[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 91 (Tuesday, July 9, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H4380-H4387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONCERNING RISE IN ANTI-SEMITISM IN EUROPE

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 393) concerning the rise in anti-Semitism in 
Europe, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Whereas there can be no justification for violence or 
     intolerance against minorities;
       Whereas the 1993 Helsinki Declaration expressed the 
     commitment of its signatories, including all European member 
     states, to the promotion of tolerance toward minorities;
       Whereas there has been a significant rise in anti-Semitic 
     verbal incitement and physical attacks on Jewish people and 
     Jewish institutions throughout Europe during the last 18 
     months with as many as 400 incidents reported in France;
       Whereas anti-Semitism is defined as hostility towards Jews;
       Whereas certain groups in Europe have exploited the 
     situation in the Middle East as an excuse to carry out 
     violent acts against Jews;
       Whereas, although the continued violence in the Middle East 
     is disturbing and must be resolved, exploiting that violence 
     to fuel hostility or violence against Jews and Jewish 
     institutions is reprehensible;
       Whereas, according to news reports, the following anti-
     Semitic attacks are among those which have taken place in 
     Europe in recent weeks--
       (1) on March 3, Molotov cocktails were thrown at a 
     synagogue in Antwerp, Belgium,
       (2) on March 16, an explosive device was thrown into a 
     Jewish cemetery in Berlin, Germany,

[[Page H4381]]

       (3) on March 30, two vehicles were smashed at La Duchere 
     synagogue in Lyon, France, and a kosher butcher shop was 
     strafed by gunfire in Toulouse, France,
       (4) on April 1, a Jewish school was attacked in Sarcelles, 
     France, a firebomb was thrown at the Anderlecht synagogue in 
     Brussels, Belgium, the Or Aviv synagogue (including its Torah 
     scrolls) in Marseille, France, was destroyed by fire, and two 
     Yeshiva students from New Jersey were brutally beaten in 
     Berlin, Germany,
       (5) on April 4, vehicles belonging to a Jewish school were 
     burned in Aubervilliers, France, and a synagogue in 
     Montpellier, France, was firebombed,
       (6) on April 6, a Jewish sports association storefront was 
     firebombed in Toulouse, France,
       (7) on April 11, in Bondy, France, a Jewish soccer team was 
     attacked with sticks and metal bars after the attackers 
     shouted anti-Semitic remarks,
       (8) on April 12, a Jewish cemetery was desecrated in 
     Strasbourg, France,
       (9) on April 13, synagogue worshipers were attacked in 
     Kiev, Ukraine, and
       (10) on May 1, in the Finsbury Park synagogue in London, 
     England, vandals defaced prayer books and painted swastikas 
     throughout the sanctuary;
       Whereas anti-Semitic attacks are not confined to a single 
     European nation;
       Whereas President Bush, speaking for the American people, 
     has rejected ``the ancient evil of anti-Semitism'' making 
     specific reference to anti-Semitism in Europe; and
       Whereas Europe, in view of its history, should be 
     particularly sensitive to the scourge of anti-Semitism and 
     anti-Semitic violence: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of 
     Representatives that--
       (1) the governments of Europe should continue to take 
     necessary steps to provide security and to protect the safety 
     and well-being of their Jewish communities;
       (2) the governments of Europe should deplore anti-Semitic 
     expressions and should prosecute and punish perpetrators of 
     anti-Semitic violence; and
       (3) the governments of Europe should continue to make a 
     concerted effort to cultivate an atmosphere in which all 
     forms of anti-Semitism are rejected.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Gilman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).


                             General Leave

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on H. Res. 393, the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 393, expressing the 
sense of the House concerning the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. I 
thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for introducing this 
important resolution and for the support of the gentleman from Illinois 
(Mr. Hyde), the chairman of the Committee on International Relations, 
and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).
  H. Res. 393 discusses many reported anti-Semitic crimes over the past 
18 months, including 400 incidents reported in France alone. The 
resolution recites a number of these anti-Semitic crimes that have 
occurred over the past few years. It calls upon European governments to 
take necessary steps to ensure the well-being of their Jewish 
communities and to speak out against anti-Semitic expressions, to 
prosecute perpetrators of anti-Semitic violence, and to cultivate an 
atmosphere in which all forms of anti-Semitism will be rejected.
  Since the outbreak of Palestinian violence in Israel almost 2 years 
ago, the European continent has witnessed an upsurge in violent anti-
Semitic attacks directed at both Jewish institutions and individuals. 
It has been unprecedented in magnitude and brutality since World War 
II.
  Anti-Semitic crimes, including the intentional destruction and 
desecration of synagogues and other Jewish institutions, as well as 
violent assaults against individual Jews, are not isolated to any 
particular neighborhood or to any particular city or to any particular 
country of Europe. Rather, outbursts of anti-Semitic violence have come 
to plague the entire continent. Our allies of Europe have not done 
enough until now either to recognize the seriousness of this problem 
for its urgency or to take any decisive action against those who fuel 
hatred and perpetrate criminal acts against Jewish populations.
  The results of a recent Anti-Defamation League opinion survey 
concerning European attitudes toward Jews, towards Israel and the 
Palestinian-Israeli conflict conducted in Belgium, Denmark, France, 
Germany, and the United Kingdom reveal that 30 percent of Europeans 
surveyed harbored traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes and 
approximately one-third of French and Belgian respondents said they 
were unconcerned or fairly concerned about ongoing anti-Jewish violence 
in Europe. Those results are certainly distressing.
  Many European governments have been unwilling to recognize the 
seriousness of this problem until now many months after the outbreak of 
a violent campaign targeting Jews without impunity.
  The decision of some European leaders to treat this phenomenon as if 
it were nothing more than an occasion of inter-communal strife between 
Jews and Muslims, rationalized by some as the product of legitimate, 
pent-up anger and frustration is certainly troubling.
  Such thinking is dangerous. It represents an unwillingness to 
recognize the uniqueness of anti-Semitism as a form of hatred, 
especially in light of Europe's troubled history in that regard. What 
the Jews of Europe are witnessing now is not some broader phenomenon so 
readily characterized as a problem in community relations or racism. 
Rather, by attempting to characterize the recent anti-Semitic violence 
in such terms, European leaders are doing nothing more than 
obfuscating, or even denying the unique problem at hand, and are 
thereby, in effect, permitting it to continue.
  Decisive action against perpetrators of anti-Semitic crimes in Europe 
must be taken, including the pursuit and prosecution of suspects, as 
well as the upgrading of security at Jewish institutions. But even more 
important, the nature of the problem must be recognized for what it 
truly is. The problem I am talking about is the intentional, deliberate 
targeting of Jews simply because they are Jews, as well as the desire 
to use the crisis in Israeli-Palestinian relations as a pretext for 
terrorizing Jews simply due to their religious affiliation and not due 
to any actual harm they may have caused to anyone else. A central tenet 
of H. Res. 393 is that exploiting the violence in the Middle East to 
fuel hostility or violence against Jews and Jewish institutions is 
reprehensible.
  I applaud today's U.S.-German public meeting in the city of Berlin on 
the issue of anti-Semitism, and I urge member and observer states of 
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to seize this 
opportunity of the current annual session of their Parliamentary 
Assembly to hold a special meeting on anti-Semitism.
  Accordingly, I urge Members to vote for H. Res. 393, which sends a 
strong message that the well-being of the Jews of Europe half a century 
after the Holocaust remains a serious concern of the United States to 
this very day, and will remain a priority of ours. President Bush has 
rejected this problem calling it ``this ancient evil.''
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as the only survivor of the Holocaust ever elected to 
the Congress of the United States, I want to commend the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Crowley), a valued member of our committee, for his 
outstanding resolution and for his untiring efforts in calling 
attention to the scourge of anti-Semitism in Europe. I also want to 
thank the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for 
expediting the consideration of this resolution and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Gallegly), who has been most cooperative in bringing 
this resolution before us today. But I particularly want to express my 
personal gratitude to the distinguished chairman emeritus of the 
Committee on International Relations who during his entire 
distinguished career in this body has been a powerful champion for 
human rights and against all forms of discrimination, the gentleman 
from New York (Mr. Gilman).
  Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism in Europe has resulted in vicious attacks

