[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 49 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 49

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the sharp escalation of anti-
 Semitic violence within many participating States of the Organization 
 for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is of profound concern 
    and efforts should be undertaken to prevent future occurrences.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2003

Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Hoyer, 
Mr. Lantos, Mr. Wamp, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Aderholt, and Mr. Hastings of 
   Florida) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the sharp escalation of anti-
 Semitic violence within many participating States of the Organization 
 for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is of profound concern 
    and efforts should be undertaken to prevent future occurrences.

Whereas the expressions of anti-Semitism experienced throughout the region 
        encompassing the participating States of the Organization for Security 
        and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have included physical assaults, with 
        some instances involving weapons or stones, arson of synagogues, and 
        desecration of Jewish cultural sites, such as cemeteries and statues;
Whereas vicious propaganda and violence in many OSCE States against Jews, 
        foreigners, and others portrayed as alien have reached alarming levels, 
        in part due to the dangerous promotion of aggressive nationalism by 
        political figures and others;
Whereas violence and other manifestations of xenophobia and discrimination can 
        never be justified by political issues or international developments;
Whereas the Copenhagen Concluding Document adopted by the OSCE in 1990 was the 
        first international agreement to condemn anti-Semitic acts, and the OSCE 
        participating States pledged to ``clearly and unequivocally condemn 
        totalitarianism, racial and ethnic hatred, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and 
        discrimination against anyone as well as persecution on religious and 
        ideological grounds'';
Whereas the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly at its meeting in Berlin in July 2002 
        unanimously adopted a resolution that, inter alia, called upon 
        participating States to ``ensure aggressive law enforcement by local and 
        national authorities, including thorough investigation of anti-Semitic 
        criminal acts, apprehension of perpetrators, initiation of appropriate 
        criminal prosecutions and judicial proceedings'';
Whereas Decision No. 6 adopted by the OSCE Ministerial Council at its Tenth 
        Meeting in Porto, Portugal in December 2002 (the ``Porto Ministerial 
        Declaration'') condemned ``the recent increase in anti-Semitic incidents 
        in the OSCE area, recognizing the role that the existence of anti-
        Semitism has played throughout history as a major threat to freedom'';
Whereas the Porto Ministerial Declaration also urged ``the convening of 
        separately designated human dimension events on issues addressed in this 
        decision, including on the topics of anti-Semitism, discrimination and 
        racism and xenophobia''; and
Whereas on December 10, 2002, at the Washington Parliamentary Forum on 
        Confronting and Combating anti-Semitism in the OSCE Region, 
        representatives of the United States Congress and the German Parliament 
        agreed to denounce all forms of anti-Semitism and agreed that ``anti-
        Semitic bigotry must have no place in our democratic societies'': Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) officials of the executive branch and Members of 
        Congress should raise the issue of anti-Semitism in their 
        bilateral contacts with other countries and at multilateral 
        fora, including meetings of the Permanent Council of the 
        Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and 
        the Twelfth Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly 
        to be convened in July 2003;
            (2) participating States of the OSCE should unequivocally 
        condemn anti-Semitism (including violence against Jews and 
        Jewish cultural sites), racial and ethnic hatred, xenophobia, 
        and discrimination, as well as persecution on religious grounds 
        whenever it occurs;
            (3) participating States of the OSCE should ensure 
        effective law enforcement by local and national authorities 
        against criminal acts stemming from anti-Semitism, xenophobia, 
        or racial or ethnic hatred, whether directed at individuals, 
        communities, or property, including thorough investigation and 
        prosecution of such acts;
            (4) participating States of the OSCE should promote the 
        creation of educational efforts throughout the region 
        encompassing the participating States of the OSCE to counter 
        anti-Semitic stereotypes and attitudes among younger people, 
        increase Holocaust awareness programs, and help identify the 
        necessary resources to accomplish this goal;
            (5) legislators in all OSCE participating States should 
        play a leading role in combating anti-Semitism and ensure that 
        the resolution adopted at the 2002 meeting of the OSCE 
        Parliamentary Assembly in Berlin is followed up by a series of 
        concrete actions at the national level; and
            (6) the OSCE should organize a separately designated human 
        dimension event on anti-Semitism as early as possible in 2003, 
        consistent with the Porto Ministerial Declaration adopted by 
        the OSCE at the Tenth Meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council 
        in December 2002.
                                 <all>