Anti-Semitism ‘worst it’s been since the 1930s’

National Director Abraham Foxman said at an Israeli conference that current levels of anti-Semitism around the world are not as bad as the levels that existed in 1930s Europe, but are “the worst it’s been since the 30s.”

“We’re living in an era where again anti-Semitism presents a clear and present danger to Jews in various communities. It’s global in its nature, and it’s endangering the lives of Jews—not just where they live or their livelihoods—and it has a dimension of terrorism, jihadism,” Foxman told Israel National News at the 5th Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism, held in Israel on Wednesday. 

In order to address this problem, Foxman said, it is necessary to provide “physical safety and security” for Jewish communities, but also to clearly identify and label both the perpetrators and victims.

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“There is a reluctance to identify sometimes not even the perpetrators but also the victims. It’s a sort of political correctness,” Foxman said, citing U.S. President Barack Obama’s reluctance to label the victims of January’s shooting at the Hyper Cacher market in Paris as Jewish, calling them instead “a bunch of folks,” or to identify their killer as a radical Muslim.

“If we’re to hesitant to describe the perpetrators and even the victims, it holds back our hand from acting,” warned Foxman.

Canadian Minister of Multiculturalism Tim Uppal, who also attended the Israeli forum, said that one major way in which the Canadian government is fighting anti-Semitism is by supporting Israel.

“I think one thing that can serve as an example to everyone is our strong support of Israel,” he said. “We as a country, as a government, do this not because it’s popular—we know it’s not popular—but because it’s the right thing to do.”

Published courtesy of JNS.org