Today Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Věra Jourová opens the first meeting of the Working Group on Antisemitism.
Following the unanimous adoption of the Council Declaration on fighting Antisemitism in December last year, the European Commission has created an ad-hoc Working Group on Antisemitism within the existing High-level Member States expert group on Racism and Xenophobia.
“The Commission is acting together with Member States to counter the rise of Antisemitism, to fight holocaust denial and to guarantee that Jews have the full support of the authorities to keep them safe. The Working Group will help Member States coordinate their actions and fight Antisemitism efficiently together,” said Commissioner Jourová.
This Working Group will support Member States in meeting the commitments that they made in the Council Declaration. This includes, amongst others, the adoption of a strategy at national level to prevent and fight all forms of Antisemitism, as part of their strategies on preventing racism, xenophobia, radicalisation and violent extremism, before the end of 2020, increasing their efforts to guarantee the security of the Jewish communities, and promoting interfaith dialogues, especially for young people.
The group will bring together representatives of national law enforcement authorities, national special envoys on Antisemitism, representatives of Jewish communities from the respective countries, and Jewish umbrella organisations. This first working session will focus on the issue of the security of Jewish communities.