[[Page H4382]]

against Jews on an almost daily basis. Our resolution highlights some 
of these incredibly brutal, medieval incidents.
  In France, Jewish organizations recorded more than 300 anti-Semitic 
attacks in the month of April alone: Desecration of Jewish cemeteries, 
physical and verbal assaults against Jewish children in playgrounds and 
on soccer fields, fire bombing and vandalizing of Jewish institutions.
  In Belgium, the headquarters of the European Union, rabbis and other 
Jewish community leaders have been repeatedly assaulted, and worshipers 
have been attacked on their way to and from synagogues.
  In England, dozens of threats and physical assaults against Jews have 
been reported in recent months. Just a short while ago, a suburban 
London synagogue was vandalized, religious artifacts were defaced, and 
crude swastikas were painted throughout the building.
  In Germany, some 127 anti-Semitic incidents were reported during the 
first quarter of this year. In Berlin, a Jewish hospital was ransacked 
and Jews have been beaten.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot instantaneously change the attitudes of many 
Europeans who for a long period of time have been holding anti-Semitic 
views. A survey conducted by the Anti-Defamation League last month in 
Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and the United Kingdom found that 
almost one-third of the residents of those countries harbor traditional 
anti-Semitic stereotypes.
  The problem is clear, and the response must be equally clear. Our 
strong resolution today calls upon the governments of Europe to take 
all necessary steps to protect the safety and well-being of their 
Jewish communities and to cultivate an atmosphere of cooperation and 
reconciliation among their Jewish and non-Jewish residents.
  There are positive and concrete steps that the European governments 
must take. Government officials cannot stop what people think; but they 
can set an example of tolerance, and they can act quickly and 
decisively to punish those who perpetrate racially- and religiously-
based violence.

                              {time}  1430

  Government leaders can and must publicly and quickly condemn anti-
Semitic incidents, and they should condemn them for what they are, 
unadulterated anti-Semitism, not merely spillover from the Middle East, 
as some would have it labeled. This merely obfuscates the issue.
  Government leaders must insist that these incidents of racism and 
bigotry are quickly and carefully investigated and that their 
perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It is not 
sufficient or acceptable for government officials to tell Jews to 
refrain from wearing distinctive religious clothing, as happened in at 
least one European country. That puts the onus on the victim and not on 
the perpetrator.
  Mr. Speaker, the distinguished head of the Anti-Defamation League 
made reference to a recent disturbing survey of anti-Semitism in Europe 
that was conducted by the Anti-Defamation League.
  My good friend, Abe Foxman, National Director of the ADL, wrote an 
excellent article discussing the survey results and the very disturbing 
phenomenon of anti-Semitism in Europe entitled ``Europe's Anti-Israel 
Excuse.'' Abe Foxman provides excellent insight into how the current 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict has led to the resurrection of widespread 
open anti-Semitism in Europe. As a Holocaust survivor, Mr. Foxman 
brings a unique perspective about the dangers of bigotry and prejudice, 
since he personally experienced the effects of widespread, unchallenged 
anti-Semitism in the 1940s.
  With European governments turning a blind eye to anti-Semitism and 
dismissing attacks on Jews as merely a reaction to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, Mr. Foxman correctly observes that the future of 
Jewish life in Europe is in question.
  Mr. Speaker, I will include for the Record Mr. Foxman's article in 
its entirety, and I urge all of my colleagues to give it the serious 
and thoughtful attention it deserves.
  Mr. Speaker, I again commend my good friend and distinguished 
colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), for bringing this 
resolution to our attention. I urge all of my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I include the Abe Foxman article entitled ``Europe's 
Anti-Israel Excuse'' for the Record.

