Proposal for pan-European law to outlaw anti-semitism
By Joseph Millis
British Jewish leaders this week expressed scepticism about proposed pan-European legislation to outlaw anti-Semitism.
The proposed legislation was presented in Prague, where community leaders – under the leadership of the European Jewish Congress (EJC) – gathered to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Under the proposed legislation, anti-Semitism would be outlawed and a host of other activities deemed to be violating fundamental rights on specious religious, cultural, ethnic and gender grounds would be criminalised.
These would include banning Holocaust denial, the burqa, female genital mutilation, forced marriage and creating a new crime of “group libel” – public defamation of ethnic, cultural or religious groups. Women’s and gay rights would also be covered.
The proposed legislation would also curb, in the wake of the attacks in Paris earlier this month in which 17 people died, freedom of expression in the interests of security.
“Tolerance is a two-way street. Members of a group who wish to benefit from tolerance must show it to society at large, as well as to members of other groups and to dissidents or other members of their own group,” says the document.
“There is no need to be tolerant to the intolerant. This is especially important as far as freedom of expression is concerned: that freedom must not be abused to defame other groups.”
Addressing the Let My People Live conference, EJC President Moshe Kantor said: ““Please, no political correctness today,” Kantor said. Issues concerning Holocaust denial and the security of European Jews “should be discussed without thinking about political correctness and how it would sound.”
He added: There’s a real threat of another Jewish exodus from Europe. The only way to fix these problems is deep changes in legislation to protect all, not just Jews.”
Pulling no punches, he added: “Multiculturalism has given birth to monocultural ghettoes. Europe is on the edge of a new middle ages. Our Judeo-Christian values are being destroyed as they were 70 years ago.”
However, Vivian Wineman, the president of the Board of Deputies, was sceptical about the legislation.
He told Jewish News: “The proposed legislation doesn’t drill down to details, and that’s good. We shouldn’t be criminalising insulting religion. Of course, no right is absolute, but we need to be very careful about curtailing hard-won freedoms. The insult to Islam [by Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons] was like nothing to the insult to Islam by those who killed in the name of their religion.”
Gerald Ronson, the President of the Community Security Trust, echoed Mr Wineman’s position. He told Jewish News: “I’ve been fighting fascism and fundamentalism for the past 50 years and I think there’s too much intellectualisation going on. Every country is different and you can’t generalise. There will come a time when Jews in some countries will have to move on as they always have.”
He added, however, that he didn’t “accept the Campaign Against Antisemitism poll that claimed that 45 percent of British Jews were thinking of leaving. “It was irresponsible and the press sensationalised it.”
Lord Levy, the president of Jewish Care, was particularly scathing of Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, who claimed that one in four Europeans was an anti-Semite.
He said: “It was wonderful to see all these top people, such as Czech president, Moshe Kantor and the President of the European Parliament Martin Shultz coming together on such an important subject. However it was, I think, irresponsible of Abraham Foxman – an American – to come here and tell us that one in four people is an anti-Semite.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
