[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 25, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5841-H5847]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT ESCALATION OF ANTI-SEMITIC VIOLENCE
WITHIN PARTICIPATING STATES OF OSCE IS OF PROFOUND CONCERN AND EFFORTS
SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution (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.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 49
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
[[Page H5842]]
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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism is a deadly disease of the heart that
leads to violence, cruelty, and unspeakable acts of horror. The anti-
Semite is, as Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel grimly wrote last week, an
ideological fanatic and pathological racist: ``An anti-Semite is
someone who never met me, never heard of me, yet he hates me.''
While we all are aware and deplore the hate crimes and cowardly acts
that are committed routinely by Hamas and their like-minded murderers,
what is new, Mr. Speaker, is the enormous surge in anti-Semitic acts
and the resurgence of hatred for Jews in Europe, the United States, and
in Canada.
Just a brief look, Mr. Speaker, of some of the startling statistics
makes the point. In France, for example, there was a 600 percent
increase in anti-Semitic acts from the year 2001 to the year 2002.
Thankfully, the French have moved with new legislation designed to not
only chronicle and get a better handle on how often these hate crimes
are occurring, but they are also trying to stop them.
The Anti-Defamation League, Mr. Speaker, did a survey that also
showed a spike in five other countries of Europe. They found that 21
percent of the people in those five countries had strongly anti-Semitic
perspectives or views. The ADL also looked at the United States and
found that 17 percent of our own people in the United States had strong
anti-Semitic views. If you extrapolate that, Mr. Speaker, that is about
35 million Americans. That is up 5 percent from just 5 years ago.
H. Con. Res. 49 recognizes this dangerous and alarming trend,
condemns this ancient-modern scourge, and calls on each of the 55
countries that make up the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe to take concrete steps to eradicate anti-Semitism. The
resolution before us today is an unequivocal condemnation of violence
against Jews and Jewish cultural sites, racial and ethnic hatred,
xenophobia and discrimination, as well as persecution on religious
grounds wherever it occurs.
The resolution calls on all the states of the OSCE to ensure
effective law enforcement and prosecution of individuals perpetrating
anti-Semitic violence as well as urging the parliaments of all those
states to take concrete legislative action at the national level. We
are encouraging, Mr. Speaker, the creation of education efforts to
counter these anti-Semitic stereotypes and the attitudes that we are
seeing increasingly among younger people. We are calling for an
increase in Holocaust awareness programs, and seeking to identify
necessary resources to accomplish these goals.
Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Commission on Security and
Cooperation in Europe, I chaired a congressional hearing and three
international summits on anti-Semitism within the last year alone.
Joined by my good friend and colleague from the German Bundestag, Gert
Weisskirchen, at the three special summits, and my good friend and
colleague, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), who I thank as
well for his good work on this, these summits have focused on this
rising tide of anti-Semitism.
The summits, Mr. Speaker, were held in Berlin, in 2002; in
Washington, in December of 2002; and in Vienna, earlier this year, in
February. We heard from world renowned leaders, including Rabbi Israel
Singer, President of the World Jewish Congress; Ambassador Alfred
Moses, Abraham Foxman and Ken Jacobson of the Anti-Defamation League;
Mark Levin from the NCSJ; Rabbi Andrew Baker of the American Jewish
Committee; Dr. Shimon Samuels, director of the Weisenthal Center
located in Paris; and many others, Amnesty International and other
human rights' organizations, all of whom made very powerful statements
about this alarming rise of hate directed towards Jews.
Let me just quote for my colleagues what Dr. Samuels said, very
briefly: ``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 can end
as Molotov cocktails against synagogues. Political correctness is also
ending for others, as tolerance for multiculturalism gives way to
populist voices in France, Italy, Austria, Denmark, Portugal, and 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 must be
sought between the victimized minorities against extremism and against
fanaticism.''
Dr. Jacobson pointed out, and I quote, ``Sadly, some European leaders
have rationalized anti-Jewish attitudes and even more violent attacks
against Jews as nothing more than a sign of popular frustration with
events in the Middle East. Something to be expected, even
understandable, they say.''
