest years in Europe when those that were different were selected for death. 

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Mr. SMITH. Rabbi Meyer, thank you very much for your excellent 

testimony, and I would like to now ask Rabbi Bleich if he would 

proceed. 

STATEMENT OF RABBI YAAKOV BLEICH, CHIEF RABBI OF 

KIEV AND UKRAINE 

Rabbi BLEICH. Thank you very much. First and foremost, I would 

like to say how proud I am to be here today. I am proud not only 

as the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine who has been living in Ukraine for 

23 years through Soviet rule, downfall, and the birth of an independent Ukraine, but I am proud as an American citizen that my 

country recognizes that opportunities cause obligations. The opportunity for these distinguished members of the House to positively 

affect the lives of Jews and other minorities living in Europe has 

caused them to act and have this hearing today. 

On the one hand, I think that many in Ukraine would be quite 

happy about today’s hearing. We finally made it. We are part of 

Europe. Something that we have been pushing and bargaining for, 

for many years. However, it is quite unfortunate circumstance that 

brings us here today, the question of anti-Semitism in Ukraine. 

Being that the situation with anti-Semitism in Ukraine is very different from Western Europe, I would like to explain a few things 

about the history of anti-Semitism in Ukraine. 

There were historically two camps in Ukraine that were competing with each other. There was the extremist negative nationalist animosity toward Jews, which is probably best portrayed in 

Sholom Aleichem’s writings such as ‘‘The Fiddler on the Roof.’’ But 

moreso was the government sponsored anti-Semitism begun by the 

czars as official edicts and decrees against the Jews. It was perfected to a science by the Soviets. I won’t even mention or get into 

when the government provoked the local pogroms and used the 

locals. During Soviet times Jews were systematically discriminated 

against in every single sphere of society and social life. As of 1992 

and Ukraine’s independence, government anti-Semitism has—

thank God—all but disappeared. There are instances of anti-Semitic acts carried out in Ukraine, but I would like to now speak 

about the form and substance of anti-Semitism problems in 

Ukraine, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Europe. 

Besides being a society that has not yet perfected to put it mildly, the rule of law, Ukrainian Jews live in a double shadow of the 

Holocaust and Soviet rule. The first and foremost form, of course, 

is acts of violence and vandalism. When people and property are 

attacked because they are Jews, which we have been hearing about 

this morning, that is an expression and most painful form of antiSemitism, and thank God that is the least prevalent in Ukraine. 

Although we have had instances of attacks, thank God they have 

been few. 

The second form of anti-Semitism is publication of literature, 

speeches, political platforms which incite or may incite against 

Jews as individuals or as a group. This is more prevalent although 

not at epidemic proportions at all. I think it is important to point 

out that there was a time not too long ago when this was a very 

serious problem in Ukraine. There was a so-called university in 

Ukraine which was printing and distributing tremendous amounts 

129

of anti-Semitic literature with total impunity in Ukraine. This was 

stopped when the ones who were sponsoring this anti-Semitism 

withdrew their financial support. By the way, the sponsors were 

not Ukrainians and not even people or groups living or based in 

Ukraine. 

The third form of anti-Semitism, which I think is unique to that 

part of let us say Eastern Europe and Soviet Union, is what I call 

psychological anti-Semitism. It may be unique to countries that 

have suffered from the Holocaust and from government anti-Semitism. People who have suffered from a feeling of being unprotected 

by law enforcement will react and be frightened when seemingly 

harmless things happen such as a street being named in honor of 

Stepan Bandera. Most Jews and many others consider Bandera 

and his group of Ukrainian nationalists in Western Ukraine responsible for dozens of pogroms during World War II and the time 

before and after. It may or may not be true, but to someone who 

believes it, it will be frightening. When former President 

Yushchenko who was widely regarded as pro-Western and 

prodemocratic was President of Ukraine, when he decided to honor 

Bandera and Shukhevich with the highest civilian honor as Heroes 

of Ukraine, it brought out a terrible reaction by the Jewish community. Nobody was hurt. No one was attacked. Nobody was cited or 

spoken against. But for the psyche of a Ukrainian Jew that was 

anti-Semitic. And that brings me to the subject at hand. 

I believe that 7 percent of the parliamentary seats in Ukraine occupied by members of the Svoboda party is definitely something 

that should concern us all. It should not be downplayed or ignored. 

Just as we all agree that understanding the true threat is very, 

very important, understating it is wrong, so too overstating it and 

blowing it out of proportion is damaging. I am not an apologist for 

Ukraine nor for its government or its people. However, I think it 

is important that we study the source of the votes, evaluate that 

true power of the party, its members, and know where it is heading. 

The Jews of Ukraine, a historically vulnerable community, does 

not feel very vulnerable. This may be naivete or it may be the fact 

that Svoboda has never put up a serious platform. The majority of 

their voters were protest voters voting for the most outspoken opposition party. The Svoboda party has not been able to achieve 

anything in the local councils that they control, and in the opinion 

of some analysts, Svoboda is just a populist party whose members 

are not united by any ideology whatsoever other than a seat in 

Parliament and the power that comes with it. Indeed, Mr. 

Tyagnabok, the head of the party, has been trying to meet with 

members of the Jewish community to convince them that he is not 

in any way anti-Semitic. He has met with the United States’ Ambassador and more recently with the Israeli Ambassador. So the 

impression is that Mr. Tyagnabok just doesn’t control the members 

of his party. 

That is not very comforting since the rhetoric is continuing. It 

may, however, show that the party has no discipline, which may 

stop them from introducing any serious legislation to the Parliament. However, if the politics of right wing nationalism, antiSemitism, xenophobia, are allowed to fester and are ignored, the 

130

danger of this 7 percent growing is very possible. Nobody is passing 

laws or even trying to pass legislation against Jews in Ukraine. No 

one is calling for Jews to be deported, or worse, God forbid. However, we need not wait for something like that to happen. 

We therefore appreciate the statements made by the government, 

by Prime Minister Azarov stating that the Government of Ukraine 

will never negotiate agreements for coalition or legislation with 

Svoboda or any party that puts forth anti-Semitism as part of its 

platform. While anti-Semitism remains a political problem in 

Ukraine, there is by no means a greater threat than in other East 

European countries nor in many established European democracies 

where anti-Semitic parties and leaders retain significant political 

support. Moreover, the Government of Ukraine has a pretty good 

level of high level participation and events organized by the Jewish 

community including Holocaust commemoration. 

Jewish life inside Ukraine is dynamic with the functioning of numerous Jewish schools, vibrant religious life, and a network of important cultural and community centers. In addition, significant 

work is being done by Ukranian NGOs and research institutions 

and by a network of scholars who are committed to examining the 

historical evidence related to the Holocaust, Soviet era official antiSemitism and anti-Jewish violence that erupted over the centuries. 

A number of energetic publishers issue a wide array of books on 

Jewish culture, Ukrainian Jewish history, Holocaust studies in 

Ukraine for a general audience and for higher educational institutions. 

Finally, Ukraine’s state relations with Israel are on a very strong 

footing, including in the cultural sphere, which contributes to confidence of Ukraine’s Jewish community and reinforces strong links 

between the Jewish homeland and Ukraine’s Jewish diaspora. I 

hope that Ukraine continues its development into a true Western 

democratic, pluralistic society where all citizens will continue to 

feel safe and protected. It is my hope that European leaders will 

all join in making that statement reality. That Jews throughout 

Europe and indeed the world will live as full citizens of their countries and that anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and other negative feelings of discrimination and xenophobia are overpowered by feelings 

of respect and harmony. 

I would like to thank the NGOs, the basis of our great democracy 

here, and civil society in the United States for seeing beyond the 

borders of the United States and speaking out on these issues. I 

especially want to thank Mark Levin and the NCSJ for being our 

voice in Washington for so many years. 

[The prepared statement of Rabbi Bleich follows:]

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79580j-1.eps

Rabbi Yaakov D. Bleich 

Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine 

House Foreign AtTairs Subcommittee on Human Rights 

"Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths" 

Wednesday February 27, 2013 

First and foremost, I would like to say how proud I am to be here today I am proud not only as 

the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine who has been living abroad for 23 years, through Soviet rule, 

downfall and the birth of an independent Ukraine. I am proud as an American, that my country 

recognizes that opportunities cause obligations. The opportunity for these distinguished members 

of the House to positively atTect the lives of Jews and other minorities living in Europe, caused 

them to act and have this hearing today. 

On the one hand, I think that many in Ukraine will be very happy about today's hearing I We 

finally made it! Ukraine is tinally recognized as part of Europe I Something we have been 

pushing and bargaining for many years. However, it is an unfortunate circumstance that brings 

me here today. It is the question of anti Semitism in Ukraine. 

Being that the situation with anti Semitism is very different from Western Europe, I would like 

to explain a few things about the history of anti Semitism in Ukraine. There were historically 2 

camps competing with each other. There was the nationalist grass roots animosity between 

Ukrainians and Jews which is probably best portrayed in Sholom Aleichem's writings such as 

The Fiddler on the Roof. But more so was the Government sponsored anti Semitism. Begun by 

the Czars as official edicts and decrees against the Jews, it was perfected to a science by the 

Soviets. I am not mentioning when the government provoked the local pogroms. During Soviet 

times Jews were systematically discriminated against in every single sphere of society and social 

life. 

As of 1992 and Ukraine's independence, government anti Semitism has thank G-d all but 

disappeared. There are instances of anti Semitic acts carried out in Ukraine but I would like to 

now speal< about form and substance of Anti Semitism. I believe that that is very important in 

understanding the unique forms of anti Semitism prevalent in a society that has not yet perfected, 

to put it mildly, the rule oflaw. 

1) The first and foremost form is of course acts of violence and vandalism When people or 

property are attacked because they are Jews, that is the expression and most painful form of anti 

Semitism. Thank G-d that is the least prevalent in Ukraine. Although we have had instances of 

attacks, thank G-d they have been few. 

2) The second fonn of anti Semitism is publication ofliterature, speeches, political platforms 

which incite or may incite against Jews as individual or as a group. This is more prevalent in 

Ukraine, although not at epidemic proportions at all. I think that it is important to point out, that 

there was a time, not too long ago when this was a serious problem. There was a so called 

University in Ukraine printing and distributing tremendous amounts of anti Semitic literature 

with total impunity in Ukraine. This was stopped when the ones sponsoring this anti Semirism 
132


79580j-2.eps

withdrew their financial support. By the way, the sponsors were not Ukrainians and not even 

people or groups living or based in Ukraine. 

3) The 3rd fonn of Anti Semitism in Ukraine I would call psychological Anti-Semitism. It may 

be unique to Eastern Europe, to countries that have suffered in the not so distant past from the 

Holocaust, from Government Anti-Semitism. People who have suffered from a feeling of being 

unprotected by law enforcement will react and be frightened when seemingly harmless things 

happen. Such as a street being named in honor of Stepan Bandera. Most Jews and many others 

consider Bandera and his group of Ukrainian nationalists in Western Ukraine responsible for 

dozens of pogroms. It mayor may not be true, but to someone who believes it, it will be 

frightening. When Former President Yushchenko, the so called Pro Western and Pro Democracy 

President of Ukraine decided to honor Bandera and Shukhevich with the highest Civilian Honor 

as Heroes of Ukraine, it brought out a terrible reaction by the Jewish Community. Nobody was 

hurt, attacked or even incited or spoken againstl But for the psyche of a Ukrainian Jew that was 

anti-Semitic. And that brings me to the subject at hand. 

Just as you will all agree that understating the true threat is wrong, so too, overstating it and 

blowing it out of proportion is damaging. I am not an apologist for Ukraine. Not for its 

government or for its people. I believe that the 7% of the Parliament seats in Ukraine occupied 

by members of the Svoboda party is definitely something that should concern us and should not 

be downplayed or ignored. However, we must study the source of the votes and evaluate the true 

power of the party, its members and know where it is heading. The Jews of Ukraine, an 

historically vulnerable community, does not feel vulnerable. Is it naivette? Or is it the fact that 

the Svoboda party has never put up a serious platform" The majority of their voters were protest 

voters, voting for the most outspoken opposition party. The Svoboda party has not been able to 

achieve anything in the local councils they control. It is the opinion of some analysts, that 

Svoboda is a populist party, its members not united by any ideology whatsoever, other than a 

seat in Parliament and the power that comes with it. Indeed, Mr Tyagnabok, the head of the 

party has been trying to meet with members of the Jewish Community to explain to them that he 

is in no way Anti-Semitic. He has met with the US Ambassador, and more recently with the 

Israeli Ambassador The impression is, that Mr Tyagnabok does not control his members. That 

is not very comforting since the rhetoric is continuing. It may show, that the party has no 

discipline, which can stop them from introducing any serious legislation to the parliament. 

However, if the politics of right wing nationalism, anti Semitism, xenophobia, are allowed to 

fester and are totally ignored the danger of this 7% growing is possible. Nobody is passing laws 

or even trying to pass legislation against Jews in Ukraine. Nobody is calling for Jews to be 

deported or worse G-d forbid. However, we need not wait for something bad to happen. We 

therefore appreciate the statements made by Prime Minister Azarov, stating that the government 

of Ukraine will never negotiate agreements for coalition or legislation with Svoboda or any party 

that put forth Anti Semitism as part of its platfonn. 

I hope, that Ukraine continues its development into a true Western democratic society, where all 

citizens will continue to feel safe and protected. It is my hope that European leaders join in 

making that statement a reality. That Jews throughout Europe, and indeed the world, will live as 

full citizens of the countries of Europe. That the anti Semitism, anti Zionism and other negative 

feelings of discrimination and xenophobia are overpowered by feelings of respect and harmony. 
133

Mr. SMITH. Chief Rabbi Bleich, thank you very much for that 

very powerful testimony and thank you for being here, for coming 

all this way. I would like to now, Mr. Srulevitch, if you would proceed. 