                      Europe's Anti-Israel Excuse

                         (By Abraham H. Foxman)

       Throughout history a constant barometer for judging the 
     level of hate and exclusion vs. the level of freedom and 
     democracy in any society has been anti-Semitism--how a 
     country treats its Jewish citizens. Jews have been persecuted 
     and delegitimized throughout history because of their 
     perceived differences. Any society that can understand and 
     accept Jews is typically more democratic, more open and 
     accepting of ``the other.'' This predictor has held true 
     throughout the ages.
       During the Holocaust, Jews and other minorities of Europe 
     were dispatched to the camps and, ultimately, their deaths in 
     an environment rife with anti-Semitism. Nearly 60 years later 
     in a modern, democratic Europe, that presumably had shed 
     itself of the legacy of that era, Jews have again come under 
     attack. During the past year and a half a troubling epidemic 
     of anti-Jewish hatred, not isolated to any one country or 
     community, has produced a climate of intimidation and fear in 
     the Jewish communities of Europe. Never, as a Holocaust 
     survivor, did I believe we would witness another eruption of 
     anti-Semitism of such magnitude, in Europe of all places. But 
     the resiliency of anti-Semitism is unparalleled. It rears its 
     ugly head in far-flung places, like Malaysia and Japan, where 
     there are no Jews.
       The Anti-Defamation League has been taking the pulse of 
     anti-Semitism in America for more than 40 years. Never did I 
     expect that we would have to do the same in Europe, given the 
     history and our expectation that European anti-Semitism, 
     while not eradicated, would be so marginal and so rejected 
     that it would not be a major concern.
       What we found in the countries we surveyed--Britain, 
     France, Germany, Belgium and Denmark--was shocking and 
     disturbing. Classical anti-Semitism, coupled with a new form 
     fueled by anti-Israel sentiment, has become a potent and 
     dangerous mix in countries with enormous Muslim and Arab 
     populations.
       More than 1 million Jews live in these five nations, and 
     their communities are under siege. Who would have believed 
     that we would see the burning of synagogues and attacks of 
     Jewish students, rabbis, Jewish institutions and Jewish 
     owned-property?
       While European leaders have attempted to explain away these 
     attacks as a fleeting response to events in the Middle East 
     and not the barginger of a more insidious and deeply 
     ingrained hatred, the attitudes of average Europeans paint a 
     far different picture. Among the 2,500 people polled in late 
     May and early June as part of our survey, 45 percent admitted 
     to their perception that Jews are more loyal to Israel than 
     their own country, while 30 percent agreed with the statement 
     that Jews have too much power in the business world. Perhaps 
     most telling, 62 percent said they believe the outbreak of 
     anti-Semitic violence in Europe is the result of anti-Israel 
     sentiment, not anti-Jewish feeling. The contrariness of their 
     own attitudes suggests that Europeans are loath to admit that 
     hatred of Jews is making a comeback.
       This view may make Europeans more comfortable in the face 
     of what is happening in their countries, by suggesting that 
     this time around, Jews are not the innocent victims but are 
     themselves the victimizers in the Middle East. But the 
     incredibly biased reaction against Israel seen in the poll--
     despite the fact that Israel under former prime minister Ehud 
     Barak offered the Palestinians an independent state, and 
     despite the fact that Palestinians have carried out a 
     sustained campaign of terrorism against Israeli civilians--
     speaks to a repressed hostility to Jews that may not be 
     socially acceptable in post-Holocaust Europe. Still, even 
     with such constraints, some 30 percent of Europeans are not 
     averse to expressing their anti-Semitic beliefs openly and 
     directly.
       Meanwhile, the Europeans have been tepid in their support 
     for the U.S. war on terrorism and especially the Bush 
     administration's efforts to broker an end to Israeli-
     Palestinian bloodshed. The Europeans seek to appease Saddam 
     Hussein and other threats to the Western world while blaming 
     Israel, not the Palestinian Authority, for the crisis. All 
     while they minimize the extent of anti-Semitism in Europe and 
     fail to immediately condemn horrific acts of harassment and 
     vandalism. The message to Europe's burgeoning immigrant 
     population is that there is a certain level of acceptance for 
     intolerance.
       It is time for Europe to assume responsibility for a 
     situation of its own making. The combination of significant, 
     openly expressed anti-Jewish bias together with irrational 
     anti-Israel opinions creates a climate of great concern for 
     the Jews of Europe. It is not surprising that in such an 
     atmosphere Muslim residents feel free to attack Jewish 
     students and religious institutions not because they are 
     Israelis but because they are Jews. And it is not surprising 
     that some European officials have begun telling Jewish 
     leaders to advise their numbers to avoid public displays of 
     Jewishness, instead of promising to protect their Jewish 
     communities.
       European leaders and officials must see what is going on 
     for what it is--outright

[[Page H4383]]

     anti-Semitism--and condemn the revival of this ancient hatred 
     that had its greatest manifestations on the same continent.
       They must acknowledge that the anti-Israel vilification 
     across Western Europe is unacceptable. The recent comparisons 
     of Israelis to Nazis, to Jews as the executors of 
     ``massacres'' and even as the killers of Christ--these do not 
     fall into the category of legitimate criticism of a sovereign 
     state. They create the very climate that questions the future 
     of Jewish life in Europe.

