118 HRES 872 IH: Reaffirming the need for transatlantic cooperation to combat antisemitism in Europe.
U.S. House of Representatives
2023-11-15
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
IV
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 872
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 15, 2023
Mr. Keating (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Reaffirming the need for transatlantic cooperation to combat antisemitism in Europe.
Whereas antisemitism is a persistent scourge that must be confronted early and aggressively whenever and wherever it emerges;
Whereas antisemitism in Europe is widespread according to many surveys and studies, including those conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and media outlets;
Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas carried out barbaric terrorist attacks against the people and State of Israel resulting in over 1,200 Israeli deaths as well as the deaths of at least 30 Americans and the taking of over 200 people as hostages;
Whereas the United States, European, and global leaders have condemned the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks which represent the worst single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust;
Whereas in a showing of transatlantic solidarity for Israel, President Biden, French President Macron, German Chancellor Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, and UK Prime Minister Sunak released a joint statement expressing their “steadfast and united support to the State of Israel,” and their “unequivocal condemnation of Hamas and its appalling acts of terrorism”;
Whereas in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Israel, antisemitic incidents have been recorded across Europe, including in England, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Turkey with the French Ministry of Interior recording 327 antisemitic incidents since October 7, and the CST, the UK’s Jewish community’s security organization recording an increase of 581 percent of antisemitic incidents;
Whereas in response to the increase in antisemitic incidents, United States and European leaders have recognized the threat posed against the Jewish community and have implemented measures to provide support;
Whereas, in September 2023 remarks at the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt noted, “Around the globe we have witnessed mass shootings at synagogues, violent attacks on Jewish people in the streets and Jewish cemeteries desecrated. These antisemitic incidents seek to divide us from one another, erode trust in government and nongovernmental institutions, and undermine democracies”;
Whereas in testimony to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe in December 2022, Rabbi Andrew Baker, Director of International Jewish Affairs at the American Jewish Committee, urged European governments to better tackle antisemitism and emphasized the importance of accurate data collection, securing Jewish community buildings, and expanding Holocaust education in Europe;
Whereas ADL’s 2023 Global 100: An Index of Antisemitism, found that some of the most stubborn anti-Jewish tropes remain deeply entrenched in 10 European countries, with roughly one in four people harboring extensive classic antisemitic beliefs. The report found perpetually high antisemitic attitudes across Europe including among 37 percent of individuals surveyed in Hungary, 35 percent in Poland, 29 percent in Ukraine, 26 percent in Russia, 26 percent in Spain, 22 percent in Belgium, 15 percent in France, 12 percent in Germany, 10 percent in the UK, and 6 percent in the Netherlands;
Whereas ADL also found that while Holocaust awareness is virtually universal across Europe, Holocaust denial and distortion remain high;
Whereas in Hungary and Ukraine, 19 percent believe the Holocaust is a myth and did not happen, or say the numbers of Jews who died were “greatly exaggerated”;
Whereas elsewhere in Europe, survey data found that 17 percent of Russians, 15 percent of Poles, 5 percent of Germans, and 4 percent of Dutch respondents denied the Holocaust occurred;
Whereas Tel Aviv University’s Antisemitism Worldwide Report for 2022 found a persistently high number of antisemitic incidents across Europe, including 1,652 incidents in the UK, 436 incidents in France, 241 incidents in Italy, 45 incidents in Hungary, 23 incidents in Spain, 14 incidents in Sweden, and nine incidents in Bulgaria;
Whereas Tel Aviv University also found that the COVID–19 pandemic sparked an 18-percent rise in antisemitic hate speech, especially online;
Whereas the World Jewish Congress has also warned about the proliferation of conspiracy theories blaming Jews for creating or spreading the virus;
Whereas surveys by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights and the European Commission found that while almost 90 percent of Jewish respondents in Europe believe antisemitism is increasing, only 36 percent of the European general public think that it is increasing;
Whereas the European Union has stepped up its efforts to combat antisemitism, but significant work remains;
Whereas the European Commission appointed a Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in 2015, established a Working Group on combating antisemitism in 2018, and adopted the first ever European Union strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in 2021, which found that “contemporary antisemitism can be found in radical and fringe groups espousing right-wing, left-wing or Islamist extremism, it can hide behind anti-Zionism, but it can also be found in the centre of society”;
Whereas the United States and European allies have worked closely in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to secure adoption of the 2014 Declaration on Enhancing Efforts to Combat Anti-Semitism, and to produce practical guides on addressing the security needs of Jewish communities and countering antisemitism through education;
Whereas the United States, the European Commission, and many EU Member States have embraced the nonlegally binding working definition of antisemitism inclusive of its examples adopted in 2016 by the member states of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), as a valuable tool to help understand and enhance efforts to counter antisemitism;
Whereas, according to the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, European Union countries collect different types of data on antisemitism and use different methodologies, which prevents direct comparison between countries;
Whereas some European countries do not collect any official data at all;
Whereas, in January 2021, the Congressionally established Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, within the United States Department of State, was elevated to hold the rank of ambassador, a signal of strong commitment of the United States Government in combating antisemitism;
Whereas, in May 2023, the Biden administration released the first-ever United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism declaring that “protecting the Jewish community from antisemitism is essential to our broader fight against all forms of hate, bigotry, and bias—and to our broader vision of a thriving, inclusive, and diverse democracy”;
Whereas it is clear that antisemitism and violent extremists abroad provide material, ideological, or financial support for antisemitic movements in the United States;
Whereas hate has no borders, and antisemitic conspiracy theories and harassment continue to spread and promulgate online, a serious concern around the world;
Whereas while antisemitism often appears in subtle ways, such as insensitive remarks that are brushed off, or negative stereotypes that go unchallenged, these incidents have the possibility to escalate to violence or genocide if they are left unchecked; and
Whereas antisemitism threatens not only the Jewish community, but the human rights of all persons, and poses serious risks to communities across the transatlantic alliance and the world: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
condemns antisemitism in the United States and around the world and reaffirms the commitment of the United States to combat antisemitism in all its forms;
(2)
condemns Hamas and its acts of terrorism targeted against the Jewish people and the State of Israel as well as recognizes the need for increased vigilance due to the subsequent threat of further antisemitic attacks in the United States and Europe;
(3)
reaffirms the strong transatlantic alliance between the United States and Europe and recognizes the need to work together to take concrete steps to fight global antisemitism in the world and online;
(4)
supports the full implementation of the United States National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism;
(5)
recognizes the importance of the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism as well as the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues in combating antisemitism;
(6)
calls on all European governments and the European Union to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe;
(7)
recognizes that the European Commission has taken bold action to address antisemitism by adopting the first ever European Union strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life in 2021;
(8)
urges all European Union member states to develop their own national strategies or action plans against antisemitism, with a focus on stopping both “real-world” and online harassment and abuse;
(9)
encourages European leaders to fully implement their respective strategies on combating antisemitism, standardize their data collection of antisemitic incidents, and share best practices in combating antisemitism;
(10)
calls on European governments to ensure that school curricula include the Holocaust and modern-day antisemitism, and that law enforcement education includes hate crime prevention and response training; and
(11)
encourages the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism and the United States Special Envoy for Holocaust issues to focus on addressing persistent antisemitism and Holocaust distortion and denial in Europe.