STATEMENT OF MR. ANDREW SRULEVITCH, DIRECTOR OF 

EUROPEAN AFFAIRS, ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE 

Mr. SRULEVITCH. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the anti-Defamation League I want to express our appreciation to you and to the 

members of the subcommittee for holding this hearing today, and 

for the many hearings, letters and statements with which you have 

underscored the importance of combating anti-Semitism. ADL’s 

written statement covers a variety of concerns relevant to this 

hearing and the subcommittee, but one of the most alarming, as 

has been spoken about, is the election of neo-Nazi parties to European parliaments. Now this concern is shared at the highest levels 

of the European Union. 

Just 4 weeks ago, the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, 

Cecilia Malmstrom, the counterpart for our Attorney General, said, 

‘‘Not since the Second World War have so many extremist political 

movements had such a place in so many elected parliamentary assemblies. In some countries we also have neo-Nazis elected. If this 

trend continues the next European elections for 2014 could 

strengthen these forces, and we should not underestimate what 

this will mean for the European project.’’

Now since you have heard about Jobbik, though more could and 

should be said, and about Svoboda, I want to speak about Golden 

Dawn in Greece to make clear why Golden Dawn is a neo-Nazi political party. It combines an ideology of ethnic purity, anti-Semitism, and violence against minorities. Their published platform proposes that ‘‘only men and women of Greek descent and consciousness should have full political rights.’’ They have declared that the 

purity and preservation of the Hellenic race is of greater value 

than any individual person, and it is written that Jews are again 

‘‘absolute evil.’’ So when you read this and you read reports that 

‘‘Mein Kampf’’ is displayed at their headquarters that shouldn’t 

come as any surprise. 

Golden Dawn’s leader, however, has denied the Holocaust, saying 

there were no gas chambers or crematoria in Auschwitz, while at 

the same time another MP in their party who was the member of 

a rock band called Pogrom, they had a song called Auschwitz, 

among the lyrics to which were ‘‘Auschwitz, how much I love it.’’ 

Now days ago, this same party filed a parliamentary motion complaining that Greece commemorates the Holocaust. 

In October, a Golden Dawn MP read from the Protocols of the 

Elders of Zion in a parliamentary debate and later wrote, ‘‘The fear 

of the Jews is obvious and this fact is enough for us to realize that 

we are on the right path.’’ And as has been widely reported, vigilante groups of black-shirted Golden Dawn thugs have terrorized 

dark-skinned people in Greece whether they are there legally or 

undocumented. The immunity of three Golden Dawn MPs was lifted in order to prosecute them for participating in such acts of violence. 

134

Now this violence also goes far beyond vandalism. Just last 

month a 27-year-old Pakistani was stabbed to death. Police discovered a variety of weapons along with dozens of Golden Dawn leaflets at the home of one of his assailants. This is a party that received 7 percent of the vote and is now polling at around 10 percent. Now if such violent bigotry was supported or even just condoned by one out of ten Greeks that would already be alarming, 

but unfortunately we are seeing anti-Semitism and intolerance in 

Greece beyond Golden Dawn. 

Recent stories in the right wing Democratia newspaper have referred to one Israeli of Greek origin as ‘‘the characteristic type of 

Greek Jewish businessman who changes his appearance according 

to the circumstances of his work.’’ And they described his father as 

a characteristic Jew for having business cunning. A popular Greek 

singer is currently advertising his show with posters all around 

Athens showing an intertwined swastika and Star of David. And 

the conviction of a self-professed anti-Semite under Greece’s antiracism law was overturned by the Athens appeal court which explained in its decision, and I am quoting from their decision, ‘‘the 

defendant does not revile the Jews solely because of their racial 

and ethnic origin, but mainly because of their aspirations to world 

power, the methods they use to achieve these aims, and their conspiratorial activities.’’ Two days ago the head of Greece’s military 

tweeted that only ethnic Greeks should be allowed in the military 

academy, and his proposal was immediately supported by a Golden 

Dawn MP as well as a significant number of MPs from the governing New Democracy party. 

So when anti-Semitism and bigotry are tolerated in the media, 

advertisements, the judiciary, and the military, Jewish communities feel extremely vulnerable. And it is incumbent on political 

leaders to speak out regularly and firmly and to adopt zero tolerance policies for hate crimes and for hate speech. We welcome the 

Greek Government’s establishment of special police units to combat 

hate violence, but strongly encourage the government to be more 

vocal about the dangers posed by Golden Dawn. Regrettably, Prime 

Minister Samaras has only one critical statement about Golden 

Dawn on his official Web site, condemning the slapping by a Golden Dawn MP of an MP of the far left Syriza party. 

I began with a quote from a European leader. I want to end with 

something from a Greek leader. This is from the leader of Greece’s 

Socialist party, which participates in the governing coalition, who 

recently said, ‘‘We are seeing a form of Mithridatism in Greek society today with regard to fascism.’’ And he was referring to a king 

who ruled Anatolia two millennia ago and took small doses of poison to innoculate himself. And Mr. Venizelos continued, saying, 

‘‘There is a gradual drop by drop dilution of the conscience, a loosening of reflexes.’’

So Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I would respectfully suggest that your voices can help counter that dilution 

of conscience, that loosening of reflexes, because the poison, that 

poison, the nature of Golden Dawn is known, and the question is 

whether Greek society and the Greek Government will respond 

with rejection or accommodation. So let us all do what we can to 

135

encourage rejection. And thank you very much for the honor of appearing before you today. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Srulevitch follows:]


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Testimony of Andrew Srulevitch 

Director of European Affairs 

Anti-Defamation League 

House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 

Global Human Rights, and International Organizations 

February 27, 2013 

Washington, DC 

Let me offer special thanks on behalf of the Anti-Defamation League and its National 

Director, Abraham Foxman, to Chairman Smith and all the Members of the 

Subcommittee for holding this hearing today and for the many hearings, letters, and 

rallying cries that have kept this issue front and center. Your commitment to the fight 

against anti-Semitism and your determination to move from concern to action inspires 

and energizes all of us. 

The history of the Jewish people is fraught with examples of the worst violations of 

human rights - forced conversions, expulsions, inquisitions, pogroms, and genocide. 

The struggle against the persecution of Jews was a touchstone for the creation of some 

of the foundational human rights instruments and treaties as well as the development of 

important regional human rights mechanisms like the human dimension commitments of 

the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 

We focus today on anti-Semitism but we are mindful that, in advancing the fight against 

anti-Semitism, we elevate the duty of governments to comply with broader human rights 

commitments and norms. That is the core of ADL's mission: to secure justice and fair 

treatment for Jews in tandem with safeguarding the rights of all groups. 

Anti-Semitism is a primary concern for the Anti-Defamation League - not just because 

we are a Jewish community organization, but because anti-Semitism, the oldest and 

most persistent form of prejudice, threatens security and democracy, and poisons the 

health of a society as a whole. The Anti-Defamation League was established in 1913 

with its core mission to combat the then horrific discrimination against Jews in all facets 

of American life and the growth of anti-Jewish movements and organizations peddling 

their hate around the world. Over nearly a century, as part of the fight against antiSemitism and all forms of bigotry, we have been at the forefront of the campaign to 

secure historic civil rights achievements, pioneered the development of model hate 

crimes laws, and developed anti-bias education models to address all forms of prejudice 

and to prepare each succeeding generation to live in an increasingly diverse society. 

As we have learned: where anti-Semitism flourishes, no minority group is safe. 

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We work in a rights-based framework here in our communities and around the world. 

Human rights are universal, and our community has experienced the truism that, by 

safeguarding Jewish rights, we advance the cause of rights for everyone. The Jewish 

community worked with Congress to put the issue of the denial of the right of Jews to 

emigrate from the USSR onto the US policy agenda and ultimately onto the world stage. 

This was the basis for the Jackson Yanik Amendment that tied Most Favored Nation 

trade status to free emigration and that initiative was one of this country's most 

important and successful human rights initiatives. Indeed this advocacy movement 

served as an inspiring model for the campaign to pass the International Religious 

Freedom Act of 1998. 

In the U.S., our campaign to address anti-Semitism as a civil rights issue and in the 

context of defending the rights of all groups blazed a trail for the creation of model hate 

crimes monitoring and policy responses. Today we are working to enhance U.S. efforts 

to promote understanding of the value and the need to institute hate crime response 

mechanisms in other countries. 

What is Anti-Semitism? 

Anti-Semitism is a form of hatred, mistrust, and contempt for Jews based on a variety of 

stereotypes and myths, and often invokes the belief that Jews have extraordinary 

influence with which they conspire to harm or control society. It can target Jews as 

individuals, as a group or a people, or it can target Israel as a Jewish entity. Criticism of 

Israel or Zionism is anti-Semitic when it uses anti-Jewish stereotypes or invokes antiSemitic symbols and images, or holds Jews collectively responsible for actions of the 

State of Israel. I have appended to my statement a brief description of anti-Semitism 

and manifestations we are seeing today. Appendix I of this statement notes the key 

themes of contemporary anti-Semitism, and Appendix II outlines select incidents that 

exemplify some of the trends discussed below. 

Overview and Trend Spotting 

As a practical matter, since the fall of the Soviet Union, anti-Semitism ceased to be 

expressed as state sponsored discrimination and manifested itself in two primary areas: 

a hostile public discourse and incidents of harassment, vandalism and hate violence. 

Today, we are seeing a shocking reemergence of political anti-Semitism espoused by 

political parties as part of their rhetoric and policy platforms. These parties play on 

public fear and hatred of other groups such as Roma and LGBT communities. 

The Return of Political Anti-Semitism 

The return of political anti-Semitism in Hungary, Greece and Ukraine is raising serious 

concern. Jobbik is a major Hungarian party, which won over 16 percent of the vote in 

the 2010 parliamentary election. On the floor of the parliament over the last year, 

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Jobbik leaders have called for compiling a list of Jews in the Hungarian parliament and 

government, referring to them as national security risks, and have invoked a famous 

Hungarian blood libel. The notorious anti-Semitic forgery, Protocols of the Elders of 

Zion, can be found on the Jobbik website. 

Last year in Greece, the neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party was elected for the first time to 

the Greek parliament. Its leaders have denied the Holocaust. The party regularly 

publishes blatantly anti-Semitic articles, and one of its parliamentarians read from the 

Protocols of the Elders of Zion during a parliamentary debate. 

In Ukraine, the anti-Semitic Svoboda party was elected to parliament in October with a 

political platform that promotes ethnic Ukrainian nationalism, excluding Ukrainian Jews. 

Recently, for example, a Svoboda leader said that the actress Mila Kunis, who was born 

in Ukraine, was a "yid" and not a Ukrainian. Svoboda's platform proposes that 

candidates for elected office be required to publicize their ethnicity and that the ethnic 

makeup of parliament should reflect the proportion of citizens of those ethnic groups in 

Ukraine. Svoboda has organized demonstrations against Jewish pilgrimages to 

Hassidic Jewish holy sites in Ukraine, and tried to prevent Holocaust education films 

from being shown in schools in Lviv. 

Hate Violence, Harassment, Vulnerability 

Overt anti-Jewish discrimination is no longer the law of the land anywhere, nor is it the 

chief barrier to the full realization of the rights of Jews. Today, the main threats to a 

Jew's right to live in security with dignity and freedom to express his/her identity are an 

atmosphere of intimidation and ugly acts of hatred, which manifest themselves in the 

form of violent hate crimes against Jewish schools, synagogues, and cemeteries. It is 

the everyday harassment that prevents Jews in certain places from being able to 

express who they are, to freely wear yarmulkes, Stars of David, or even T-shirts bearing 

Hebrew lettering. Rabbis, parents, and students live with the knowledge that walking 

the streets bearing an identifiable Jewish symbol could risk, intimidation, harassment, or 

even violence. This is the unwritten rule too many Jews are forced to live by. 

Violence against Jews and Jewish institutions has been documented mostly in Western 

Europe and North America - with large concentrations of reported incidents in France, 

the UK, the US, and Canada. These are countries with large Jewish communities and 

also more effective government and NGO monitoring. 

The French Jewish community's security agency, SPCJ, just released its 2012 report 

which showed an alarming increase in both the number and violence of incidents. The 

SPCJ recorded 614 anti-Semitic acts in 2012, compared to 389 in 2011, a 58% 

increase. Physical and verbal attacks rose by 82%, from 171 in 2011 to 315 in 2012. 

Of those physical attacks, 25% involved a weapon. 

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The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights conducted a survey of Jewish 

communities in nine countries in 2012 to assess the communities' sentiments. While 

the results will only be published later this year, preliminary findings from three countries 

found that 40-50% of respondents have considered emigrating from their country out of 

concern for their safety. 

Threats to Religious Freedom 

Violence and harassment are not the only concerns. Two of the most fundamental 

Jewish rites -- circumcision and kosher slaughter -- are increasingly being challenged in 

Europe. 

Brit milah, ritual circumcision of newborn male children, is a core religious rite of 

Judaism, practiced by Jews around the world. Government restrictions on the age of the 

child or on mohelim, Jewish ritual circumcisors, and government requirements for a 

declaration of adherence to Judaism as a condition for a legal brit milah, are intolerable 

burdens on the free exercise of religion by Jews. When a 2012 German court ruling 

called into question the legality of ritual circumcision, the German government and 

parliament responded with appropriate legislation to safeguard this rite. 

Proposals have also been made in several European countries to ban the slaughter of 

unstunned animals. Government requirements that all animals be stunned before 

slaughter would constitute a de facto ban on shechita, or kosher slaughter. Preslaughter stunning renders the animal unfit to use for kosher meat. Recently, both The 

Netherlands and Poland have achieved positive resolutions to these challenges. 

Rise in Anti-Semitic Attitudes 

A 2012 ADL survey of anti-Semitic attitudes in ten European countries found that large 

swaths of the population subscribing to classical anti-Semitic notions such as Jews 

having too much power in business, being more loyal to Israel than their own country, or 

"talking too much" about what happened during the Holocaust. Nearly one-third of 

those surveyed held pernicious anti-Semitic beliefs. 

In comparison with a similar ADL poll conducted in 2009, several of the countries 

showed dangerously high levels in the overall level of anti-Semitism, while other 

countries experienced more modest increases: 

• Austria experienced a slight decrease, to 28% from 30% in 2009. 