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 6 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who is Chairman of the Helsinki 
Commission and has recently led a delegation to Europe to discuss this 
very issue.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for 
yielding me time, and I rise in very strong support of H. Res. 393. I 
want to commend its sponsor and all of the Members who are taking part 
in this very important debate.
  Mr. Speaker, yesterday, along with the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. 
Cardin), who is on the floor and will be speaking momentarily, we 
returned back from the OSCE, the Organization for Security and 
Cooperation in Europe, Parliamentary Assembly.
  Every year, parliamentarians from the 55 nations that comprise the 
OSCE meet to discuss issues of importance. This year the focus was on 
terrorism, but we made sure that a number of other issues, because 
certainly anti-Semitism is inextricably linked to terrorism, were 
raised in a very profound way.
  Yesterday, two very historic and I think very vital things happened 
in this debate. I had the privilege of cochairing a historic meeting on 
anti-Semitism with a counterpart, a member of the German Bundestag, 
Professor Gert Weisskirchen, who is a member of the Parliament there, 
also a professor of applied sciences at the University of Heidelberg, 
and we heard from four very serious, very credible and very profound 
voices in this battle to wage against anti-Semitism.
  We heard from Abraham Foxman, the National Director of the Anti-
Defamation League, who gave a very impassioned but also very empirical 
speech, that is to say he backed it up with statistics, with 
information about this rising tide of anti-Semitism, not just in 
Europe, but in the United States and Canada as well.
  He pointed out, for example, according to their data, 17 percent of 
Americans are showing real anti-Semitic beliefs, and the ugliness of 
it. Sadly, among Latinos and African Americans, it is about 35 percent. 
He pointed out in Europe, in the aggregate, the anti-Semitism was about 
30 percent of the population.
  Dr. Shimon Samuels also spoke, who is the Director of the Wiesenthal 
Center in Paris. He too gave a very impassioned and very documented 
talk. He made the point that the slippery slope from hate speech to 
hate crime is clear. Seventy-two hours after the close of the Durban 
hate-fest, its virulence struck at the strategic and financial centers 
of the United States. He pointed out, ``If Durban was Mein Kampf, than 
9/11 was Kristalnacht, a warning.
  ``What starts with the Jews is a measure, an alarm signalling 
impending danger for global stability. The new anti-Semitic alliance is 
bound up with anti-Americanism under the cover of so-called anti-
globalization.''
  He also testified and said, ``The Holocaust for 30 years acted as a 
protective Teflon against blatant anti-Semitic expression. That Teflon 
has eroded, and what was considered distasteful and politically 
incorrect is becoming simply an opinion. But cocktail chatter at fine 
English dinners,'' he said, ``can end as Molotov cocktails against 
synagogues.
  ``Political correctness is also eroding for others, as tolerance for 
multi-culturism gives way to populous voices in France, Italy, Austria, 
Denmark, Portugal and in the Netherlands. These countries' Jewish 
communities can be caught between the rock of radical Islamic violence 
and the hard place of a revitalized Holocaust-denying extreme right.
  ``Common cause,'' he concluded, ``must be sought between the 
victimized minorities against extremism and fascism.''
  I would point out to my colleagues one of those who spoke pointed 
out, it was Professor Julius Schoeps, that he has found that people do 
not say ``I am anti-Semitic;'' they just say ``I do not like Jews,'' a 
distinction without a difference, and, unfortunately, it is rearing 
itself in one ugly attack after another.
  I would point out in that Berlin very recently, two New Jersey 
yeshiva students, after they left synagogue, they left prayer, there 
was an anti-American, anti-Israeli demonstration going on, and they 
were asked repeatedly, are you Jews? Are you Jews? And then the fists 
started coming their way and they were beaten right there in Berlin.
  Let me finally say, Mr. Speaker, that yesterday we also passed a 
supplementary item at our OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. I was proud to 
be the principal sponsor. The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) 
offered a couple of strengthening amendments during the course of that 
debate, and we presented a united force, a U.S. force against anti-
Semitism.
  I would just point out this resolution now hopefully will act in 
concert with other expressions to wake up Europe. We cannot sit idly 
by. If we do not say anything, if we do not speak out, we allow the 
forces of hate to gain a further foothold. Again, that passed yesterday 
as well.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to become much more aware that this 
ugliness is rearing its ugly face, not just in the United States, but 
Canada, in Europe, and we have to put to an end to it. Hate speech and 
hate crimes go hand in hand.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the resolution.

  United States Helsinki Commission--Anti-Semitism in the OSCE Region

       The Delegations of Germany and the United States will hold 
     a side event to highlight the alarming escalation of anti-
     Semitic violence occurring throughout the OSCE region.
       All Heads of Delegations have been invited to attend, as 
     well as media and NGOs.
       The United States delegation has introduced a supplementary 
     item condemning anti-Semitic violence. The Resolution urges 
     Parliamentary Assembly participants to speak out against 
     anti-Semitism.


                    12:30 pm-2:00 pm, Monday, 8 July

       The Representation of Lower Saxony In der Ministergaerten 
     10 10117 Berlin--approximately a 15-minute walk from the 
     Bundestag and across from the Holocaust Memorial construction 
     site.

                                Co-Hosts

       Prof. Gert Weisskirchen, Member of the German Bundestag and 
     Professor of Applied Cultural Sciences, Universitat 
     Heidelberg.
       Representative Christopher H. Smith, Head of United States 
     Delegation to the OSCE-PA and Co-Chairman of the United 
     States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

                               Presenters

       Mr. Abraham H. Foxman, National Director, Anti-Defamation 
     League.
       Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Liaison 
     Simon Wiesenthal Center--Paris.
       Dr. Wolfgang Benz, Director of the Center for anti-Semitic 
     Research at the Technical University of Berlin.
       Dr. Julius Schoeps, Professor Modern History, University of 
     Potsdam & Director of the Moses Mendelssohn Center for 
     European-Jewish Studies.
                                  ____


Supplementary Item on Anti-Semitic Violence in the OSCE Region for the 
 11th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Berlin, 6-10 
                               July 2002

           [Principal sponsor: Mr. Christopher H. Smith, USA]

       1. Recalling that the OSCE was the first organization to 
     publicly achieve international condemnation of anti-Semitism 
     through the crafting of the 1990 Copenhagen Concluding 
     Document;
       2. Noting that all participating States, as stated in the 
     Copenhagen Concluding Document, commit to ``unequivocally 
     condemn'' anti-Semitism and take effective measures to 
     protect individuals from anti-Semitic violence;
       3. Remembering the 1996 Lisbon Concluding Document, which 
     highlights the OSCE's ``comprehensive approach'' to security, 
     calls for ``improvement in the implementation of all 
     commitments in the human dimension, in particular with 
     respect to human rights and fundamental freedoms,'' and urges 
     participating States to address ``acute problems,'' such as 
     anti-Semitism;
       4. Reaffirming the 1999 Charter for European Security, 
     committing participating States to ``counter such threats to 
     security as violations of human rights and fundamental 
     freedoms, including the freedom of thought, conscience, 
     religion or belief and manifestations of intolerance, 
     aggressive nationalism, racism, chauvinism, xenophobia and 
     anti-Semitism;''
       5. Recognizing that the scourge of anti-Semitism is not 
     unique to any one country, and calls for steadfast 
     perseverance by all participating States;

[[Page H4384]]

       The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly:
       6. Unequivocally condemns the alarming escalation of anti-
     Semitic violence throughout the OSCE region;
       7. Voices deep concern over the recent escalation in anti-
     Semitic violence, as individuals of the Judaic faith and 
     Jewish cultural properties have suffered attacks in many OSCE 
     participating States;
       8. Recognizes the danger of anti-Semitic violence to 
     European security, especially in light of the trend of 
     increasing violence and attacks region wide;
       9. Declares that violence against Jews and other 
     manifestations of intolerance will never be justified by 
     international developments or political issues, and that it 
     obstructs democracy, pluralism, and peace;
       10. Urges all States to make public statements recognizing 
     violence against Jews and Jewish cultural properties as anti-
     Semitic, as well as to issue strong, public declarations 
     condemning the depredations;
       11. Calls 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;
       12. Urges participating States to bolster the importance of 
     combating anti-Semitism by holding a follow-up seminar or 
     human dimension meeting that explores effective measures to 
     prevent anti-Semitism, and to ensure that their laws, 
     regulations, practices and policies confirm with relevant 
     OSCE commitments on anti-Semitism; and
       13. Encourages all delegates to the Parliamentary Assembly 
     to vocally and unconditionally condemn manifestations of 
     anti-Semitic violence in their respective countries and at 
     all regional and international fora.