Mr. Speaker, we have been hearing more and more about this idea of
pretext; that there is a disagreement with the policies of the Israeli
Government, that somehow that gives license and an ability and
permission for some people to hate the Jews themselves. We can
disagree, as we do on this House floor. The gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Hastings), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), and I have been
working on this for years, and of course the gentleman from California
(Mr. Lantos). We disagree on some issues, but anti-Semitism? We do not
hate. We do not use that as a pretext,
[[Page H5843]]
as a front to promote hatred. That is exactly what is happening in
Europe, in the United States, and in Canada.
Let me point out too that, as a result of these summits, we have come
up with an action plan. Mr. Weisskirchen and I have signed it, it has
been agreed to by our commissions, and we are trying to promote it
among all our States. Again, education, trying to get parliaments to
step up to the plate, and trying to make a meaningful difference to
mitigate and hopefully to end this terrible anti-Semitism.
Last week, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) and I joined
Rudy Giuliani in Vienna for an OSCE assembly focused on anti-Semitism.
We have been doing it in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, but now the
OSCE itself has taken up this important cause. And it will be followed
up with a meeting, most likely in Berlin next year, to focus on anti-
Semitism so that we rally the troops all over the world, starting with
Europe, the U.S., and Canada to say ``never again.''
Let me also point out to my colleagues, and I thought his statement
said it all, when Abraham Foxman, who gave riveting testimony at our
Berlin conference, pointed out just recently in the Jerusalem Post,
just a couple of days ago, and I would like to close with his
statement, he said ``Anti-Semitism is surging in the world to the
extent unprecedented since the end of World War II. Europe must take
seriously the ideology of anti-Semitism coming out of the Arab and
Islamic world. It must denounce the deliberate targeting of Jews by
terrorist groups, whether it be al Qaeda or Hamas. It must denounce the
vicious anti-Semitic material in the Arab press and educational systems
and call on Arab leaders to do something about it. It must understand
that the Holocaust happened not only because Germany was taken over by
the Nazis, who developed a massive military power to conquer most of
Europe, but also by the complicity--active and passive--of other
Europeans. Today, the great threat comes from the combination of the
ideology of hatred with Islamic extremists to acquire weapons of mass
destruction.'' And then he bottom lines it and says, ``Let Europe never
again be complicit in developments of this kind.''
Mr. Speaker, this Congress needs to go on record in a bipartisan way,
Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Moderates, and Liberals to say
anti-Semitism, never again, and we need to do it strongly today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and I rise in strong support of the resolution.
First, I want to commend my dear friend, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Smith), the chairman of our delegation to the Organization
for Security and Cooperation in Europe, for his lifelong indefatigable
and passionate advocacy of human rights, and his powerful opposition in
all fora to anti-Semitism. We are all in his debt.
I also want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), of the
Committee on International Relations, for moving this legislation so
expeditiously to the floor. And I want to thank my good friend, the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), the ranking Democrat on our OSCE
delegation, for his outstanding work on behalf of all of the causes
that the human rights community is interested in.
Mr. Speaker, as the only survivor of the Holocaust ever elected to
Congress, I am acutely aware of the dangers of allowing anti-Semitism
to go unchecked. The horrors of the Holocaust in World War II began
with anti-Semitism. Growing up in Europe in the 1930s, I saw firsthand
the horrendous results of anti-Semitic rhetoric, leading to the
nightmare of anti-Semitic violence, and, ultimately, to the mass murder
of 6 million innocent men, women and children.
Mr. Speaker, today, anti-Semitism in Europe, as well as in a number
of other places in this world, is approaching the appalling levels that
I personally experienced in the 1930s.
{time} 1245
We cannot, we must not, and we will not sit idly by and ignore the
sharp escalation of anti-Semitic rhetoric and anti-Semitic violence.
Our resolution notes that expressions of anti-Semitism in some
European countries range from vicious propaganda to physical assaults,
from the burning of synagogues to the desecration of cemeteries. Since
the 1990 Copenhagen Concluding Document, a number of resolutions have
been adopted by OSCE condemning anti-Semitism. In that spirit, I
welcome this effort.
Our resolution urges officials of our executive branch and Members of
Congress to raise the issue of anti-Semitism in their bilateral and
multilateral meetings with all foreign government officials where
appropriate and to condemn in the strongest possible terms not only
anti-Semitism but racial and ethnic hatred, xenophobia, discrimination
and religious persecution of all types. We urge all member countries of
the OSCE to ensure effective law enforcement by local and national
authorities against criminal actions stemming from anti-Semitism and
other types of racial hatred.