• France: The overall level of anti-Semitism increased to 24% of the population, up 

from to 20% in 2009. 

• Germany: Anti-Semitism increased by one percentage point, to 21 % of the 

population. 

• Hungary: The level jumped to 63% of the population, compared with 47% in 

2009. 

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• Poland: The number remained unchanged at 48%of the population. 

• Spain: Anti-Semitic attitudes were held by 53% of the population, compared to 

48% in 2009. 

• United Kingdom: Anti-Semitic attitudes jumped to 17% of the population, 

compared to 10% in 2009. 

Polling in 2012 indicated anti-Semitic attitudes in 35% of the Italian population, 10% of 

the Dutch population, and 16% in Norway. 

Anti-Zionism as a Mask for Anti-Semitism 

Not only are events in the Middle East a catalyst for anti-Semitic incidents, but antiZionism and anti-Israel animus are used as thin disguises for anti-Semitism. The 

European Union's Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) in its Working Paper on antiSemitism (April 2011) notes "the use of anti-Zionism as a way to circumvent prevailing 

taboos that still exists around using old anti-Semitism." This follows on other FRA 

reports like one in 2008 that observed "Anti-Semitic activity since 2000 is increasingly 

attributed to a 'new anti-Semitism' characterized primarily by the vilification of Israel as 

the Jewish collective, and perpetrated primarily by members of Europe's Muslim 

population.,,1 

Equating Israel with Nazism and Jews with Nazis 

The use of Nazi imagery to portray the Jewish state is a perversion of memory, an insult 

to those who perished in the Holocaust, an affront to those who survived the horrors of 

Nazi Germany and to those who fought to defeat the Nazis. 

This widespread use of Holocaust and Nazi analogies goes well beyond legitimate 

criticism of Israel. Particularly dangerous and disturbing is the use of Nazi imagery to 

depict Israelis and comparisons of Israel's actions to the absolute evil perpetrated by 

the Nazis in the Holocaust. These comparisons and imagery are modern incarnations 

of the age-old myths of Jews as a satanic and conniving force which endeavors to take 

over the world. 

Caricatures that depict Israelis as Nazis appear with alarming frequency on the editorial 

pages of newspapers in the Arab and Muslim world, on the web, and even in some 

mainstream European newspapers. European media have also published clearly antiSemitic caricatures. 

• This cartoon which appeared a Saudi newspaper last fall shows a stereotypical 

Jewish figure and equates Israel/Jews and Nazis. It reflects imagery and 

messages found in newspapers across the region on an almost daily basis. 

I European Union Agency for Fundmncnta1 Rights,. '/ntisemiti:ml, Summary Overl'iew (?fthe 5,'ituation in the 

European Ul1ionji'olll 2001-2007. Jan. 2008, page 19. 

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• In Norway, one of the largest mainstream dailies, Dagbladet, published a cartoon 

in October 2011 that compared Gaza and Buchenwald. 

Dagb/adet, October 19, 2011 

• In Belgium, a major Flemish paper, De Morgen, published a cartoon of a Jew 

carrying two suitcases bursting with cash and the caption, "Switzerland, the 

Promised Land." 

De Morgen, September 8, 2011 

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Conspiracy Theories Penetrate Mainstream Public Discourse 

One of the constant themes of anti-Semitism is that, in every generation, conspiracy 

theories emerge that appeal to people both at the fringes of society to some in the 

mainstream. 

In early February 2013, a rogue's gallery of conspiratorial anti-Semites and anti-Zionists 

gathered for conference sponsored by the Iranian government on "Hollywoodism," 

which purported to explore the role of Hollywood in promoting negative views of Iran 

and in fomenting religious conflicts around the globe. The conference "partners" 

included a number of American and international anti-Semites and conspiracy theorists. 

Sessions explored topics like how Zionists and their allies in the West use the film 

industry to promote negative views of Iran and to provoke religious conflicts around the 

world. Iranian officials speaking that the conference promoted the classical anti-Semitic 

stereotype of Jewish domination and control of the film industry. 

In September 2012 - amidst the tragic attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi - the 

myth that an Israeli-American producer and group of Jewish investors financed the 

virulently anti-Islam film "Innocence of Muslims," took hold. Despite being thoroughly 

debunked in the West, the rumor went viral in the Muslim world and mutated into new 

forms in the Arab media. In a series of virulently anti-Semitic cartoons and caricatures 

appearing in Algeria, Bahrain, Gaza, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and 

elsewhere, Jews, America and Israel were blamed for having maliciously made a film 

intended to offend Muslims and sow unrest and discord around the world. A number of 

anti-American protests in Cairo, Gaza, and Sudan included anti-Semitic and anti-Jewish 

slogans, as well as condemnations of Jews and Israelis for being the true parties 

responsible for the film. 

In Sweden in 2009, a false and malicious report in a Swedish newspaper that Israeli 

soldiers abducted and killed Palestinians, including children, to harvest their internal 

organs mushroomed into a global conspiracy theory. Within months, the story 

generated several conspiracy theories about Jewish plots to harvest organs from 

victims around the globe, including from kidnapped Algerian and Ukrainian children and 

from Haitians pulled from the rubble of the earthquake by Israeli rescue personnel. 

The rumor about the Israelis in Haiti reached all the way to the British House of Lords, 

where Baroness Jenny Tonge called on Israel to launch an investigation into the 

conduct of its military in Haiti. Tonge made the comment after an English-language 

Palestinian newspaper, The Palestine Telegraph, published an article that cited a report 

by Hezbollah's AI-Manar TV regarding the organ trafficking allegations. The Palestinian 

paper lists Tonge as one of two members of a "board of patrons." Following the story, 

Tonge apologized. However, Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrat party, 

called Tonge's comment "unacceptable" and he subsequently removed her from her 

position as party spokeswoman on health issues. 

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These conspiracy theories were reported as fact by Iranian and Arab media, including 

Syrian TV, Press TV, a state-funded Iranian TV news channel, and leading pan-Arab 

satellite news networks AI Jazeera and AI-Arabiya. In addition, newspapers in Jordan, 

Oman, Qatar, and other Arab countries published a series of editorial cartoons that 

depicted Israelis as vicious butchers who were gleefully cutting off the body parts of 

Arabs and trading in Palestinian organs. 

Anti-Semitism Crosses Borders, Continents and Countries 

While Europe is a focus of this hearing, phenomena like the manipulation of antiSemitism for political purposes are not limited to Europe. During the 2012 Presidential 

elections in Venezuela, blatant anti-Semitism was being promoted in government 

owned and aligned media directed against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles 

Radonski, a devout Catholic with Jewish ancestry, who ran against incumbent Hugo 

Chavez. Opinion articles in government controlled media spread myths of Jewish 

control, financial influence, as well as the deicide charge. 

Deliberate and persistent anti-Semitism has been used in the past by the Venezuelan 

government apparatus as a divisive political tool to scapegoat and harass Jews. Since 

2006, the League has been following closely the constant anti-Semitic pronouncements 

emanating from the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. 

The government and some of its followers have publicly accused the Jewish community 

of disloyalty and the community's institutions and houses of worship have been 

attacked. More recently, news reports indicate that Venezuela's Government 

Intelligence Agency (SEBIN) received instructions to carry out clandestine surveillance 

operations against members of the Jewish community and to spy on Venezuelan 

companies and organizations with ties to Israel. 

Anti-Semitism has also resurfaced in Argentina, home to the largest Jewish community 

in Latin America. In 2011, ADL and the Delegaci6n de Asociaciones Israelitas 

Argentinas (DAIA) commissioned a survey on attitudes towards Jews in Argentina, 

which found that classical anti-Semitic stereotypes are deeply ingrained in society. The 

poll found that the majority of Argentinians believe that Jews are more loyal to Israel 

than Argentina. 

Last week, during a debate in the Argentine Senate about the terrorist attack against the 

AMIA Jewish cultural center, a senator differentiated between "Argentinians of the 

Jewish religion" and "Argentinian Argentinians" who were killed. 

Incubator, Broadcaster: The Arab and Muslim World 

For decades, the Anti-Defamation League has focused on monitoring and exposing the 

anti-Semitism that has pervaded the Arab and Muslim print and broadcast media, 

websites and even now, apps for smart phones and tablets. 

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The impact of decades of these demonizing depictions on generations of Arabs and 

others across the Middle East cannot be discounted. While reading the morning 

newspapers or watching television with their family, many in the region have only 

encountered Jews as images of evil, threatening, subhuman figures to be feared, hated 

and fought against. 

Compounding this problem is the instantaneous, global transmission of these images 

via the internet and satellite television, from the Middle East to Europe, Africa, Asia, and 

the United States, reaching and potentially radicalizing a much larger audience. 

In the era of the "Arab Spring," we have seen new manifestations of anti-Jewish 

demonization. In Egypt, for example, in the wake of the power vacuum that has 

engulfed the country following the 2011 revolution which overthrew Hosni Mubarak, 

there has been a steady escalation of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel themes in public 

discourse and by Muslim Brotherhood leaders in particular. Although the official 

platform of the Brotherhood and its political party, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) 

is couched in terms of democracy and peace, the organization continues to lash out 

against Israel and Jews, and to express support for terrorist organizations dedicated to 

the destruction of the Jewish state. Egypt's President, Mohammed Morsi, the FJP 

candidate who assumed office in June 2012, is a long-time Brotherhood leader. 

• In October 2012, in a nationally broadcast Friday sermon attended by Egyptian 

President Mohamed Morsi and other high ranking government officials at the AITanaeem Mosque in Mersa Matruh, Imam Fatouh Abdul Nabi called on God to 

"deal harshly with the Jews and those who are allied with them." During this part 

of the sermon, President Morsi was shown on television mouthing "amen." 

• ADL continues to compile examples of anti-Semitic statements by Brotherhood 

leaders and affiliated clerics2 Among the most egregious is the Brotherhood's 

Supreme Leader, Mohammed Badie, who has a long record of anti-Semitic statements and calls for belligerent actions against Israel. For example, in October 

2012, Badie's weekly column in the Brotherhood's newsletter accused Israel and 

Jews of "shedding the blood of the people, trampling sanctuaries and holy 

places" and desecrating Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy places in Jerusalem. 

Badie called for the Islamic community to rise up against the "Zionists" and to 

commit to jihad to recover Jerusalem and liberate all of Palestine. "The time has 

come," Badie wrote, "for the Islamic ummah to band together for Jerusalem and 

Palestine since it has been dominated by the Jews ... " In his holiday greetings 

marking the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in July 2012, Badie wrote 

that the central goal of "Muslim leaders was the recovery of the AI Aqsa mosque 

and its liberation from Zionist filth ... " Badie also urged the world's Muslims, Christians and Jews to "stand up against the crimes of the Zionist gangs in the raped 

2 For more examples, sec ADL's report: !lrotherhood ofliate: Muslim Brotherhood's Hatred for Jews and Israel 

Flourishes in '-Ne"\Y" El'ypt 

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lands," and the only solution is for Islamic rule to be imposed "throughout all of 

beloved Palestine" At a Brotherhood rally in June 2012, Badie declared "Allah 

has warned us the tricks of the Jews, and their role in igniting the fire of 

wars ... The Almighty said: 'Every time they light the fires of war, Allah 

extinguishes them; and they labor hard to spread corruption on earth and Allah 

does not love the spreaders of corruption." 

ADL monitoring has consistently found that US elections are a vehicle for the promotion 

of anti-Semitic imagery and caricatures. The 2012 campaign was no different, with 

scores of cartoons depicting President Obama and Governor Romney, and the US. 

electoral system, as controlled by Israel and Jews. 

Tishrin, (Syria) August 3, 2012 

The arms are those of Obama and Romney. 

Anti-Semitism is also broadcast on television across the Arab and Muslim world. 

Traditionally, during Ramadan, the Muslim holy month observed by fasting and prayer, 

many state and satellite channels in the Arab world broadcast special programs for the 

occasion that are rife with anti-Semitism and harsh anti-Israel expressions. 

Among the most infamous examples are two dramatic, multi-part mini-series: The 

Egyptian-produced Horseman Without a Horse - which originally aired on Egyptian 

state television in 2002, and the Syrian-produced Ash-Shatat - aired in 2003 on the 

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Hezbollah owned AI-Manar satellite network. 3 In both dramas, Jews were presented as 

conspiring, violent, evil, and manipulative characters who would quickly betray their 

native country and even their community for their own interest. Horseman was 

rebroadcast in April 2012 on Egypt's AI-Tahrir TV. 

During the month of Ramadan in 2012, a number of popular shows broadcast across 

the region included anti-Semitic elements, including Firqat Naji Attalah, a series which 

aired nightly throughout the Middle East, which depicted Israelis in classic anti-Semitic 

fashion. A Middle East broadcast network, MBC, promoted the show saying it will "surprise the audience with the sweetest jokes about the 'cheap Jew.'" 

ADL recently learned that a production company in Qatar will reportedly start filming a 

multi-million dollar television series in March 2013 commemorating the genocide of 

Jews in Arabia in the 7th century. The series, called "Khaiber," is based on a script 

written by Yusri AI-Jindy, an Egyptian writer who has previously depicted Israelis and 

Jews as bloodthirsty savages in his work. According to AI Jazeera, AI-Jindy said he 

wrote the script because "the Zionist movement is currently passing through a turning 

point as a result of the changes in the Arab world." According to another report in the 

Qatari newspaper AI-Raya, the series will focus "on the social, economic and religious 

characteristics of the Jews including politics and conspiracies and how they dominate 

and control tribes." 

Organizations monitoring major Arab satellite and state-run television networks and 

television stations affiliated with Hamas, continue to document anti-Jewish statements 

and characterizations permeating news programs, religious broadcasts and 

documentaries. And these networks reach around the world. Iran's Press TV, for 

example, an English-language satellite news network, founded in 2007, promotes antiSemitism to a global audience4 Based in Tehran and operated by Islamic Republic of 

Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), the network's signal is broadcast in North America, Europe, 

the Middle East, Asia and parts of Africa and Latin America via a number of satellite 

television providers. Not only does anti-Semitism figure prominently in many of the 

network's broadcasts, but the messages are reaching a broader audience as Press TV 

articles and videos are re-tweeted and shared on social media sites in addition to being 

disseminated to a global audience via satellite. A significant amount of Press TV 

programing provides a platform for American anti-Semites, conspiracy theorists and 

Holocaust deniers, who help amplify and endorse the Iranian regime's hateful message. 

