EU chief says Parliament will fight ‘worrying rise of antisemitism in Europe’
'It’s an honour to meet the representatives of the Conference of European Rabbis,' EU Parliament President tweeted after meeting delegation of rabbis
The European parliament will fight the “worrying rise of antisemitism in Europe,” the EU Parliament President David Sassoli has said.
After meeting senior rabbis and community leaders on Monday, Sassoli tweeted “our Parliament is committed to fight the worrying rise of antisemitism in Europe.”
Sassoli met representatives from the Conference of European Rabbis (CER) in Brussels, a group of 700 religious leaders across Europe.
The EU chief, who was elected as president in July, was presented with a silver sculpture of a shofar, the holy instrument used by Jews on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, head of CER, told the meeting: “Our institutions are hundreds of years old.
“Our food preparation and circumcision practices are governed by our communities in accordance with EU regulation. These practices are for the sole benefit of our own communities and we are proud of our high standards.
“It is vital to recognise that not every immigration into Europe is the same. We stand ready to work together with the EU to assist later immigration to create recognised institutions to govern their practices.”
An EU report published in July found nearly half of young Jews living in Europe say they avoid wearing Jewish items in public due to concerns about their safety.
The report, based on a survey carried out last year across 12 EU member states, found that four in five of those polled say antisemitism has risen in their countries over the last five years.
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