Most importantly, our resolution calls upon all States to promote
educational efforts to counter anti-Semitic stereotypes and attitudes
and to dramatically increase Holocaust awareness. Our best ammunition
in this fight against anti-Semitism is education.
Mr. Speaker, the battle against this age-old and horrendous mental
sickness will not be easily won, but I believe the recognition of the
problem and the call for actions to deal with it is the first critical
step. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation
which serves to eliminate the outrage of hate-filled anti-Semitism.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may
consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the
chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be in the company of
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) in cosponsoring this resolution. I rise in
support of its passage and ask my colleagues to vote in its favor as
well.
Mr. Speaker, one of the essential lessons of the Holocaust is that
words lead to murder, that the teaching of contempt and acceptance of
bigotry and anti-Semitism can lead to genocide. Today, over 50 years
after the horrors of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism has again become a
disease spreading throughout the world. In recent years I have
witnessed its resurgence, particularly through my work relating to the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights and legislative efforts
concerning religious freedom in Europe.
At the commission, resolution after resolution, statement after
statement are filled with the rhetoric of hatred, using the
international fora to further promote and generate support for an anti-
Semitic agenda, an agenda which condemns a freedom-loving people and a
democratic nation, while many times legitimizing those regimes that
torture, oppress, and subjugate their own people.
As the previous chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights and as the
current chair of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia,
and as cochair along with my colleague and friend the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) of the Congressional Task Force on Anti-
Semitism, I have pressed European officials to take concrete steps to
monitor, investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law
crimes that are borne out of hatred for the Jewish people.
In January of this year, for example, Jewish leaders in France came
to me with concern and anxiety about the increasing example of
vandalism and personal attacks against rabbis in that country. I
immediately called on the French foreign ministry officials and French
parliamentarians to address this grave matter.
The situation in France, however, is only a microcosm of a growing
problem that is sweeping throughout many OSCE states. While I will not
delve into details because my colleagues, the gentleman from New Jersey
(Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), have
already done
[[Page H5844]]
so, I will simply note, as has been said, we must learn the lessons and
the mistakes of the past, or we are condemned to repeat them.
This is why it is imperative that we take immediate action to prevent
further escalation of anti-Semitism and related violence, to help
ensure that the evil of the Holocaust will never again be allowed to
exist.
As Eli Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace laureate has
said, ``A destruction, an annihilation that only man can provoke, only
man can prevent.'' We can help prevent a repetition of history, and we
can begin here today by voting in favor of this resolution. Let us
adopt House Concurrent Resolution 49 and convey the commitment of the
U.S. House of Representatives to work with our allies to confront and
combat anti-Semitism and eradicate it from its roots.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Cardin), the distinguished ranking Democratic member of
the Helsinki Commission, who has demonstrated a passionate commitment
to human rights and on all of the issues that that commission works
with.
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos). There is no Member of this body who has done
more in his lifetime to fight anti-Semitism than the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos), and I congratulate him for his effective
leadership against anti-Semitism here and around the world.
I also want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who
is the chairman of our OSCE delegation. I have the honor of being the
ranking Democratic member. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings),
who will be speaking shortly, is one of the commissioners. We have made
the fight against anti-Semitism a top priority of our delegation. We
have been effective in making it a top priority within the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly.
We have done that because we have seen a rise of anti-Semitism,
physical assaults on individuals solely because they are Jewish,
desecration of Jewish cultural sites, propaganda in the media have all
been on the rise. We must have a zero tolerance policy about anti-
Semitism.
The OSCE Helsinki Commission provides a unique opportunity for us to
fight anti-Semitism. It not only has in its membership all of the
countries of Europe, Canada and the United States, but it has the
participation of our Mediterranean partners, which include Israel,
Egypt and Jordan. The OSCE Helsinki Commission has had a history of
effectively dealing with human rights issues, so that is why the United
States leadership has been effective in bringing about the forums to
deal with anti-Semitism. I know there was just a meeting in Vienna that
the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) and the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Hastings) participated in. We adopted in the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly last year a very strong resolution against anti-
Semitism as a result of the U.S. leadership, and we have signed a
letter of intent with Germany to spell out specific actions that we
need to take in order to fight anti-Semitism.