Press TV not only misleadingly presents these hatemongers as serious and credible 

"experts" or "analysts" on international economic and political issues, but also enables 

their bigoted perspectives to reach a significant global audience. Among those making 

appearances on Press TV are American anti-Semite and racist David Duke; Imam 

'AI-Manar has a long record of incendiary anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-American programming. It 

appears to be the source of the conspiracy theory that claimed that 4,000 Israelis were absent from their 

jobs at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, thereby implying that Israel was in some way 

behind the attack. The story was posted on its Web site on September 17, 2001 and picked up by 

extremists around the world. It has been banned from broadcasting several European countries and the 

United States. 

4 See ADL's report: Iran's Press TT~' BroodcastinR~·lJlti-!Semiti5m t(l the English Speakin? Workl 

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Abdul Alim Musa, head of the Masjid AI Islam Mosque in Washington, D.C., who is 

affiliated with the anti-Semitic Sabiqun movement., Mark Glenn, a virulently anti-Semitic 

conspiracy theorist; and Mark Dankof, a contributor to American Free Press, an antiSemitic conspiracy-oriented newspaper that promotes a variety of 9/11 conspiracy 

theories accusing Jews of perpetrating the attacks. 

Another way entrenched anti-Jewish attitudes and conspiracy theories are spreading 

internationally from the Middle East are through the use of tablet and smart phone apps 

with downloadable podcasts, widely available through iTunes and Google Marketplace. 

Such pod casts feature broadcasts from Hezbollahs' AI-Manar, Iranian television 

networks, and vehemently anti-Semitic sermons and lectures from Middle Easternbased Muslim clerics. One example is a downloadable lecture by Abu Bakr al-Jaza'iri, a 

prominent scholar and Islamic studies professor who lives in Saudi Arabia, who accuses 

Jews of spreading atheism and corruption in the world. The lecture, titled "The Role of 

Jews in Defaming the Hijab," blames Jews for setting off a women's liberation movement in Islam and claims that Jews aim to spread the same corruption and immorality 

among Muslims that they previously spread to Europeans. AI-Jaza'iri says, "They [the 

Jews] targeted Europe. How did they attack it? They founded the Bolsevik secular atheist sect also known as Marxist Communism ... humanity never knew atheism before the 

Jewish gang plot." He also accuses Jews of causing world wars: "The Second World 

War was sparked by the Jews ... no world war was started without the Jews." 

What is the impact of this steady drum beat of anti-Semitic broadcasts, imagery and 

messages have on individuals? We know well the connection between charged 

rhetoric and violent action. Incitement can create an environment conducive to, and 

accepting of, violence and terrorism. We have also seen that where Jews are 

scapegoated and demonized, incendiary anti-American rhetoric flourishes as well, 

inviting extremists to step in with violent action. 

Recommendations for Action: 

Governments bear the primary responsibility to ensure that Jews are afforded the same 

rights as others to live in security and with dignity in their communities. Whether it is 

espoused by hate groups on the margins or political parties garnering support in 

elections, governments and civil leaders can mobilize political will to reject antiSemitism and its messengers and to use human rights and anti-discrimination 

instruments related to anti-Semitism and intolerance. 

Below are recommendations for governments to institutionalize a systemic, 

comprehensive strategy. 

What All Governments Can Do 

1. Start by using your own bully pulpit to speak out. Political leaders have the 

most immediate and significant opportunity to set the tone of a national response 

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to an anti-Semitic incident, an anti-Semitic party, or an anti-Semitic 

parliamentarian. Nothing gives a greater sense of security than seeing antiSemitism publicly rejected. This signals that the government takes seriously the 

impact of this climate on the community. Even without a legal tool, where there 

is political will, where the police know anti-Semitism when they see it, when local 

and national officials marginalize and reject it, people are more secure. 

2. Lead by example and set a tone of civility. Political leaders should lead by 

example in their own country and must never engage in divisive appeals that 

demonize any member of society based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, 

gender, gender identity, or religion. When political leaders are determined to 

build consensus across party lines to demonstrate that some behaviors are 

beyond the pale, we see real change. We know in our own country the power 

that words have to shape, not just our political debate, but the environment in 

which targeted communities live. 

3. Enact inclusive hate crimes laws. The OSCE has developed guidance to 

establish a common framework for improving responses to hate crimes across 

different countries and legal contexts. Other tools also encourage governments 

to partner with communities and empower them to help address hate crime. 

4. Educate about anti-Semitism and empower students to reject and combat 

it. Anti-bias lessons which focus on the specific nature of anti-Semitism should 

be integrated into the curriculum and into after-school activities. Education 

ministries should establish anti-bias teaching standards and model policies to 

protect students from school-based anti-Semitic incidents and harassment. 

Schools should adopt formal written policies governing how teachers, 

administrators and security professionals identify and respond effectively to biasmotivated bullying, violence, and harassment. The policy should include formal 

reporting and complaint procedures and facilitate cooperation between educators 

and law enforcement officials. 

5. Promote effective Holocaust remembrance and education. There is 

increased recognition that Holocaust education alone does not counter antiSemitism and that effective programs must also address contemporary antiSemitism as a separate subject. 

6. Parliaments Should Have Zero-Tolerance for Anti-Semitism and bigotry. 

Voters are free to cast votes for anti-Semitic parties, but parliamentarians also 

have the ability to reject their anti-Semitism and ensure that parliaments are a 

platform to showcase a society's highest ideals. Parliaments can be a vehicle for 

positive proactive action of all types. The All-Party Parliamentary Inquiry into 

Antisemitism in the UK is also a model other parliaments could follow. 

Parliamentarians from different countries gathered in London in February 2009 

for the founding Conference and Summit of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for 

Combating Antisemitism, issued a "London Declaration on Combating 

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Antisemitism" which any parliamentarian can endorse. A follow-up conference 

was held in Ottawa in November 2010, which led to the Ottawa Protocol on 

Combating Antisemitism of September 2011. In December 2012, over 150 

members of parliaments from 30 countries wrote a letter to the President, Prime 

Minister, and the Speaker of the Parliament of Hungary to condemn the Jobbik 

MP's statement in parliament asking for a list of Jews in government and 

parliament to be created. 

What the US Can Do 

1. Prioritize combating anti-Semitism on bilateral agendas. The US should let 

our allies know that addressing anti-Semitism and hate crime is part of our 

bilateral agenda. The State Department's Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat 

Anti-Semitism should place this on the Secretary of State's agenda with foreign 

leaders. Congress has a central role to play in promoting this issue within the 

State Department and in bilateral contacts and outreach to foreign officials. 

2. Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant: U.S. Monitoring. US reporting on antiSemitism as a human rights and religious freedom issue is an indispensable tool 

in spotlighting the problem and for US diplomatic action. The Global AntiSemitism Awareness Act, introduced by Chairman Smith, requires US embassies 

to seek out information on anti-Semitism as part of their core human rights and 

religious freedom monitoring obligations. 

3. Nominate an Effective Special Envoy and Support Robust Work of the 

Special Envoy's Office. Continued support for a strong Special Envoy will 

ensure that the US maintains a specialized focus on anti-Semitism and a 

dedicated effort to mobilize the arsenal of US diplomatic tools to respond. 

As this testimony has set out, it sometimes must be addressed in unique ways 

and requires the attention of someone experienced to have a particular focus on 

crafting a strategy to address it 

4. Equip U.S. Diplomats with Training to Sustain Improvement in U.S. 

Reporting and Response. Anti-Semitism is a continuously mutating 

phenomenon that is not always easy to discern. The Special Envoy expanded 

training on anti-Semitism in the State Department's Foreign Service Institute to 

give diplomats the understanding and tools to recognize anti-Semitism and the 

contemporary forms it takes. The Foreign Service Institute course on "Promoting 

Human Rights and Democracy" should consistently include such training. 

5. Congress and the Administration should have visible contact with Jewish 

communities. This hearing is a best practice in this area. While many 

embassies have deep and longstanding relationships with Jewish community 

activists, there are many communities which have never had contact with their 

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local US mission. Outreach to Jewish communities is one way to facilitate data 

collection and connect Jewish communities with US resources and efforts. 

6. Combating anti-Semitism should be part of the full array of human rights 

and democracy programming, funding, and public diplomacy efforts. For 

example, the State Department's International Visitor Programs and other USfunded exchange and public diplomacy programs should reflect the growing US 

and international recognition of anti-Semitism and of the problem of hate crime 

broadly. US assistance programs should fund prevention as well as response 

efforts. While part of the challenge is to institute legal norms and protections for 

victims of anti-Semitism, we also know that prevention efforts can head off 

tension, conflict, and violence that can erupt when anti-Semitism goes 

unanswered. US assistance programs could focus on public education 

campaigns to promote tolerance. 

7. Addressing Anti-Semitism in the Muslim and Arab World The US should 

make clear to emerging leaders in Middle Eastern countries in political transition 

that anti-Semitism and demonization of Israelis and Jews is unacceptable and 

inappropriate in any democratic societies. Hatred of Jews is deeply rooted in that 

region and is poised to be part of the landscape for generations if it is not 

addressed as part of democratic transitions. The instruments of US public 

diplomacy and President Obama's emissary to the Organization of the Islamic 

Conference should seek ways to address the issue of anti-Semitism where it is 

needed most. 

8. Provide training and assistance to improve the policing and prosecution of 

anti-Semitism. Much more can be done to leverage existing international 

training programs, particularly those geared toward law enforcement such as the 

Department of Justice OPDAT and ICITAP programs or training delivered 

through US International Law Enforcement Academies that reach governmental 

and law enforcement audiences around the world. We should not miss an 

opportunity to provide training on hate crime response, including legal tools, 

model policies, and training on investigating and prosecuting anti-Semitic crimes. 

9. Lead by Example: Strengthen the fight against anti-Semitism and 

intolerance at home. Congress has been instrumental in advancing the fight 

against global anti-Semitism on the international stage. Legislators also have the 

ability to also strengthen America's efforts to address and prevent anti-Semitism 

and hate crime here at home. The federal government has an essential role to 

play in helping law enforcement, communities, and schools implement effective 

hate crimes prevention programs and activities. We know of no federal anti-bias 

or hate crimes education and prevention programming that is currently 

addressing youth hate violence. Members of Congress should authorize federal 

anti-bias and hate crimes education programs to help schools and communities 

address violent bigotry. 

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Appendix I: What is Anti-Semitism? 

Anti-Semitism is a form of hatred, mistrust, and contempt for Jews based on 

stereotypes and myths. It can invoke the belief that Jews have extraordinary influence 

with which they conspire to harm or control society. It can target Jews as individuals, as 

a group or a people, or it can target Israel as a Jewish entity. Criticism of Israel or 

Zionism is anti-Semitic when it invokes anti-Jewish stereotypes, symbols and images, or 

holds Jews collectively responsible for actions of the State of Israel. 

Anti-Semitism has existed over many centuries and the negative stereotypes it draws 

on have taken hold in the popular culture and thought of many societies. It can take the 

form of hate speech, discrimination, or violence against people or property. It may 

target individuals or communities on small or large scales. The most extreme example 

of this was the Nazi's organized plan to exterminate the Jews through the Holocaust. 

Various forms of intolerance - racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism - share many 

elements in common. Stereotyping, seeing the victim as the other, are among these 

common elements. On the other hand, there are core characteristics unique to each 

type of hatred. In the case of anti-Semitism, it resides in a matrix of three beliefs about 

Jews: 1. They have almost mythical, overwhelming power; 

1. They are more loyal to an outside party than they are to their own country; 

2. They approach work or involvements, not merely as individuals, but rather in a 

cabal, in a conspiracy to achieve some sinister, Jewish-centric end. 

This matrix is insidious and provides the fuel for a lethal form of hatred, political antiSemitism. This belief system, when running rampant, created the justification for largescale murders of Jews on the grounds that Jews were so poisonous that society had a 

right to defend itself in any way against this poison. 

There is sometimes confusion around the term "Semitic," which historically has referred 

to a language group that includes Arabic, Amharic, and Hebrew. "Semite" was a term 

that described a person who spoke one of these languages. Notwithstanding the 

traditional meaning of the word "Semite," anti-Semitism in conventional English refers 

specifically to hatred of Jews. 

The word "anti-Semitism" is generally attributed to Wilhelm Marr, who used the German 

term "Antisemitismus" in a book entitled ''The Way to Victory of Germanicism over 

'Judaism,'" in 1879. Marr claimed that "scientific" research into the characteristics of the 

Jewish "race" justified hatred for Jews. The same year his book was published, Marr 

founded a political party, "The League of Antisemites," which campaigned for the 

expUlsion of Jews from Germany. Just over half a century later, Adolf Hitler and the 

Nazi Party took this racial hatred for Jews a deadly step further when they exterminated 

six million Jews in what they called "The Final Solution" 

There are two key points to understanding the origins of the word "anti-Semitism." The 

first is that "anti-Semitism" was popularized as a term not by Jews themselves, but by 

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individuals and political groups who openly proclaimed hatred of the Jewish people. The 

second is that "anti-Semitism" in modern English refers solely to hatred directed against 

Jews. Some who express prejudice or hatred toward the Jewish people claim that they 

cannot be anti-Semites because they too, as speakers of a Semitic language, are 

technically "Semites." This semantic argument that a speaker of a certain language 

cannot by definition hold prejudice against Jews detracts from the real issue and 

undercuts the potential for dialogue about ways to end hatred of all kinds. 

Today, it is all too common to find anti-Semitism under the guise of extreme criticism of 

Israel or of Zionism, the founding nationalist ideology of the Jewish state. In these 

cases, criticism of Israel crosses the line into anti-Semitism when such criticism invokes 

age-old anti-Jewish stereotypes, or when Israel is singularly demonized. 