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership on this 
issue and for taking the issue to the OSCE. I thank the gentleman very 
much.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 6 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), my good friend, our 
distinguished colleague, and the author of this important resolution.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my resolution, 
H. Res. 393, which calls on European governments to address the rise of 
anti-Semitism throughout the continent of Europe. I introduced this 
bill because I am concerned that Europe is on the verge of another 
Kristalnacht. Anti-Semitism, accompanied by, in many cases by violence, 
is at the highest levels since the horrors of World War II. According 
to the British Daily Telegraph, more than 2,000 anti-Semitic incidents 
were reported throughout the European Union in the last 10 months, more 
than 18 every single day.
  As I have listened very intently to my good friend from New Jersey 
who just came back from Europe and talking about the rise of anti-
Semitism, not only in Europe, but in the United States and Canada, it 
is ugly wherever it raises its head.
  We must keep in mind, we do not share a similar history when it comes 
to dealing with the issue of anti-Semitism. We all know what the 
history of Europe has been.
  Among the most recent incidents on March 30, two yeshiva students 
from New Jersey were brutally beaten on the streets of Berlin in an 
anti-Semitic attack.
  On April 11, 15 hooded attackers assaulted a Jewish teenage soccer 
team in Bondy, France, with sticks and metal bars while yelling anti-
Semitic remarks.
  On April 27, a synagogue in a London suburb was desecrated by 
vandals, who painted swastikas on the walls and destroyed religious 
articles.
  Two synagogues in Belgium were firebombed earlier this year.
  Also in Belgium, two Hasidic Jews in Antwerp were attacked 
ferociously as a chorus of teenage attackers spat on them, chanting 
``dirty Jew'' and praising Hitler. One of the two men had just emerged 
from the hospital a few days later when his 10-year-old daughter was 
also attacked by assailants chanting a chorus of anti-Semitic remarks. 
The girl now walks to and from school with an escort.
  Anti-Semitism is clearly on the rise. The French government reported 
320 anti-Semitic incidents in 2001, almost one per day. But this year 
French Jewish organizations reported over 300 incidents in the month of 
April alone.
  Jewish cemeteries have been vandalized, a kosher butcher shop near 
Toulouse was the target of a drive-by shooting, and the Or Aviv 
Synagogue in Marseille was burned to the ground by arsonists during the 
Passover holiday.
  Not every European government faces a rash of anti-Semitism. Norway, 
for example, has experienced few hate crimes directed at Jews, and 
Prime Minister Bondevik made it clear his government will forcefully 
prosecute any anti-Semitic attacks.
  Other governments have taken only minor steps to address anti-
Semitism. France, for example, has increased the police presence at 
major Jewish sites in the aftermath of several attacks. They just this 
week established a 24-hour hotline for the Jewish community, and they 
have also appointed a liaison between the French government and the 
French Jewish community.
  But such steps are few and far between, and, in my opinion, do not go 
far enough. European governments have done little to punish the 
perpetrators of such attacks, or, more importantly, they have done 
little to foster an atmosphere in which Jews and other minority groups 
can live free from harassment as normal members of their societies.
  Indeed, several senior European officials have made their anti-
Semitism clear and demonstrated that their bigotry affects government 
policies. Extremist xenophobes like Haider in Austria and Le Pen in 
France have made hatred and intolerance the basis of their party's 
political platforms. Le Pen made it into a runoff race for the 
presidency of France. While he did not win, his base of support in 
France remains strong.
  France no longer appears to be guided by the 1789 Declaration of the 
Rights of Man, the foundation for French democracy, which called for 
equal rights for all. Daniel Bernard, the French ambassador in London, 
recently referred to Israel with an obscenity when he attributed all 
the troubles in the Middle East to Israel. When his remarks were 
reported in the press, Ambassador Bernard refused to apologize and the 
foreign ministry refused to censure him.
  Bernard's remarks, made at a fashionable dinner party in London, 
demonstrate that the World Jewish Congress was correct when it asserted 
that anti-Semitism is no longer considered unacceptable in European 
polite society. European governments must demonstrate that such 
attitudes are simply not acceptable.
  In the years before World War II, the fabric of European society was 
torn apart by the official anti-Semitism of Nazi Germany and its puppet 
governments in France, Austria, Poland and elsewhere.

                              {time}  1445

  Now, more than 60 years later, European governments are once again 
doing little to discourage intolerance and hatred directed at Jews and 
other minority groups. When their rights are trampled upon, European 
governments must step up and act in order to protect all citizens. The 
failure to properly condemn and control these attacks makes the 
governments of Europe complicit in them.
  Before I close, I would like to thank a number of groups for their 
work in support of this resolution, particularly the Orthodox Union, 
the National Council of Soviet Jewry, NORPAC, and Harriet Mandel and 
her colleagues in the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
  I would also like to thank the ranking member and the chairman of the 
committee, as well as the chair of the subcommittee, who waived the 
rules to allow this to come to the floor.
  I want to thank the Speaker of the House for bringing this important 
resolution to us today. But most especially, Mr. Speaker, I would like 
to thank my fellow colleague from New York (Mr. Gilman), chairman 
emeritus of the Committee on International Relations, for all of his 
hard work throughout the years, especially on issues pertaining to the 
Middle East and whose Jewish constituents as well as all of the 
constituents that he represents in New York, and all of New York.
  I would say to the gentleman that we are greatly going to miss the 
gentleman when he retires from the House of Representatives. I know 
that many people will speak the gentleman's praises in days to come, 
but I want to tell the gentleman what a great honor

