IV
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. RES. 469
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the recent esca-
lation within many participating states of the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe of anti-Semitic violence, as well as manifesta-
tions of xenophobia and discrimination directed against ethnic and reli-
gious minorities, is of grave concern and requires the highest attention
of all OSCE governments.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 27, 2002
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. WOLF, Mr.
HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. PITTS, Ms. SLAUGHTER, and Mr. WAMP) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
International Relations
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that
the recent escalation within many participating states
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Eu-
rope of anti-Semitic violence, as well as manifestations
of xenophobia and discrimination directed against ethnic
and religious minorities, is of grave concern and requires
the highest attention of all OSCE governments.
Whereas the participating states of the Organization for Se-
curity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) unanimously
agreed in the 1990 Copenhagen Concluding Document to
‘‘unequivocally condemn . . . totalitarianism, racial and
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ethnic hatred, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and discrimina-
tion against anyone as well as persecution on religious
and ideological grounds’’;
Whereas the Copenhagen Concluding Document further com-
mitted states to take effective measures to protect indi-
viduals from ‘‘any acts that constitute incitement to vio-
lence against persons or groups based on national, racial,
ethnic or religious discrimination, hostility or hatred’’,
and highlighted anti-Semitism;
Whereas the 1999 OSCE Charter for European Security
committed participating states to ‘‘counter such threats
to security as violations of human rights and funda-
mental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, con-
science, religion or belief and manifestations of intoler-
ance, aggressive nationalism, racism, chauvinism, xeno-
phobia and anti-Semitism’’;
Whereas the OSCE participating states, at the 1999 Istanbul
Summit, deplored violence and other manifestations of
racism and discrimination against minorities, including
the Roma and Sinti;
Whereas on March 27, 2000, the Secretary-General of the
Council of Europe convened the ‘‘Consultation on Anti-
Semitism in Europe Today’’, where participants adopted
‘‘A Declaration of Concern and Intent’’ and undertook
‘‘the Strasbourg Plan of Action’’;
Whereas the escalation in Europe and Eurasia of acts of
anti-Semitic violence, as well as manifestations of xeno-
phobia and discrimination against ethnic, linguistic, ra-
cial and religious minorities, is of grave concern;
Whereas the anti-Semitic violence precipitated throughout the
OSCE participating states includes physical assaults,
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with some instances involving weapons or stones,
firebombing of synagogues, including one that burned to
the ground, and desecration of Jewish cultural sites, such
as cemeteries and statues;
Whereas the scourge of anti-Semitism is not unique to any
one country and requires steadfast vigilance, as this esca-
lation of violent anti-Semitic acts against Jews and Jew-
ish cultural sites, documented throughout the OSCE par-
ticipating states, can no longer be viewed as separate oc-
currences;
Whereas vicious propaganda and violence in certain OSCE
participating states have reached alarming levels against
both Jews and ‘‘foreigners’’, in part due to the dangerous
revitalization of political candidates promoting aggressive
nationalism and Neo-Nazi ‘‘skin head’’ activities;
Whereas some officials of the governments of OSCE partici-
pating states have repeatedly dismissed the significance
of the dramatic increase of attacks on Jews and attrib-
uted them to ‘‘hooliganism’’ and to ‘‘Muslim immigrant’’
youth expressing solidarity with Palestinians;
Whereas the legitimization by some governments voting in
the United Nations Commission on Human Rights of an
armed struggle against Israeli civilians has emboldened
some individuals and organizations to lash out against
Jews and Jewish institutions;
Whereas hostility, frustration, and disaffection over violence
in the Middle East must never be permitted to justify
personal attacks on Jews;
Whereas violence and other manifestations of xenophobia and
discrimination can never be justified by political issues or
international developments;
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Whereas Muslims in OSCE participating states have also
been the target of intolerance and xenophobia, and al-
though governments have struggled to integrate Muslim
immigrants, they are often marginalized in society;
Whereas intolerance and xenophobia of immigrants have been
propagated by political parties espousing aggressive na-
tionalism, which further exacerbates hostility towards im-
migrants, creates a greater sense of disenfranchisement
from the country of resettlement, and manifests itself in
assaults on individuals;
Whereas the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minori-
ties has found that discrimination and exclusion are fun-
damental features of the Roma experience;
Whereas Roma continue to be the victims of violent, and
sometimes deadly, racially motivated attacks, and are
subjected to efforts to segregate them in housing and
education, including by enclosing them in walled ghettos;
Whereas discriminatory acts or policies against minority reli-
gious communities, exhibited in burdensome and restric-
tive government registration schemes or in violence by
nonstate actors, is particularly troubling;
Whereas the proliferation of oppressive registration require-
ments, which impair the ability of minority religious com-
munities to obtain legal personality, and therefore the
ability to rent facilities, open banking accounts, and, in
some cases, even exist, demonstrates an attitude of intol-
erance by many governments of OSCE participating
states; and
Whereas the unwillingness of governments to effectively pro-
tect minority religious communities, knowingly permitting
violence against these groups, contributes to a climate of
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fear and violence in some OSCE participating states:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that—
(1) the governments of all participating states
of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE) should—
(A) unequivocally condemn racial and eth-
nic hatred, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and dis-
crimination against anyone, as well as persecu-
tion on religious and ideological grounds when-
ever they occur, and when appropriate, make
public statements recognizing violence against
Jews and Jewish cultural sites as anti-Semitic;
(B) decry the rationalizing of anti-Jewish
attitudes and even violent attacks against Jews
as merely a result of justified popular frustra-
tion with the conflict in the Middle East;
(C) ensure effective law enforcement by
local and national authorities, including thor-
ough investigation and prosecution of criminal
acts stemming from anti-Semitism, xenophobia,
or discrimination, whether directed at individ-
uals, communities, or property;
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(D) take effective measures to protect indi-
viduals from acts of violence based on ethnic,
linguistic, racial, or religious reasons;
(E) ensure that laws and policies fully re-
spect the rights of Roma and, where necessary,
to promote antidiscrimination legislation to this
effect;
(F) ensure that minority religious commu-
nities and their adherents are able to realize all
the rights and benefits on the basis of full
equality, regardless of the number of members
or the length of time in the country in which
they live; and
(G) make a concerted effort to cultivate an
atmosphere of cooperation and reconciliation
among the diverse parties affected by discrimi-
nation in Europe; and
(2) both executive branch officials and Members
of Congress should raise the matters set forth in
paragraph (1) in their bilateral contacts with coun-
tries that are participating states of the OSCE and
in appropriate multilateral fora, including the Per-
manent Council of the OSCE and the July 2002
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Eleventh Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamen-
tary Assembly.
Æ