Holocaust denial is a form of anti-Semitism that minimizes or denies the Nazi regime's 

systematic mass murder of six million Jews in Europe during World War II. Holocaust 

deniers suggest that Jews pulled off a scam of monumental proportions, compelling 

governments, media, and academia around the world to acknowledge a catastrophe 

that never really happened. 

The most vexing issue raised by anti-Semitism is its constant presence throughout 

history, across different societies and cultures, as well as its continued existence in our 

own time. It's important to note that the presence of a substantial Jewish community is 

not a necessary condition for anti-Semitism to emerge. An anti-Semitic campaign 

launched by Poland's communist regime in the late 1960s was described by one 

scholar as "anti-Semitism without Jews", because Poland's Jewish community, which 

numbered over 3 million before World War II, had already been decimated by the Nazi 

Holocaust and further depleted by the emigration of survivors. Today, the Arab and 

Islamic world is a major incubator of anti-Semitism towards Jews individually or as a 

collective, even though the Jewish population in these countries is nearly invisible. 

The existence of anti-Semitism in societies where there are few or no Jews, and its 

evolution throughout history, demonstrates how deeply embedded anti-Semitism has 

been across different cultures and also why persecution has been a constant fear in 

Jewish life for centuries. Anti-Semitism has been compared to a virus which adapts to 

different conditions. As with a virus, when it comes to anti-Semitism, it is possible to 

identify both consistent elements and elements which, while borrowing from previous 

eruptions, are updated to suit a particular environment. Many of these elements -

conspiracy theories, myths, mob violence and much else - recur throughout the history. 

Raul Hilberg, an eminent historian of the Holocaust, telescoped the history of antiSemitism like this: ''The missionaries of Christianity had said in effect: You have no right 

to live among us as Jews. The secular rulers who followed had proclaimed: You have 

no right to live among us. The German Nazis at last decreed: You have no right to live. 

The German Nazis, then, did not discard the past; they built upon it. They did not begin 

a development; they completed it." 

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APPENDIX II: EXAMPLES OF ANTI-SEMITIC INCIDENTS 2012-2013 

ARGENTINA 

October 19,2012 - Concordia, Entre Rios - A discriminatory and anti-Semitic message, which 

included Nazi references, was painted on the front of a public school. 

September 6, 2012 - Cordoba - The singer Miguel Vilanova said during a performance that "I 

am anti-Semitic, but not anti-Jewish" and "the Zionist plan to buy the Patagonia is more than 

150 years old" 

September 6, 2012 - Mendoza - During a basketball game, the father of the player Andres 

Berman was physically assaulted after he criticized anti-Semitic statements by fans of an 

opposing team. 

AUSTRALIA 

February 1, 2012 - Melbourne - "The best Jew is a dead Jew" and a picture of hanged stick 

figure were spray-painted in a public marketplace bathroom located in the Wantirna suburb of 

Melbourne. 

AUSTRIA 

August 30, 2012 - Vienna - A rabbi attending a local soccer was greeted by a fan with chants of 

"Heil Hitler" and a Nazi salute. 

BELGIUM 

November 18, 2012 - Antwerp - Demonstrators at an anti-Israel rally chanted "Hamas, Hamas, 

all Jews to the gas." 

October 9,2012 - Brussels - A synagogue was vandalized by two unidentified male 

perpetrators who spray-painted "death to the Jews" and "boom" on the wall of the Beth Hillel 

synagogue. 

BRAZIL 

November 20,2012- Sao Paulo - Swastika graffiti was found on a wall in a neighborhood 

where a number of Jewish institutions are located. 

CHILE 

August 31,2012- Santiago - The president of Chile's Palestine Federation, Mauricio Abu 

Ghosh, told the radio station Cooperativa that "the Nazis were small fry compared to today's 

Zionists, who make up the State of Israel." He also said, "The Nazis were children next to the 

actual Zionists as they are incarnated through the State of Israel." 

January 21,2012 - Vifia del Mar - A 23-year-old Jewish man was attacked at a party by three 

assailants who punched him, kicked him in the face, and screamed "F------ Jew" at him. 

CANADA 

April 12, 2012 - Val Morin - Several Jewish-owned summer homes were broken into and 

defaced with swastikas and anti-Semitic messages. 

CZECH REPUBLIC 

September 26, 2012 - Prague - Vandals knocked over 26 tombstones in a Jewish cemetery 

south of Prague. 

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FRANCE 

February 5, 2013 - Toulouse - A woman with a history of aggression toward Jews threatened a 

16 year-old boy wearing a kippah with a knife. The incident occurred close to the Jewish school, 

where three children and a rabbi were murdered by Mohammed Merah, an Islamic radical 

terrorist. 

Februrary 4,2013 - Marseille - A 20-year-old Jewish man wearing a Star of David pendant was 

mugged and robbed twice outside Marseille's main train station. Two men on a scooter tore the 

chain off his neck and called him a "dirty Jew." Moments later, another group of young men 

approached the victim and hurled anti-Semitic insults before stealing an MP3 player and 100 

Euros. They also reportedly hit the victim. 

January 3,2013 - Toulouse - Anti-Semitic slogans, including a swastika alongside the words 

"SS" and "get the r** out", were spray-painted on a local chapter of the Paris Psychoanalytical 

Society. The incident occurred less than a year after a terrorist killed a rabbi and three students 

at a Jewish school in the city. 

December 11, 2012 - Istres - A high school teacher, who had been regularly taunted with antiSemitic epithets by some of her students, was targeted with an acid bomb. A bottle containing 

hydrochloric acid was rolled into the room at 8:30am at the beginning of a class. A student 

shouted about a bomb and everyone was able to get out before the explosion. A catalyst of 

aluminum had been added, causing the bottle to explode and spray the acid. One student was 

hurt. The police arrested a 19 year-old and are investigating 

December 3,2012 - Sarcelles - Large swastikas were scrawled on a kosher pizzeria in 

suburban Paris. 

November 29, 2012 - Aix en Provence - A Jewish man heard shouts of "Dirty Jew! Dirty 

Jew! We'll give you a Shabbat shalom!" outside his ground floor apartment door at around 

1030pm. When he opened the door, three young men of North African descent hit him, kicked 

him, ripped the mezuzah off his door, spit on him, and urinated on him. 

November 17,2012 - Sarcelles - In this Paris suburb, a young Jewish man left a synagogue 

and was assaulted by three young men of North African descent, who yelled "Hey dirty Jew! F--

- Israel, we're going to kill you!" Two of the assailants punched and kicked him, while the third 

hit him in the arm with a baseball bat. 

October 28, 2012 - Aix-les-8ains - Anti-Semitic fliers referring to Jews as "the main people 

responsible for the decadence of the White People and the invasion of sub-races" were mailed 

to town residents. 

October 22,2012 - Paris - A 12 year-old Jewish boy was stand his school bus stop, when two 

men in their 40s, speaking Arabic, began to insult him and then hit him with their 

belts. Passersby intervened and the attackers fled. 

October 9,2012 - Avignon - The plaque at the entrance to the Jewish cemetery, with a Magen 

David and marked "Jewish Cemetery", was smashed. 

October 9,2012 - Paris - A 19 year old was shot in the arm with a pellet gun as he was leaving 

a synagogue, leaving him with a bruise. 

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October 5, 2012 - Seine SI. Denis - A family was eating dinner in their sukkah when a group of 

individuals began chanting and using their hands to make horns on their heads. A few minutes 

later cobblestones and chunks of asphalt rained down through the top of the sukkah. The family 

reported hearing: "Dirty Jews, we'll get you - Jews we'll have your skin - Get out of here - Go 

back home," as well as some words in Arabic. One woman was injured when a stone hit her 

back. 

September 19, 2012 - Sarcelles - A firebomb was thrown into a Kosher supermarket by two 

masked assailants, causing at least one injury. 

September 4, 2012 - Montreuil - "F--- the Jews. F--- the school." was spray-painted in huge 

letters at the entrance of the Paul-Eluard public high school in the Paris suburb of Montreuil. 

The high school is located near a Jewish trade school, ORT Daniel Mayer. 

August 7,2012 - Paris - A 17 year-old Jewish girl was severely beaten by an 18 year-old Arab 

girl at a mall in a Paris suburb. The attacker made anti-Semitic insults during the incident, 

including "Dirty Jew, I'm going to put you in the ground." Police at the mall arrested the 

assailant. 

July 20, 2012 - Paris - A synagogue was desecrated for the third time in 10 days, when 

vandals threw prayer books and shawls on the floor and shattered the building's windows. 

July 5,2012 - Toulouse - A 17-year-old student of the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school, where four 

Jews were murdered by Mohammed Merah on March 19, was assaulted on a train going from 

Toulouse to Lyon. The two young men responsible for the attack were arrested. 

June 8, 2012 - Sarcelles - An 18-year-old Jew was physically assaulted and had a phone 

stolen by assailants who were shouting anti-Semitic insults. 

June 2,2012- Lyon - Three Jewish youth wearing skullcaps were assaulted while walking to a 

Jewish school for Shabbat services. A group of more than 10 assailants surrounded the youths 

chanting "dirty Jew," and proceeded to attack them with hammers and bars, hitting two in the 

head and one in the arm. 

March 26, 2012 - Paris - A 12-year-old Jewish boy was beaten outside the Ozar Hatorah 

Jewish school in Paris by youths reciting anti-Semitic slogans. The boy was hit and punched in 

the back of his head as he left the school. 

March 19, 2012 - Toulouse - Four Jews were shot and killed at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish 

school by an armed terrorist on a motorcycle, later identified by authorities as Mohammed 

Merah. Rabbi Jonathan Sandler, 30, and his two children Aryeh, 6, and Gabriel, 3, were killed 

as they were entering the school premises. Merah then entered the school, continuing to shoot 

at students and faculty, and eventually set his sights on 8-year-old Miriam Monsonego, the 

daughter of the school's principal, whom he chased down and killed. Merah is also believed to 

be responsible for the killing of three French soldiers the previous week. In a phone call to a 

French television station, Merah stated that he targeted the Jewish school to avenge the killing 

of children in Gaza. Reports indicate that Merah traveled to and received training in Pakistan 

and Afghanistan and identified with the terrorist organization AI Qaeda. He may have also had 

links to Forsane Alizza, a radical organization that was banned by the French government in 

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January for supporting terrorism. On March 22, following a 32-hour standoff with French police, 

Merah was killed in his apartment complex. 

GERMANY 

November 9,2012 - Greifswald - On the anniversary of Kristallnacht, neo-Nazis vandalized the 

city's Holocaust memorial. 

September 3,2012 - Charlottenburg -13 Jewish children attending a Chabad School were 

subjected to anti-Semitic taunts including "Are you Jewish?" by a group of several unidentified 

youths. One of the perpetrators also spat on the ground in front of the students. 

August 29, 2012 - Berlin - A rabbi in visible Jewish garb was physically attacked by a group of 

youths, causing a head wound that required hospitalization. The rabbi was walking with his sixyear old daughter in downtown Berlin when the group asked if he was Jew, and then proceeded 

to assault him. They also threatened to kill the rabbi's young daughter. 

GREECE 

October 26,2012 - Rhodes - Vandals spray-painted the city's Holocaust monument with 

swastikas. 

HUNGARY 

November 26, 2012 - Budapest - In a parliamentary session to discuss the conflict in Gaza, 

ultranationalist Jobbik party member Marton Gyongyosi suggested that members of the 

Hungarian Parliament who are Jewish or of Jewish origin be counted and registered, "in order to 

avoid the national security risk caused by the Jews." 

November 19, 2012 - Nyiregyhaza - A Holocaust memorial was vandalized. 

October 25, 2012 - Budapest - Supporters of the ultranationalist Jobbik political party burned 

an Israeli flag in front of the city's main Synagogue. 

October 5,2012 - Budapest - A Jewish community official was physically attacked and 

insulted outside of a synagogue. Two men were identified by the suspect and detained by local 

police. 

August 15, 2012 - Budapest - A chant of "dirty Jews" ("mocskos zsid6k") was heard on the TV 

broadcast of a soccer match between the Hungarian and Israeli national teams. 

July 22, 2012 - Kaposvar - Vandals toppled 57 tombstones in the city's Jewish cemetery. 

June 20,2012- Bekescsaba - The entrance to a building currently used as the local 

synagogue was vandalized with yellow paint 

June 9, 2012 - Nagykanizsa - A large menorah outside the Jewish community's Holocaust 

memorial was vandalized. 

June 3, 2012 - Szekesfehervar - Several graves in the Jewish cemetery were vandalized. 

March 25, 2012 - Budapest - The main Holocaust memorial was vandalized with Stars of David 

and graffiti that said, "This is not your country, dirty Jews" and "You are going to be shot there" 

next to an arrow pointing to the nearby Danube river. In December 1944 and January 1945, the 

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Nazi-allied Hungarian Arrow Cross shot about 20,000 Jews on the banks of the Danube and 

threw them into the river. Just days prior to this incident, a statue of Raoul Wallenberg was 

vandalized with pigs feet. 

IRELAND 

April 25, 2012 - East Antrim Coast - A 14-year-old boy suffered repeated anti-Semitic attacks 

from his classmates after it was revealed, during a class on the Holocaust, that his great-greatgrandmother was Jewish. The boy was physically assaulted, verbally taunted for being a "Jew 

boy" and had swastikas etched in his school books. 

ITALY 

December 10, 2012 - Catania, Sicily - Unknown vandals detached a menorah that was set up in 

Piazza Universita. 

November 24, 2012 - Genoa - "Israel Nazi state" was painted on the door of the central 

synagogue. On a nearby wall, "Free Palestine" was written. 

November 18,2012 - Parma - Red paint was thrown at the front door of the synagogue 

MOROCCO 

August 29, 2012 - Safi - The city's Jewish cemetery was vandalized when some tombstones 

adorned with Hebrew writing were removed and others destroyed. 

NEW ZEALAND 

October 19,2012 - Auckland - Vandals spray-painted gravestones in the Jewish section of 

the Karangahape Road Cemetery with swastikas and the number 88 (a code used by neo-Nazis 

to mean "Heil Hitler" with H being the eighth letter of the alphabet). 