[[Page H4385]]

it has been to serve with the gentleman on this floor.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Crowley), not only for his kind words, but for his leadership in 
bringing this measure to the floor, working out all of the compromises 
that were needed in order to make this important measure possible. I 
thank the gentleman for his hard work on this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella), who has been a staunch supporter of human 
rights throughout the world and especially in fighting anti-Semitism.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 393, 
expressing concern about the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. I want to 
thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for yielding me this 
time.
  I echo and associate myself with the comments of the gentleman from 
New York (Mr. Crowley) with regard to the wonderful service the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has provided and the deep 
commitment he has demonstrated and the deep friendship he has had for 
us on both sides of the aisle. I want to thank the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Crowley) for introducing this legislation. I also want to 
thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), as well as the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and the others who have helped to 
bring this very important resolution to the floor today.
  As Americans, we value our diversity, and we celebrate our unity. I 
hope that this resolution will remind European leaders that ignoring 
the practice of hatred is as if condoning it.
  Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred and it is, 
unfortunately, experiencing a resurgence, crossing boundaries of every 
type, geographical, national, political, religious and cultural. We see 
it in the proliferation of anti-Jewish media expressing vicious 
stereotyping, conspiracy theories, and even denial of the Holocaust. 
Its messages of hate have influenced Muslim immigrants in France to 
commit daily anti-Jewish acts and have overpowered the Conference on 
Racism in Durban with anti-Israel, anti-Zionist, anti-Jewish 
resolutions and statements.
  Not even 60 years have passed since the murder of 6 million Jews in 
the Holocaust, and once again, we see anti-Semitism coming back 
strongly in Europe. This time it is fueled by anti-Semitic campaigns 
being spread throughout the Arab world and spilling over through some 
immigrants and the new media into France, England, Belgium and other 
countries.
  Daily attacks on Jews and their institutions are taking place in 
France while the government looks the other way. Leading French media 
are filled with stories slanted against Israel, further heating up a 
climate in which leadership of the Jewish community is virtually alone, 
fighting anti-Semitic attacks.
  European leaders have continually avoided condemning the tactic of 
suicide bombing in Israel, which lends support to the acts of hatred 
against Jews in their own nations. Our message to them is clear: Join 
the United States in working toward an agreement in the Middle East 
that will lead to peace with security and independence for Israelis and 
Palestinians.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) for her poignant remarks in support of this 
resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), my distinguished colleague.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 393, 
which denounces the rise in anti-Semitism in Europe. This Congress must 
condemn these and any violent acts that are hurting families and 
communities, both here and abroad.
  According to an annual study by a Tel Aviv university, anti-Semitic 
acts rose sharply around the world after the September 11 attacks. The 
study reveals some of the worst anti-Semitic days since the end of 
World War II. Another recent survey revealed that 30 percent of 
Europeans harbored traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes. Congress must 
condemn these acts by passing H. Res. 393.
  But, Mr. Speaker, we must also make it a top priority to stop hate in 
our own country. Anti-Semitism is not limited to Europe. The Anti-
Defamation League reported that this year, here in the United States, 
anti-Jewish incidents have increased 11 percent.
  Congress must make it clear that there is no room for personal 
attacks and bigotry in America. That is why we need to pass H. Res. 393 
and the bill of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), H.R. 1343, 
The Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, to help prosecute 
and prevent crimes motivated by hate across our own Nation.
  The people of the United States must set an example for the world by 
expressing our differences without resorting to violence against our 
neighbors. In the United States, freedom of speech is a fundamental 
right, a right to be used for causes that citizens are passionate over, 
but not for causes that damage another's right to a different opinion, 
a different religion, a different lifestyle.
  This Congress has the responsibility to combat unnecessary hatred and 
to lead the charge. Together we can make a statement by passing H. Res. 
393, condemning anti-Semitism.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), my good friend and distinguished 
colleague.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos) for his entire career of fighting prejudice and 
bias wherever it can be found in our communities.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman). The 
gentleman will be deeply missed in this body. We thank him for his 
leadership on behalf of all of the people of this Nation.
  I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), my good 
friend, for his leadership in the Helsinki process. He took this 
resolution to Europe and we were able to get unanimous support among 
our fellow parliamentarians to speak out and develop an action plan 
against anti-Semitism.
  I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for bringing this 
resolution forward; I thank him on behalf of all of us for stating what 
I would hope would be unanimously supported by this body.
  There is no question that anti-Semitic activities are on the increase 
in every state in Europe. We need to do more than just speak out; we 
need to develop an action plan, and that is what we were successful in 
getting in our visit on the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly during this 
past weekend. We have developed an action plan and will continue to 
monitor it to make it clear that international events cannot be used to 
justify anti-Semitic activities; that we need to work with the 
leadership, not just among parliamentarians, but the leadership in our 
communities from church groups and from educators. We have to work with 
children in our schools, and we have to deal with property restitution 
issues to make sure that people are fairly compensated for property 
that was wrongfully taken.
  In short, Mr. Speaker, we need a total plan to make sure the world 
understands that we will not tolerate anti-Semitic activities, period, 
the end.
  So I very much applaud the efforts on this resolution. It is 
important that this body speaks out, but it is also important that we 
follow it with action in all of the areas that we have mentioned.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank the gentleman from 
Maryland for his kind words, but most important, for his willingness to 
go to Berlin, along with the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and 
to bring this resolution to their attention. We thank him for his 
efforts.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Hoeffel), my good friend, an 
indefatigable fighter for human rights in all of its manifestations.
  Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time and for his kind remarks, and also