We can never justify anti-Semitic actions by international
developments or political issues. We need to have an action plan to
fight anti-Semitism. We need to have strong laws that are adopted by
our member states and enforced. We need to speak out against anti-
Semitism as parliamentarians. Silence is not an option. As all my
colleagues have expressed, we need educational programs for our
children. The resolution says we need to create educational efforts
throughout the region encompassing the participating states of 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. Our children are our future. In many
of these states, we are finding there are counterproductive programs
promoting anti-Semitism.
We need a proactive agenda. This resolution puts this body on record
in strong support of our resolution within OSCE to continue our
commitment to support action plans to stamp out anti-Semitism. I urge
my colleagues to support the resolution.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Maloney), who has been a champion not only of the fight
against anti-Semitism but on behalf of all human rights causes.
Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this
resolution, and I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for their extraordinary
leadership on this important issue and so many others.
We are experiencing the worst outbreak of anti-Semitism in Europe
since the end of Holocaust in 1945. Just under 60 years have passed
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, and
stitched on the flags of anti-Israel demonstrators, and in the hearts
and minds of the people who attack rabbinical students and Jewish
athletes.
When we allow intolerance and hatred to fester and flourish, we are
faced with tragic consequences. Put simply, hatred, violence and
prejudice must not be tolerated. Countries must speak out against anti-
Semitic acts, but rhetoric is not enough. Words will not restore the
hundreds of Jewish cultural and religious sites which have been burned,
desecrated and destroyed throughout Europe, and words alone will not
prevent these tragedies from happening again.
Governments and institutions must condemn these acts as we do today,
and they must ensure effective law enforcement against them. They must
also promote tolerance education for their children. There is no
question teaching children about the horror and tragedy of the
Holocaust and other tragedies will create a generation of youth who are
less likely to commit hate crimes and who are more likely to mature
into adults who will envision and work towards peaceful world
relations.
When this body passes H. Con. Res. 49, we will be spending a strong
message to the world that anti-Semitism must be confronted and must be
eradicated. I thank both leaders, particularly the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos), for his extraordinary life commitment to
ending anti-Semitism and for world peace.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Hastings), who has been throughout his congressional
career and prior to that an indefatigable fighter for human rights.
(Mr. HASTINGS of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) for yielding me this time, and before I go
forward, I would be terribly remiss if I did not point out that the
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) has spent his lifetime in the
struggle that some of us come to with equal passion, but not the
clarity that he brings to the issue.
I also am happy to support the resolution offered by the chairman of
the Helsinki Commission and to compliment the gentleman from New Jersey
(Mr. Smith) for his continuing work in the area of human rights and the
gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) as being a stalwart champion for
human rights.
{time} 1300
As Chairman Smith has already mentioned, last week he and I had the
privilege to represent the United States at the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe's conference on anti-Semitism. A
footnote right there. That conference came about because the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer),
the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from Maryland
(Mr. Cardin), myself and others on the Helsinki Commission along with
colleagues in Europe brought it to the attention of the parliamentary
assembly by way of resolution which we will introduce yet another
resolution for follow-up purposes when we are in Rotterdam 1 week from
now. But it was in this body that that conference's seed was planted.
The conference, which was the first of its kind,
[[Page H5845]]
provided the OSCE's 55 member states and NGOs with an opportunity to
discuss ways in which governments can work to combat anti-Semitism
within their borders and abroad.
Today's resolution is an important symbolic statement of the House
that the United States will not stand idly by while many European
governments neglect a rise in anti-Semitism. We must work with our
allies and not hesitate to apply pressure when needed to ensure that
governments properly address increases in anti-Semitism and other forms
of discrimination.
A few years ago, there were hopes that anti-Semitism was gradually
declining and restricted to fringe elements such as neo-Nazis, white
supremacists and certain conspiracy theorists. However, recent
developments throughout much of Europe and the Middle East suggest that
there is a resurgent anti-Semitism with a much broader base and message
that resonates at an alarming level. Many European leaders have
formally recognized the resurgence of anti-Semitism in their countries
and have begun to take the necessary steps to stop this spreading
virus. But still, more must be done to ensure that what occurred to the
Jewish and minority communities in Europe during World War II will
never happen again.
Sadly, Mr. Speaker, the fight against bigotry and xenophobia is an
ongoing struggle as many of us know from our own personal experience.
Last week when the gentleman from New Jersey and I were in Vienna, we
heard from a woman whose name is Rosalia Abella of the Ontario Court of
Appeals. As she noted in one of the more poignant statements made at
that conference, ``Indifference is injustice's incubator.'' Indeed it
is.