PARAGUAY 

January 14,2013 - Asunci6n - Graffiti with Nazi symbols were found in a neighborhood. 

PERU 

August 21, 2012 - Lima - Holocaust denier and neo-Nazi Martin Quispe Mayta, leader of the 

Andean Peru National Socialism movement, called for the expulsion of Peru's 5,000 Jews. He 

said that Jews are to blame for his childhood poverty because Jews control the world economy, 

and claimed he found inspiration in Henry Ford's tome "The International Jew" and in Hitler's 

"Mein Kampf." 

POLAND 

November 18, 2012 - Lodz - At least 20 tombstones were toppled over and broken in half in the 

city's historic Jewish cemetery. 

July 3, 2012 - Lodz - Swastikas and other Nazi symbols were painted on the entrance of a 

synagogue. 

June 21, 2012 - Starachowice - Swastikas and symbols of the extremist National Rebirth of 

Poland party were spray-painted on the entrance of the Jewish cemetery 

April 8, 2012 - Wysokie Mazowieckie - Swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans were spray-painted 

on tombstones and memorial plaques in the Jewish cemetery. 

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ROMANIA 

February 8, 2013 - Timisoara - Vandals spray-painted "death to Jews" and a swastika on the 

wall of the city's Jewish cemetery. 

RUSSIA 

February 18, 2013 - Ulyanovsk - Vandals damaged a menorah lamp near a building belonging 

to the local Jewish community. 

July 14, 2012 - Rybinsk - A yellow Star of David, a swastika, and "Death to Jewsl" were 

painted on the front door of the Jewish community center. 

July 6, 2012 - Irkutsk - A swastika was painted on the city's synagogue. 

July 5, 2012 - SI. Petersburg - Swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti were painted a building 

that houses the Jewish Agency for Israel office. The words "All of you - to Buchenwald" were 

found on the side of a neighboring building. 

SPAIN 

November 18,2012- Barcelona - Vandals spray-painted a red swastika and other graffiti on the 

wall of a synagogue. The graffiti read: "Stop killing Gazas children, Israel kills, Zionist genocide 

assassins. " 

July 22, 2012 - Barcelona - The Star of David and "Juden" were painted on the fayade of two 

banks. 

SWEDEN 

November 30, 2012 - Malmo - Two Jewish women had their home burgled and suffered 

sustained anti-Semitic abuse. A menorah, mezuza and prayer book were stolen from their 

apartment, and their front door and balcony were painted with swastikas. The women told police 

they regular encounter anti-Semitism in the city, being frequently called "Jewish whores" and 

"Jewish pigs" 

September 28, 2012 - Malmo - An explosive device was detonated at a Jewish communal 

building in the early morning hours. No one was injured, but damage was caused to the 

building. 

UKRAINE 

November 29, 2012 - Odessa - A large cross was erected on a major square with portraits of 

the Romanov czarist family. Attached was a placard saying that the royal family was "brutally 

tortured and ritually murdered by Jewish savages" After being alerted, municipal authorities 

removed the placard. 

UNITED KINGDOM 

July 4, 2012 - London - A Jewish male walking near a Stamford Hill Yeshiva was severely 

beaten by four assailants and taunted with anti-Semitic epithets. 

VENEZUELA 

November 28, 2012 - Merida - Anti-Semitic imagery, including swastikas, was found painted 

throughout the city. 

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160

Mr. SMITH. Thank you very much for the work of ADL and your 

leadership as well. Great testimony. Just a few questions and then 

I will yield to my distinguished colleagues. Let me begin. 

Rabbi Meyer, in your statement you talked about the second 

level of anti-Semitism that thrives in the shadow of the first and 

runs through the veins of European society, to use your quotes, to 

the university leaders, policy makers and decision makers. And you 

talk about how with this second level of anti-Semitism the horrors 

of the Holocaust have not dampened it, and it has not only survived but thrives in Europe today, and you say as Jews we have 

very good reason to worry. My hope is—and we do have large numbers of members of the media and some watching by way of video 

telecast—this needs to be a warning, and if you would like to elaborate on that as well. 

And Chief Rabbi Bleich, you mentioned Mark Levin. I traveled 

with Mark Levin, the executive director of NCSJ, in 1982 to Moscow and Leningrad. And I will never forget, not only did we meet 

with refuseniks and did our level best—and he was a tremendous 

leader and still is—to try to get the Soviets to allow Jews to leave, 

but I will never forget we went to Kazan Cathedral, which was a 

museum on atheism, and the Muslim faith, the Christian faith, and 

the Jewish faith were mocked. And a whole streaming group of 

Young Pioneers, little children, came walking through with their 

kerchiefs, and we heard some of the translation and it was all 

about how stupid religion was and how evil it actually was. And 

it was a wake-up call, and of course many churches and synagogues were turned into museums on atheism. 

Now our earlier testimony spoke to the issue of aggressive secularism which is making the understanding of the Jewish people 

harder by people who almost, as Solzhenitsyn said about militant 

atheism in the Communist model, a more aggressive secularism 

also discounts faith as trivial or worse. And then we have as was 

said earlier by one of our witnesses about this radical Islamists 

being a root cause. So you have all of these competing views. And 

I think the secularism and the Islamists creates a very volatile and 

potent synergy of hate. 

So your thoughts on that and any others who would like to speak 

to that issue of this second level of anti-Semitism. Rabbi Meyer? 

Rabbi MEYER. Yes, I have in the written testimony, I have indeed spoken about how I feel we have a good reason to worry. And 

I would say my analysis of it is that those reasons are based on 

three realities and possibly four. I mean the first one being that 

clearly we start to see a limitation of religious rights, and very 

bluntly it actually means today that there are countries in Europe 

where a certain number of rituals are not permitted. As long as 

Europe is not too united we can actually sort out the problem. Because what is not permitted here is permitted elsewhere and this 

is how it works. If I cannot get the kosher slaughtering wherever 

I live, I can get it just across the border that might not be too far 

away. 

But there is certainly a fear, I think, within the Jewish community that if it becomes strongly united in terms of laws then that 

even won’t be an option and therefore we might end up being actually left out with no possibility of practicing Judaism. So that is the 

161

first level of the worry. I think the second level of being worried 

is because of this legal aspect and what I call the cloak of respectability. When you take a feeling, an anti-Semitic feeling and you 

dress it up as a legal, intellectual debate, then you run the risk of 

detaching, entirely detaching the reality of the topic you are talking about from the reality of the people to a truly abstract level. 

And I think that in itself is very dangerous. 

Now the third level where I see a danger, and sadly I have to 

say for that I don’t think there is much we can do, is the fact that 

we are fewer and fewer in numbers as Jews in Europe. The decline 

of the Jewish community is extremely strong, and what it means 

is that for most European, talking about Jews is an intellectual exercise that doesn’t relate to a human reality because they don’t 

really know Jews. Jews are not really part of the popular culture. 

They might have been part of an anti-Semitic trend that has existed over the century, but we are not really part of the popular 

culture. 

I just give you one very simple example some years ago. For Hanukkah there was commercials—and I remember I was in France—

with something like: ‘‘Light your Hanukkah candles.’’ And they 

have made a survey asking people, what does that mean? What do 

you understand of that advert on the billboards? And people answered they thought that Hanukkah was the brand of the candles. 

Because there is no knowledge. That is what I mean, when there 

is not enough Jews to create a real knowledge of what Judaism is. 

And therefore, any sort of discussion on Judaism, on Jewish issues 

such as the one we had in Germany about circumcision becomes a 

purely intellectual one disconnected from a human reality. And I 

think when you start to disconnect a debate from a human face 

and from a confrontation with someone is front of you as a human 

being and it becomes a purely theoretical exercise, then that is 

where it opens door for all sorts of very slippery roads, and I think 

that is in that sense that I feel particularly worried. 

Mr. SMITH. Let me ask Mr. Fellegi. When Chief Rabbi Metzger 

dedicated Hungary’s oldest synagogue in Obuda—I could be mispronouncing that—in 2010, Prime Minister Netanyahu said, ‘‘the 

reopening of this synagogue is a true symbol of the Jewish renaissance in Hungary.’’ I wonder if you could, in light of Jobbik and 

its virulent anti-Semitic views, if you could speak briefly about the 

renaissance and the reaction of Prime Minister Orban to Jobbik 

and his view in terms of combating anti-Semitism. 

Mr. FELLEGI. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for your 

question. I think it is very relevant and important. I would put this 

question into the perspective of two things. One is the level of sensitivity in society toward racism, xenophobic views and within this 

anti-Semitism. This relates to the points that the Rabbi made just 

a minute ago that the important thing is to make sure that society 

understands the framework in which all these atrocities happen in 

our societies, and we have a clear understanding that there has to 

be a zero tolerance policy toward racism of any kind. 

The other thing that is important is to make clear that there are 

at least two interconnected levels of frameworks of understanding 

and making actions against anti-Semitism and racism. One is civil 

society, the NGO world and all those people who take up the issue, 

162

and make sure that through education and through civil actions 

and organizations, society can be educated into a more tolerant and 

more sensitive situation. And the other is what your question was 

basically about is, is the political reaction, what government is 

doing or not doing vis-a`-vis racism and within that anti-Semitism. 

In terms of our civic society duties and our situation, indeed, as 

I mentioned in my brief opening statement but I elaborated on this 

in my written statement, there has been a huge revival of Jewish 

life in Hungary which is very promising and it has been welcomed 

by all the political parties in Hungary. The important part of it is 

that the official Hungary’s track record is not impeccable, in certain cases we were slow in denying or denouncing actions that can 

be deemed as racist or anti-Semitism. But the overall track record 

of the country, I think, is positive and it is improving. While at the 

same time, what we cannot deny is there is an increase of anti-Semitic atrocities in the country, in verbal and physical as well, but 

rather more verbal. 

So what I would reply, very briefly, is that Prime Minister 

Orban, last summer, gave an interview to a German magazine 

called Focus, in which he announced the zero tolerance policy toward racism and anti-Semitism. And let me just highlight another 

point, because there is a long list of potentially quoted statements 

by Hungarian politicians denying and denouncing anti-Semitism 

and anti-Semitic acts, but let me just refer to the Prime Minister’s 

statement in Parliament he made after the incident with this 

Jobbik MP, Mr. Gyongyosi, who wanted to list Jewish representatives and government people as national security risk for Hungary. 

And he made it very clear that Hungary will not tolerate such acts 

and any form of anti-Semitism, and the government’s job is to fight 

this. Thank you. 

Mr. SMITH. Yes. 

Mr. SRULEVITCH. I just had a few comments on Hungary. Mr. 

Fellegi is right that the government has been making progress on 

this issue, that they have made statements condemning anti-Semitic actions. However, one concern is that they haven’t yet made 

clear that Jobbik is not simply a political competitor but that 

Jobbik is a threat to Hungarian democracy. When your colleague 

Joseph Crowley, Representative Crowley, wrote a letter to Prime 

Minister Orban last spring with concerns about statements of antiSemitism and homophobia in Hungary, the response that he received from the Prime Minister was a request for help in shutting 

down an American based Hungarian language Web site. Mr. 

Fellegi mentioned kuruc.info as being one of the prime instigators 

of anti-Semitism in Hungary. 

And while that may be true, it is also true that one can find on 

Jobbik’s Web site the ‘‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion.’’ One can find 

on Jobbik’s Web site examples of Holocaust denial, something for 

which a specific individual had been convicted in Hungary. But I 

don’t speak Hungarian, and these are things that I am able to find 

on the Hungarian Web site. So there is, as Mr. Fellegi said, there 

is more that can be done. But we do need to also recognize the 

steps that have been taken. After there were three instances of 

hate speech in the Parliament, the Parliament did change the law 

to allow the speaker to punish the person who was inciting. 

163

When after Mr. Gyongyosi’s statement there was a civic demonstration against hate speech, the government did decide to send 

a representative. That was a very important step, something that 

we hadn’t seen before. So again these are important steps, but the 

step of really identifying and targeting Jobbik as a threat to Hungarian democracy is the one we would like to see. 

Mr. SMITH. Very briefly. 

Mr. FELLEGI. Yes. If I may I would like to add to Andrew’s point, 

fully agreeing with his assessment of the situation in terms of 

Hungary. It needs to make more to make sure that the situation 

is not developing into the wrong direction. Let me just add to this 

point. I found the exact statement by Prime Minister Orban referring to Mr. Gyongyosi’s statement in Parliament requesting this 

Jewish registration issue. ‘‘As long as I am in this post no one in 

Hungary can be harmed because of their faith, convictions or origin. I would like to make it clear that we Hungarians will protect 

our Jewish compatriots.’’ Then adding that ‘‘Hungary has suffered 

dictatorship, and nothing or no one will derail Hungary from the 

democratic conviction.’’

So this is very clearly a statement which shows that the mainstream Hungarian political forces from the left to the right fully 

understand that xenophobia, racism in general, and when it appears in politics especially, is against democracy as such. It is 

about the total democractic values of, and history of these countries. So the real issue here is to fight for democracy and at the 

same time, through democractic means, beating racism. Thank you. 

Mr. SMITH. I will come back to a couple of other questions, but 

I yield to Mr. Marino. 

Mr. MARINO. Thank you, Chairman. Gentlemen, thank you for 

being here today, and it is truly an honor for me to be having this 

dialogue with you. I am not going to direct my question or questions to any particular individual, however, please feel free to 

chime in at any time. I do want to preface with a brief statement, 

and I usually do not do this. As a prosecutor I get right to the 

heart of things. 

But my father was a man of few means, salt of the earth. He was 

a firefighter and a janitor to raise his family. He passed away 

shortly before I was sworn into Congress, but he always said to me, 

Son, it is very difficult to reason with stupid people. And I have 

twisted that a little bit, added another phrase to it, and I have 

said, it is very dangerous because you cannot reason with stupid, 

arrogant people, which is a deadly combination. And my son who 

is 13, we watch the news together and I try to refrain from voicing 

my opinion—I don’t always have complete control over myself when 

I hear some things—because I want to hear from him. And Victor 

has said to me on a couple of occasions, not facetiously—he is a 

very bright kid. He studies physics a great deal and space in general. And he says, you know something, Dad, there is a reason that 

extraterrestrials do not visit us here on Earth, because there is no 

intelligent life. And he was very serious when he said that. 