[[Page H4386]]

for his many years of leadership on this issue.
  Also, I want to salute the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for a 
career that we should all emulate and follow in terms of human rights 
and for justice around the world.
  I want to compliment the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for 
bringing this resolution to the floor, denouncing anti-Semitism 
wherever it is found in Europe or this country.
  I certainly want to acknowledge, as others have, the great leadership 
of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who led our delegation 
this past weekend to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for 
Security and Cooperation in Europe.
  I want to share a little with my colleagues the work led by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and joined by all of the American 
delegates. We were proud to do so, in bringing this challenge of anti-
Semitism and the need to denounce anti-Semitism to the OSCE and, 
hopefully, to all of the governments of Europe. We made an historic 
effort, through the leadership of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. 
Smith) leading the American delegation and the leadership of Dr. Gert 
Weisskirchen, a German parliamentarian and the leader of his 
delegation, in a joint delegation assembly to talk about the evils of 
anti-Semitism, to bring forward four experts to talk to all of us about 
the need to speak out and denounce anti-Semitism. This was the first 
time that the American delegation and the German delegation had ever 
met in a separate event, invited the press in, invited experts in to 
talk to us.
  I wish, I say to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), I wish all of our colleagues 
could have heard what we heard from Abraham Foxman, the executive 
director of the Anti-Defamation League, in which he talked about the 
need to speak out to denounce anti-Semitism. He talked about the events 
in Germany recently, where after a number of events aimed against Jews, 
just for being Jews, the official advice to the Jewish community in 
Germany is to stop wearing visible signs of their faith.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). The time of the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) has expired.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield an additional 1 minute 
to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Hoeffel.)
  Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Gilman) very kindly.
  I simply want to say, what kind of advice is that? How can anybody 
say, ``avoid wearing visible signs of your faith,'' as if that is the 
way to deal with the hatred that is being directed against Jews in 
Germany and across Europe? The way to deal with it, as Mr. Foxman 
pointed out, is to speak out, to speak out loudly, to denounce it, to 
make sure that everybody knows how unacceptable that hatred and 
intolerance is.
  We will win this victory if we step forward, and if people around the 
world step forward and say that anti-Semitism is un-American, that it 
is un-German, that it is un-French, that it is un-Ukrainian, that it is 
against the basic principles of a civilized people wherever it happens 
around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, that is the fight we are joining. That is what the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has done for 20-some years, and 
that is what the whole career of the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) has been about. That is what my friend, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Crowley) is fighting for today, and I am honored to join my 
colleagues in that fight.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that each side be 
granted an additional 3 minutes.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 additional minutes 
to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos).
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from 
California will control 3 additional minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  It is literally unthinkable that just 50 years after the Holocaust 
this body should be compelled to take up this issue. It speaks very 
poorly of the educational process that has unfolded in Europe in the 
last two generations, that this most ancient hatred, based on prejudice 
and ignorance, should again be sweeping the continent.

                              {time}  1500

  Several strains provide a confluence as to why they are up against 
this problem today. The first and perhaps most important one is the old 
church-based anti-Semitism. Churches have been guilty for centuries of 
fomenting anti-Semitism; and while some voices have spoken for 
acceptance and tolerance, important segments of the churches have 
contributed to the continuation of this sickening spectacle of 
religious hate.
  We also see the upsurge of skinhead and neo-Nazi movements of direct 
followers of what was the dominant theme in Germany in the 1930's and 
early 40's. The skinhead and neo-Nazi component of this new wave of 
anti-Semitism must be fought by all European governments.
  We have a new element. The extremist Islamic and Arab populations of 
Europe are contributing powerfully to anti-Semitism, and it is 
incumbent upon the governments of Europe to fight these forces.
  Finally, the perpetually misguided European left must recognize that 
its values and priorities are all upside down. They view the small 
State of Israel, a victim of a wave of suicide bombers and terrorist 
activities, as the aggressive Goliath. The time is long overdue for the 
misguided European left to wake up and recognize the realities of the 
Middle East situation.
  These are the four strains: church-based anti-Semitism; neo-Nazi 
skinhead anti-Semitism; the anti-Semitism emanating from the Muslim and 
Arab population in Europe; and, finally, the misguided European left 
which mistakes the victim for the aggressor. This is a gigantic task 
that all men and women in Europe of goodwill and decency must unite to 
defeat.
  I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this resolution as an 
expression of the conscience of this body and the American people.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank my colleagues, especially the gentleman from New York 
(Mr. Crowley), the sponsor of this important measure, and for his 
participation in the debate, as well as the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Lantos), ranking member of our committee, for his eloquent 
remarks. And I hope that the European governments to whom this 
resolution is addressed will review the content of our debate today and 
draw the appropriate conclusions and, more importantly, take the 
required actions to stop the flow of anti-Semitism throughout Europe.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 393.
  For months, vicious attacks against Jews across Europe have continued 
almost on a daily basis. It has been an issue of such great concern to 
me that last month I sent a letter signed by 140 of my colleagues 
urging EU Secretary-General Javier Solana to take action against this 
dangerous trend.
  In France, Jewish organizations recorded more than 300 anti-Semitic 
attacks in the month of April alone. Jewish cemeteries have been 
desecrated, Jewish children have been verbally and physically assaulted 
on playgrounds and soccer fields, and Jewish institutions have been 
firebombed and vandalized. In February, yellow stars of David were 
painted on Jewish shop windows in Paris. In March, there was a drive-by 
shooting of a kosher butcher shop near Tolouse. And, in the middle of 
Passover, the Or Aviv Synagogue in Marseilles was burned to the ground.
  In Belgium, the seat of the European Union, Rabbis and community 
leaders have been assaulted, as have synagogue worshipers, on their way 
to and from services.
  In England, dozens of threats and physical assaults on Jews have been 
reported in recent months, and in April, a vicious attack on a suburban 
London synagogue left windows smashed, religious artifacts defaced, and 
crude swastikas painted everywhere.
  The situation has only been made worse by the failure of these 
countries to forcefully condemn these hate crimes and vigorously 
prosecute their perpetrators.
  European leaders, including EU representatives, have dismissed the 
severity of the problem, blaming the Middle East conflict and

[[Page H4387]]