The President has an opportunity, the quintessential opportunity 

when he goes to Israel very shortly to let the rest of the world 

know and the good people of the world that we are going to stand 

by them and fight the bad people in the world. I think this is just 

164

an opportunity that he should take advantage of and speak very 

clearly and very directly about. 

But now my question is, what specifically can we do here in 

Washington, what can Congress do to, if not eliminate the problems that we are having that you have each so eloquently spoke 

about but at least mitigate it? And how do you get the point across 

to people who just do not want to listen to it? How do you deal with 

that? So anyone? Go ahead, sir. 

Mr. SILBERSTEIN. First of all, you should know that the world 

really listens to the United States. So when you in your contacts 

with other countries keep repeating how unacceptable it is in countries when they tolerate in any way both anti-Semitism and other 

form of racism, constantly, I am sure this will have an effect. 

And let me add one thing which maybe only has a Swedish perspective. We have huge problems in Sweden with the fact that on 

Internet the hate that is spread there is beyond belief. And we 

have tried to do something about this. And I don’t know the legal 

details about this, but the Swedish authorities say we cannot do 

anything because the servers are placed in the United States. And 

I guess it is hard for you to do anything either, but if anyone could 

look at this and see if there is anything that could be done. Because what is being published on the Internet, not the least about 

Jews, you would be terrified if you could read that. So please, if 

you can, do something. 

Mr. MARINO. Now please bear in mind that our First Amendment 

to the Constitution here in the United States is very clear on freedom of speech. It does not mean that one has unfettered access to 

freedom of speech such as shouting ‘‘fire’’ in a movie theater, which 

is one of the cases, but do you think that the courts, the Supreme 

Court should get involved in situations like this? Because evidently, if issues like this are raised in the House there are going 

to be appeals and lawsuits right straight to the Supreme Court on 

controlling the Internet and what people can say on it. 

Mr. SILBERSTEIN. I understand that this is technical. I know 

nothing about this. For me, being the president of the Swedish 

Committee Against anti-Semitism, when I see what is being written about me, about my son, about my family, and about so many 

other Jews, and they also incite, they want people to do things. I 

don’t know enough about your laws here in the United States, but 

if there is any way you could do anything that would be so much 

appreciated. 

Mr. MARINO. Chairman, may I have some more time? Thank you. 

Anyone else? 

Rabbi BAKER. I would like, if I could, to join this discussion. We 

have often focused on the number of the problems that we see with 

anti-Semites throughout these places. I think it is important to recognize what may be equally important is the number of anti-antiSemites, people that really respond, act, and speak out. And that 

is not so common. And there are still places where I think political 

leaders calculate that doing something on behalf of these concerns, 

these complaints, may be politically costly to them. Unfortunately 

that is true in too many places. 

Clearly there is a hate on the Internet that we see as everpresent. It simply replaced the kind of anti-Semitism that decades 

165

ago would be in broadsides or written in graffiti or so on. There are 

ways that go well beyond violating the principles of the First 

Amendment to encourage those who moderate what goes on the 

Internet to control, to limit, but also I think it reflects the importance of getting voices to speak out. 

I know that even as I say this we need to focus as well on specific steps that governments can take. And one cannot underestimate the importance of your voices here in Washington, of Congress taking these issues up with different governments, with your 

counterparts. It goes on, for example, in the OCSE parliamentary 

assembly. But I really mean in specific ways. There are proposals 

from Jewish community organizations in Hungary, for example, on 

the reform of the national educational curriculum which is ongoing. 

Prime Minister Orban who has been outspoken, generally, somehow still as it filters down hasn’t found a way to incorporate this. 

This would be critical. 

We have heard about Sweden. They do an incredible job of monitoring incidents of hate crime, but the very institution that does 

this job is hampered because the government will not ask it to look 

more carefully as to who the perpetrators of these crimes are. 

Again, I think because it will point out as we heard, particularly 

in southern Sweden, that much of this comes out of an Arab or 

Muslim community, and that would require specific actions to be 

taken. 

The issue of kosher slaughter has been raised. The reality is that 

in various countries even it if it is possible to appeal to religious 

freedom traditions, Jewish communities say, ‘‘We won’t do it. It will 

create a climate of anti-Semitism.’’ In the Netherlands, the Jewish 

community said we can’t oppose this on the principle of religious 

freedom because we fear that more Dutch citizens are more disposed to principles of animal rights than religious freedom. So 

when you confront this, I think hearing from American voices, 

about how this plays out here, if you will, it would be a very helpful step. 

And then finally, we have identified the basic concern of Jewish 

community security. I am pleased at the OSCE that literally today 

the chair-in-office and the director of ODIHR have written to the 

German Minister of Interior, who has offered to play a facilitating 

role to organize a European-wide conference under the OSCE auspices to focus on security. The very basic element comes even to 

just financial support for the need, for involving police and law enforcement. There is much that we have done in this country that 

can be replicated. We shall try to press these good examples so 

other countries can come forward, this will be an opportunity. And 

again it is a place where the U.S. sits around the table, where 

Members of Congress sit together with members of Parliaments of 

other OSCE countries. So those specific steps hopefully can be advocated and I trust implemented. 

Mr. MARINO. Let me just add that I am now becoming a member 

involved in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and I have been to 

my first meeting, and we sat down of course with 27 other NATO 

members. And I will certainly take this up when appropriate with 

the 27 other nations and have a frank discussion about this. 

166

Chairman, does anyone else want to say anything? May the 

Rabbi speak? 

Rabbi BLEICH. Yes, a few things about the questions that were 

asked. First of all, it will sound funny, but I think that there 

should be a way that the Congress should find some tool, since 

most of what is going on, what is based on these servers here in 

the United States and is being used for anti-Semitism overseas, it 

may be allowed in the United States, but overseas in many countries incitement and racial hatred is illegal. It is not included in 

freedom of speech. And there should be, I am sure, a way, a creative way to find to limit these servers that are maybe based in the 

United States, but are literally or virtually if you have a breaking 

of law in other countries throughout the world by inciting antiSemitism and hatred. 

I want to mention just something that the chairman mentioned 

before about the religion and the question of atheism. In Ukraine, 

which I don’t believe is strongly unique but is quite, quite strong, 

the religious community has actually come together in a very, very 

strong and organized way. There is a Council of Churches and religious organizations that is basically representative of 95 percent of 

the faithful, different religions in Ukraine. And if you have 80 percent of the population consider themselves religious, it is probably 

one of the more powerful NGOs today in Ukraine. 

And I am one of the founders and also co-chair, and we have 

come together many, many times to counter not only anti-Semitism 

but anti-Islamism, Islamophobia and other racial and other 

xenophobic acts or rhetoric that has come up in Ukraine. So it is 

quite interesting that today the religious community, I think, is one 

of the more outspoken, and I think that is something concrete that 

can be and should be mentioned by the United States Congress 

when they are negotiating with Ukraine. And there is so much to 

negotiate with them about, to just put in some honorable positive 

mention about the good things that are happening, and I am sure 

they will accept the criticism a lot better that way. 

Mr. MARINO. Well, thank you. And Rabbi, just to conclude, I sit 

on the Judiciary Committee and I am vice chair of the Internet 

Subcommittee, so perhaps we can address that as well. Thank you. 

And Chairman, thank you so much for giving me the extra time. 

Mr. SMITH. Oh, thank you very much. We do have to end the 

hearing in a moment or two. There is another hearing coming into 

this actual hearing room. But I just want to just bring up a couple 

of final things. Michael Horowitz was very helpful and instrumental in promoting the importance of this hearing and I want to 

thank him publicly. But also, he had an idea that I hope all of us 

take back too, and that is that there is a compelling need for highly 

visible visits, and in some cases it will be revisits, by heads of state 

and very high ranking members of government to synagogues in 

their respective countries, particularly in the capital cities throughout Europe, to speak out against anti-Semitism. 

And one of our action items that we will undertake here as part 

of this committee will be to write and to make that appeal. If you 

have been there, great. Go back. The time has come to go back and 

to really speak out. And Rabbi Baker pointed out the huge increase 

of anti-Semitic acts in France, and they need to thanked, frankly, 

167

for at least chronicling and being willing to come forward with the 

information, but it is a very disturbing piece of information at that. 

So those kinds of high visibility contacts, I think, would have an 

impact. 

And I do have a lot of questions but we have run out of time. 

But if there is anything any of you would like to say in conclusion 

as we conclude this hearing, I want to thank you. Without objection, there is a letter from the Simon Wiesenthal Center from Mark 

Weitzman that will be included in the record without objection. 

Reverend Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of Interfaith Alliance, 

has sent a letter of support of this effort signed by 50 eminent individuals, many of them representing leading religious and human 

rights organizations. That also will be made a part of the record. 

Would anyone like to just make a concluding remark? We will 

leave it at that. Thank you so much and we will continue on. This 

will be the first in this Congress of what will be a series of hearings on combating anti-Semitism. It is not the last. Thank you. 

[Whereupon, at 12 o’clock p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.] 

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A P P E N D I X 

MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING RECORD

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SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING NOTICE 

COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

U.S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515-6128 

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations 

Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Chairman 

February 25, 2013 

TO: MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

You are respectfully requested to attend an OPEN hearing of the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs, to be held by the Subcommittee on Atiica, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and 

International Organizations in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building (and available live on 

the Committee website at www.foreignaffairs.house.gov): 

DATE: 

TiME: 

SUBJECT: 

WITNESSES: 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 

9:00 a.m. 

Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths 

Panel T 

Zuhdi J asser, M.D. 

President 

American Islamic Forum for Democracy 

Katrina Lantos Swett, PhD. 

Chair 

U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom 

Ms. Elisa Massimino 

President and Chief Executive Officer 

Human Rights First 

Mr. John Garvey 

President 

The Catholic University of America 

Mr. Eric Metaxas 

Author and Commentator 

Panelll 

Rabbi Andrew Baker 

Personal Representative on Combating Anti-Semitism 

Office of the Chairperson-in-Office 

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 
171

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Tamas Fellegi, PhD. 

Managing Partner 

EuroAtlantic Solutions 

(Former Minister of Nationa! f)eve!opment 

GovernmenlofHungary) 

Rabbi David Meyer 

Professor of Rabbinic Literature and Contemporary Jewish Thought 

Pontifical Gregorian University 

Me Willy Silberstein 

Chairman 

Swedish Committee Against Anti-Semitism 

Rabbi Yaakov Bleich 

Chief Rabbi of Kiev and Ukraine 

Me Andrew Srulevitch 

Director of European Affairs 

Anti-Defamation League 

By Direction of the Chairman 
172

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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS 

MINUTES OF SUBCOMMITTEE ON Afi"i('(lJ Globfll IIerdt/l, GfohallflmulII Rigltts, (iliff il1tenmtrmwf Or[;allizatfolls HEARING 

Stal'ting Time 9·00 (f m Ending Time 12:00 p.m. 

Recesses ! ... OJ ( __ 10 __ ) ( __ Io~ ( __ 10 __ ) ( __ to~ L-Io __ ) L-Io __ ) 

Presiding 1\fomhor(s) 

Rep. Chri~ Smith 

Check ,,/I oj Ihe jollowing Ih"l app(J'.' 

Open Session [{] 

Executive (olosed) Session D Televisetl [(] 

TITLE OF HEARING, 

Anti-Semitism: A Ol'owing T"rea/to All Faiths 

SUl!COMMI'ITI<:K MKMllli',Il,S PIl.KSKNT: 

Klech'OIlie.lly ll.ecol'CIe<lilaped) [Z] 

Stenographir Record [Z] 

lIep. Tom Marino, Rep, Mark MeadolVs, Rep. Rflluly Weber, Rep, Ami Bera, Rep. David Cicillille, lieI', 

Karell Bass 

NON-SUBCOMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: (Mark wilh an * if Ihey arc lIof membe!'s oj filii commiffce) 

Rep. Alall Lowellthal 

HEARING WITNESSES: Same as meeting 1I0tice attached? Yes [] No D 

ar "no ", please li~'1 below and include litle, uxency, departmenl, OJ' urganjzution.) 

STATEMENTS FOR 'l'H," R,"CORIJ: (Ust allY statements suh"'ittedjor the record) 

p,.ep"redMatemelltjl'om Nep. Cltris Smith 

Preparedstatemellljl'om Mark Weitzman 

Prepared statement jl'om C. Welton G{(ddJ' 

TIME SCHEDULED TO RECONVENE ---- !lJ 

~;MI'; AI>,JOUI{NIW 12:00 p.ll~ "",' f'1,1If&-'I"-''''?ILf:~71'71'';0",·....,~,":,,::'''-'I'/ 1'-.-_' ___ _ 

~COlllll~ee Staff Dil'ectol' 
173

MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD BY THE HONORABLE CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, 

A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, AND CHAIRMAN, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HEALTH, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS, AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS


79580o-1.eps
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I am Mark Weitzman, and I am the Director of Government Atlairs and the Director of the Task 

Force against Hate and Terrorism for the Simon Wiesenthal Center. I am also the Chief 

Representative of the Center to the United Nations in New York, and was the Founding Director 

of the SWC's New York Tolerance Center. I am a member of the official US delegation to the 

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Task Force for International Cooperation on 

Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research where I chair the Standing Committee on 

Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial. I also serve as a Member of the Board and former VicePresident of the Association of Holocaust Organizations and am also a member of the advisory 

panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the chair of the Holocaust Education, Remembrance and 

Research Working Group of the European Shoah Legacy Institute. Previously I served on the 

advisory board of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy at Yale 

University, and I currently participate in the Program on Religion and Foreign Policy of the 

Council on Foreign Affairs and was also a longtime member of the official Jewish-Catholic 

Dialogue Group of New York. 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is a global Jewish human rights organization that confronts antiSemitism, hate and terrorism, promotes human rights and dignity, stands with Israel, defends the 

safety of Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust for future generations. With a 

constituency of over 400,000 households in the United States, it is accredited as an NGO at 

international organizations including the United Nations, UNESCO, OSCE, Organization of 

American States (OAS), the Latin American Parliament (PARLATINO) and the Council of 

Europe. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Simon Wiesenthal Center maintains offices in New 

York, Toronto, Miami, Chicago, Paris, Buenos Aires, and Jerusalem. 

Mr. Chairman, thank you for including this statement into the Committee's hearing record for 

the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and 

International Organizations Hearing on "Anti-Semitism; A Growing Threat to All Faiths." 

In 2004 Natan Sharansky, the famous Israeli human rights activist, testified before the United 

States in Congress about a rise of European antisemitism and tamously described a "New 

Antisemitism", one which focuses on delegitimizing the existence of the State ofIsrael 

Sharansky was of course, right on target with his description, but the rise of a "new 

antisemitism" doesn't mean that the older, more traditional forms of antisemitism have withered 

away. Today we are seeing in Europe a resurgence of some of the more traditional types of 

antisemitism, an antisemitism that has resulted in what some have described as an "'exodus" of 

Jews from countries such as Hungary and France. 

This antisemitism cannot be simply dismissed as political disagreement or criticism ofIsrael. 

Now, basic markers of Jewish identity are under attack, and many of these anti-Jewish initiatives 

are happening in the liberal societies of Western Europe. Traditional Jewish observances such as 

b'rit milah (circumcision of new born male children) and kashrut (ritual slaughter) that have 
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identified Jewish life for thousands of years are under attack. In Gennany, a controversy arose 

when a court ruled circumcision illegal, a ruling that set off a public discussion that soon allowed 

Gennans "to vent (their) outright hostility" towards Jews, as one observer put it. Last summer 

some Austrian and Swiss hospitals followed the German ruling in halting circumcision. In 

Norway the Children's Ombudsman, as well as the Center Party have called for a ban on the 

practice, with the Center Party's spokesperson declaring "circumcision on religious grounds 

should be a criminal offense." These actions followed on the heels ofa February declaration by 

the Swedish Pediatric Society calling for the banning of circumcision in Sweden and a proposal 

by a Finnish Parliamentarian (from Finland's ruling Finn Party) to ban circumcision there as 

well. In reaction to the Gennan court ruling, the Bundestag passed a law protecting the right to 

perfonn ritual circumcisions, and the Swiss also resumed allowing the practice. In Norway, a 

Simon Wiesenthal Center delegation was assured by government officials that no ban would be 

enacted. However, the calls for a ban still persist. 

Moreover, circumcision is not the only aspect of Jewish observance under attack In the 

Netherlands, a bill banning schechita, the practice of ritual slaughter that makes meat kosher, 

was originally passed by the lower house of the Dutch Parliament last year. Ultimately an 

agreement was reached this spring, and ratified by the Dutch Senate, which allowed for practice 

to continue, yet some politicians are still demanding that the practice be proscribed. Meanwhile, 

in England, former Food and Farming Minister James Paice has publicly described schechita as 

"wholly unacceptable" and has called for including schechita in a public review of animal 

welfare laws. 

In France, during last spring's presidential election campaign, Francois Fillon, then-prime 

minister of Nicholas Sarkozy's center-right government, urged Jews and Muslims to give up 

their traditional methods of slaughter. Further east, Poland's attorney general joined the chorus, 

stating in late June that schechita was unconstitutional (this despite the 2011 pronouncement by 

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski that the proposed Dutch bill had led to "a crisis of 

tolerance" in Europe). These calls are in addition to the bans on schechita that already exist in 

Europe, some dating from the 1930s, such as in Norway, Sweden, Luxembourg and Switzerland. 

But it is not just Jewish observances that have been attacked. In France, for the second time in 

the last seven years, Jews have been murdered just for being Jews. The murder in Toulouse last 

year, following the murder ofIlan Halimi in 2006, have left many Jews feeling threatened and 

worried about their physical safety in the heart of Western Europe. Last summer, senior statl' 

members of the Simon Wiesenthal Center visited Toulouse and five neighboring communities 

and met with survivors and family of hate crimes victims. The delegation also met with France's 

Interior Minister, and commended the government of President Hollande for the steps they are 

taking to try and better protect France's Jewish community. In the Swedish city of Malmo, 

attacks on Jews have led to a member of the Jewish community there to say that for Jews 

"Malmo is a place to move away from." Our Center The Simon Wiesenthal Center has met with 
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Malmo's Mayor, Sweden's Justice Minister and Jewish, Muslim and Roma community leaders 

to try aid the situation there. 

Hungarian Jews are also leaving in large numbers The rise of the antisemitic Jobbik party, with 

it's call to register all the Jews of Hungary, the physical attacks on prominent Jews, the honoring 

of Nazi collaborators (some have now even been included in the national curriculum) and 

outright Holocaust denial and overt antisemitism by politicians have created a poisonous public 

atmosphere. If the resurgence of traditional antisemitism is a significant aspect of European 

antisemitism, then the acceptance of hardcore antisemitism into legitimate public discourse is a 

second significant factor. Antisemitism has now been politically legitimated by parties such as 

Jobbik in Hungary, and the ruling Fidesz party that has thus far enabled them. Only recently, 

over the past few months, has the government begun to slowly distance themselves from the 

radical antisemitism apparent in Hungary. 

In Greece, the Golden Dawn Party, which entered Parliament for the first time last year, 

represents this trend, with members who have publicly denied the Holocaust and who have 

quoted the infamous Protocols of the Elders of Zion in Parliament. In Turkey, government 

leaders have employed extremely harsh language about Israel; despite statements by the Prime 

Minister that "anti-semitism is a crime against humanity" this hostility has been translated into 

popular manifestations of antisemitism and popularity for antisemitic books, videos and other 

media. 

These factors, taken together with the still virulent anti-Israel sentiment that exists in Europe, 

have conspired to create an environment where Jews and Jewish life are physically and ritually 

threatened. Throughout Europe many Jews see no future, and as a result many are leaving or 

contemplating leaving 

If this trend is to be reversed, a series ofvigorous steps must be undertaken These include 

guaranteeing the physical safety of Jews and Jewish institutions. Threats to Jewish security must 

be taken seriously, and radical antisemitism must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest 

extent. Secondly, guarantees of religious freedom, and the ability to follow traditional 

observances must be enforced, and commitments to this principle as embodied in international 

covenants such as the Uni versal Declaration of Human Rights or the OSCE commitments 

embodied in the Helsinki Final Act and following instruments or their own national constitutions 

or laws must be upheld. 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is committed to working to ensure that Europe's Jews can lead 

lives free of physical fear and religious threats. Our Digital Hate and Terrorism project, one of 

the largest NGO efforts on extremism online, is soon to release our 15th annual report that maps 

online threats to Jews and others. Our Museum of Tolerance based in Los Angeles and New 

York, hosts and works with many European governments and NGO' s to ensure freedom and 

tolerance. The Center, as an active NGO in the UN, OSCE and Council of Europe, is a full and 
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active participant in political etJorts to fight antisemitism and other forms of intolerance. As an 

active member of the ODlHR Advisory Panel of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief, 1 

have personally been involved participated in these efforts, such as the 2011 OSCE High-Level 

Meeting on Preventing and Responding to Hate Incidents and Crimes Against Christians and the 

OSCE High Level Meeting on Confronting Anti-Semitism in Public Discourse held in Prague in 

the same year. The OSCE has become one of the most important addresses for these issues and 

its role is vital in combating antisemitism and other forms of intolerance. 

Another vital tool in this tight is the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, or IHRA 

(formerly the International Task Force for Holocaust Education, Research and Remembrance, or 

ITF). As a member of the official US delegation to the IHRA since it began in 2000, I have seen 

the organization finally move to include antisemitism in its active agenda. And, as Chair of the 

IHRA's relatively new Standing Committee on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, I have been 

able to sharpen the focus on the topic by including, for example, reports about member countries 

that are discussed at the biannual IHR meetings and have been observed by senior diplomats 

from the countries involved, thus sending a strong message of engagement on the issue. These 

etJorts began under the Norwegian Chair of 2009, and the incoming Canadian Chair has assured 

me that they will be an active propriety of their Chair. Although the IHRA is underpublicized, 

the work that they can do in dealing with this issue on both a political and grassroots level is 

extremely important, and should be supported. 

In that vein, the work that is done by the Office of Holocaust Issues at the State Department must 

be acknowledged. Douglas Davidson, its Director, and Elizabeth Nakian, the Deputy Director, 

have shouldered a tremendous load and been stalwart in demonstrating the commitment of the 

US. government to this issue. Their implementation of US policy has helped mal<e he United 

States the recognized international leader in combating antisemitism. They have been in the 

forefront of these efforts on a daily basis, and have done it with increasingly diminished 

resources. Their work is indispensable, and I hope that together with the Office of the Special 

Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, they can be supported to the greatest extent 

possible. 

Antisemitism in Europe today is taking forms that haven't been seen for almost a century. It 

appears to have morphed into an acceptable form of public discourse, tirst as attacks on Israel's 

right to exist, then as attacks on Jewish rites and rituals, and tinally, in some places, nal<ed 

threats and even violence against Jews that poses an existential threat to Europe's small Jewish 

population. Ifleft unchallenged, Europe may actually become "Judenrein", free of Jews, or at 

least of a visible Jewish presence. These attacks often target not only Jews, but Muslims, Roma, 

LBGT and other "aliens", thus suggesting that other victims are on the horizon as well. Almost 

70 years after the end of the Holocaust and the liberation of the death camps, it appears that the 

battle for Europe's soul is still up in the air 
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Written Testimony of Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President ofInterfaith Alliance 

Submitted to 

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs 

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International 

Organizations 

for the Hearing Record on "Anti-Semitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths" 

February 27, 2013 

As a Baptist minister, a patriotic American and the President ofInterfaith Alliance, I submit this 

testimony to The House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, 

Global Human Rights, and International Organizations for the Hearing Record on '"AntiSemitism: A Growing Threat to All Faiths." A national, non-partisan organization, Interfaith 

Alliance celebrates religious freedom and is dedicated to protecting faith and freedom with 

members nationwide who belong to 75 faith traditions as well as those without a faith tradition. 

Interfaith Alliance focuses not only on religious freedom but also on uniting diverse voices to 

challenge extremism, toward an end to bigotry and ignorance. One ofInterfaith Alliance's top 

priorities is combating religion-based discrimination, whatever fonn it takes, and hatred against 

religious groups. In the last few years domestically, much of our focus has been on combating 

anti-Muslim bigotry, as well as bigotry against Sikhs and Hindus. Unfortunately, hate crimes, 

violent attacks on mosques and temples and Muslim, Sikh and Hindu individuals have too often 

shown the need for this work, for dialogue, for better education about our neighbors of different 

faiths This is not to say that anti-Semitism has ceased to exist in our nation-sadly it has notbut ifI have learned one thing, it is the cyclical nature of bigotry against minority faith groups; at 

one time it was Catholics, at too many times it has been Jews and now it is Muslims, Sikhs and 

Hindus. Each wave of antagonism against one faith or another leaves indelible blemishes on our 

country. 

Though the scope of this hearing is anti-Semitism abroad and the scope of our work is on 

domestic issues, we know that bigotry does not stop at national borders. Throughout history, we 

have too often seen the impact of hatred abroad here at home, and vice versa. I applaud the 

sentiment of the title of this hearing and would add that bigotry against one group-be it a group 

that is religious, racial, ethnic or otherwise-should be seen as a threat to any group of 

individuals who can far too easily fall victim to stereotyping and generalizations of a virulent 

nature 

Yet, the issues we face here in the United States are not unique to our nation Bigotry against 

religious communities can take many shapes depending on the country, the city even, in which 

we focus our discussion. Nazi and Holocaust rhetoric and the occasional overlap of anti-Israel 

sentiments with broader anti-Semitism are just a few of the signs that, sadly, anti-Semitism is not 

yet a thing of a past and indeed continues to morph into new (and sometimes subtler) forms. 

Similarly, solutions tal<e different forms in different parts of the world based on the facts on the 

ground. 

Though the primary focus of my work-both at Interfaith Alliance and beyond-is here in the 

United States, it is not my onTy focus. In the 15 years I have led Interfaith Alliance, I have 
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participated in many international conferences that have informed my work at home--much of it 

related to anti-Semitism. Participating in two international dialogues hosted by the King of 

Spain and the King of Saudi Arabia, I witnessed a gaping absence of Jewish participation and a 

quiet unwillingness to talk about the need for a Jewish presence 

Personally, I have had great opportunities to exchange best practices, share the American 

experience of interfaith cooperation abroad, and learn from the on-the-ground experiences of 

colleagues worldwide. Most recently, a trip to Israel with several other civil rights leaders to 

learn about the contlict between Jews and Arabs taking place in the Middle East was eyeopening and inspiring. Though no simplistic answers suffice when combatting anti-Semitism, I 

must observe that anti-Semitism could be reduced considerably by the public paying attention to 

more accurate information about what is occurring in the Middle East. Interactions with Sikhs, 

Muslims, Hindus and leaders in other traditions have taught me that the problem with antiSemitism is not inherent in any religion. The problem results from propaganda, poor media 

coverage, and uninformed political leaders who stir up prejudice. 

Across the past 15 years I have not met anybody that wanted to foster anti-Semitism. During the 

same time I have encountered scores of people who revealed an anti-Jewish bias as a result of 

misinformation or incomplete information about the truth on the ground in the Middle East and 

the political and financial support for both Jews and Muslims abroad. With the help of Jewish, 

Christian and Muslim leaders along with supporters from other religious traditions, Interfaith 

Alliance has sought to serve as an agency of mutual understanding and mutual cooperation. 

Make no mistake about it though, that work among us, even as among any person or institution 

doing that work, requires patience and a will to listen to criticism in order to get to a better place. 

Whatever the result of this hearing, be assured that I personally and Interfaith Alliance 

institutionally are willing to do all we can to eliminate the presence of anti-Semitism in the 

United States. We are delighted you share that goal