Muslim demographics instead of the Arab and European media outlets that 
have fed their fervor by demonizing Jews and justifying suicide murders 
by Palestinian terrorists.
  The European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and 
Fundamental Freedoms espouses the basic rights of all Europeans to 
liberty, security, freedom of religion, and freedom from 
discrimination. Yet, no EU institution has made any effort to uphold 
these rights for Jewish minorities.
  It is time for the European nations to take a bold unified stance 
condemning the re-emergence of anti-Semitism in Europe.
  It is time for the United Nations to take action and reverse the 
virulent wave of anti-Semitic attacks unleashed last year at the U.N. 
Conference on Racism, where delegates sought to equate Zionism and 
racism and insisted that the Holocaust be written with a lower case 
``h'' to lessen the magnitude of the tragedy.
  Hasn't the horror of World War II taught us the danger of anti-
Semitism, which seeks to dehumanize Jews and make them legitimate 
targets for violence? Hasn't the abomination of suicide murder shown us 
what happens when hatred devalues human life to create targets for 
terrorism?
  The United States and all civilized nations just not be silent in the 
face of these threats. We must lead the fight to condemn anti-Semitism 
in Europe, the former Soviet Union, and everyplace it emerges.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 393.
  Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join over 70 of my House 
colleagues in cosponsoring H. Res. 393, a resolution condemning the 
rise of anti-Semitism in Europe. The disturbing trend of hatred, 
intolerance and cruelty on the continent of Europe demands our 
immediate attention and action.
  We are all aware of the horrors faced by Jewish people in Europe a 
little more than a half century ago. For this reason, we must keep 
Europe's troubled history in mind and scrutinize the numerous anti-
Semitic attacks on Jews in Europe over the last 18 months before these 
sentiments are allowed to escalate to more disturbing levels. It is 
wise not to ignore history for fear of being doomed to repeat it.
  Of the many despicable attacks that have occurred over the past 18 
months, I would like to single out the brutal beating in Berlin, 
Germany of two Yeshiva students from my home state of New Jersey. These 
students traveled to Germany in the youthful pursuit of an education 
and the desire to exchange ideas with another culture. They did not 
envision being singled out for their religion and brutally beaten by 
bigoted thugs. We must not ignore this event and the many that have 
signaled a rise in anti-Semitism across the European continent.
  We are at the birth of a new and uncertain century. Unfortunately, we 
have already seen a rise in narrow-mined hatred, evidenced by the 
horrific terror attacks on our Nation on September 11th. As a 
freethinking and compassionate people, we must insist that our allies 
follow the American ideals of tolerance and understanding. At the very 
least, we must speak out to protect the basic human rights of people 
who face persecution based on their religion. Therefore, I urge our 
European allies to draw their attention to the rise in anti-Semitism on 
their continent and take whatever steps necessary to curb this 
disturbing trend.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 393, 
and would like first of all to thank my colleague from New York, Mr. 
Crowley for his initiative in bringing this important resolution to the 
attention of the House. I also want to thank Chairman Hyde and Ranking 
Member Lantos for their support of Mr. Crowley's resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, every year the House considers a great number of 
resolutions on a vast array of topics. I'd like to suggest that the 
resolution under consideration right now is the perfect example of what 
a House resolution ought to be.
  H. Res. 393 is concise, timely, and most of all, important. The topic 
under debate today is the resurgence of a form of hatefulness that we 
all hoped would never again emerge in Europe. Anti-Semitism has a long 
and unfortunate history in Europe and its re-emergence in the past few 
months should serve not only as a warning that hatred and bigotry are 
always lurking in the margins of society, but also as a call to arms.
  Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, our Nation and my city of New 
York especially, were attacked by the forces of ignorance and 
intolerance, the forces of hatred and exclusion, the forces of 
irrationality and brutality. The spirit which animated the men who 
attacked our Nation is the same as that which motivates the anti-
Semitism of the past, the present and, we may expect, of the future as 
well.
  Pathological intolerance is nothing new, but it has, unfortunately, 
through technology, acquired new tools capable of wreaking massive 
violence and havoc. In the 1940s, the resources of an entire nation 
were put to the task of annihilating Europe's Jews. Today, 
unfortunately we see their spiritual descendants using different tools: 
car bombs, gas cylinders, light boats and even airplanes. But the 
mission of hate is the same and the results just as ghastly.
  Today, Europe is again facing a tide of hatred against Jews. Again we 
see Europe's synagogues being defiled, burned and vandalized, again we 
see Europe's Jews being attacked in the streets, and most disconcerting 
of all, again we see Europe's governments telling us not to worry, that 
everything will be all right, that this is a passing phase, that this 
is the work of a disaffected few.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't buy that. And more importantly, today, in 
passing this vital resolution, the entire Congress is refusing to 
accept Europe's invitation to acquiesence and passivity.
  Historically in Europe, Mr. Speaker, Jews have been the proverbial 
``canary in the coal mine,'' the group whose welfare, acceptance and 
safety can be seen as a gauge for the security of all religious and 
ethnic minorities. And today, Europe's Jews are again in jeopardy. How 
we confront this awful reality is the test of the pledge our Nation 
made upon discovery of Hitler's extermination camps in 1945: Never 
again.
  Today, with the adoption of this critical resolution demanding that 
European nations live up to their responsibilities for the protection 
of all their citizens, I am proud to say we are living up to that great 
historical commitment. Again, I want to commend Mr. Crowley for 
authoring this resolution, and strongly urge its passage by the House.
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this resolution.
  The statue of Alfred Dreyfus that stands in Paris had the words 
``dirty Jew'' painted on it earlier this year.
  Dreyfus was a Jewish Captain in the French army before he was sent to 
jail on trumped-up charges and fabricated evidence. He served eleven 
years and survived several attempted cover-ups by the French military 
before his innocence was universally recognized. He was finally 
released in 1906.
  To many people, including the father of Modern Zionism Theodore 
Herzl, Dreyfus is the symbol of the persecuted Jew and anti-Semitism.
  For all those who remember history, the fact that this statue was the 
target of anti-Semitism in today's France is horribly disturbing. 
Unfortunately, France is not alone. Belgium, Britain, Italy, Germany, 
Slovakia, Ukraine, and Greece have all experienced anti-Semitic 
incidents since the upswing in anti-Semitism began.
  In Germany, police have warned Jews that wearing yarmulkas, the 
traditional Jewish head coverings, could cause them to be targets of 
attacks.
  Last April, the Simon Wiesenthal Center released its first ever 
travel advisory, urging Jews to exercise caution when traveling to 
France or Belgium.
  It has been only sixty years since the defeat of Hitler and now 
swastikas have reappeared in Europe. They can be found sprayed on 
Jewish schools, drawn on gravestones in a desecrated Jewish cemetery, 
painted on the wall of a synagogue, stitched on the flags of anti-
Israel demonstrators, and in the hearts and minds of the people who 
attack rabbinical students and Jewish athletes.
  The governments of Europe must protect their citizens. They must work 
actively to stop the increase in anti-Semitic incidents, and denounce 
anti-Semitic remarks thinly veiled as anti-Israel. Only then can 
progress be made toward the true goal: an atmosphere of cooperation and 
reconciliation among the Jewish and non-Jewish citizens of Europe.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pence). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 393, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________