Now is the time for the United States to be vocal and now is the time
for the House to be active as it is today under the leadership of the
gentleman from New Jersey and the gentleman from California. Today is
not a day for complacency. If we remain silent, then there will be no
tomorrow. We cannot legislate morality, we cannot legislate love, but
we can teach tolerance and we can lead by example.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Smith-Cardin-
Lantos resolution. I am a cosponsor of this resolution because I am
deeply concerned about the surge of anti-Semitism in Europe and
throughout other parts of the world, but particularly in Europe.
This is not a problem that simply can be monitored. It must be
actively and aggressively dealt with, for we must never forget that
just 60 years ago, Europe saw the worst scourge of systematic,
government-ordained hatred, violence and murder in the history of
mankind, in what was an unbelievable Holocaust.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has
recognized and condemned anti-Semitic violence in its member states. At
its parliamentary assembly in July 2002, the OSCE resolved to
aggressively enforce laws and investigate anti-Semitic criminal acts.
It is important that the United States openly support the OSCE's
resolution and actively encourage it to address hatred and prevent
violence in Europe.
Mr. Speaker, there are several topics on which the United States and
Europe disagree. There must be no disagreement, however, on the
absolute right of the Jewish people to practice their religion freely
and to live in peace and prosperity. The Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe should not only investigate anti-Semitic crimes
but also promote and facilitate discussions that address the root
causes of xenophobic hatred.
I encourage my colleagues and the administration to take advantage of
bilateral meetings with our European counterparts to reaffirm our deep
commitment to the prevention of violence in Europe.
I again thank the gentleman from New Jersey for bringing this
resolution to the floor and urge its adoption.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), a distinguished member of the
Committee on International Relations.
Mr. CROWLEY. I thank my good friend the gentleman from California
(Mr. Lantos) for yielding me this time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support this resolution, and I
thank the gentleman from New Jersey for sponsoring this crucial piece
of legislation. I am very aware of the danger of being inactive about
the threat of anti-Semitism. It was anti-Semitism that was responsible
for the horrors of the Holocaust, the most horrible crime committed
against the Jewish people ever. Sadly, I have to say here today that
nearly 60 years after the end of World War II, anti-Semitism in Europe,
in many of the OSCE member states, is on the rise again. Once again we
witness evil propaganda, physical attacks against Jews, the burning of
Jewish sites and the desecration of synagogues. We must not stand aside
and ignore this grave escalation of anti-Semitic violence and hatred.
This resolution addresses this threat. It particularly calls on
administration officials and Members of Congress to focus on anti-
Semitism in their bilateral and multilateral meetings. It calls upon
OSCE member states to swiftly bring anti-Semitists to justice and to
focus on educational endeavors to fight anti-Semitic stereotypes.
I would also like to point out that this piece of legislation is
similar to a resolution I introduced last year. House Resolution 393
also addresses the anti-Semitic threat in the OSCE region. It urges
European governments to provide security and safety of the Jewish
communities, to prosecute and punish perpetrators of anti-Semitic
violence, and to cultivate a climate in which all forms of anti-
Semitism are rejected.
I was proud that my colleagues in Congress joined me in sending this
message to the European Union, but we must go further. Anti-Semitism
continues to fester throughout the OSCE region. This resolution is the
right follow-up to my legislation that passed in the last Congress.
Mr. Speaker, the threat of anti-Semitism is looming large and our
fight against it is far from over, but I believe that recognizing this
problem and taking action is critical. I therefore urge all of my
colleagues to strongly support House Resolution 49 sponsored by the
gentleman from New Jersey. I would ask them all to vote for this
resolution unanimously. I want to thank the gentleman from California
again for his work on this resolution and all my colleagues in bringing
this to the House floor.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join the gentleman from
New Jersey and the gentleman from California as I have over the years
on many human rights issues, and this is a human rights issue. Racism,
religious hatred, these are things that decent people must condemn and
we must unite in our strong opposition wherever this type of vile
behavior and vile thought patterns emerge. We must recognize that there
are, however, people who exploit these type of negative feelings and
this type of racial hatred. Anti-Semitism is perhaps the epitome of
this ignorance and irrationality and mindless hatred and it is again
raising its ugly head both in Europe and in the United States.
Let us note that over 10 years ago, a major political figure in the
United States referred to New York City as ``Hymietown.'' What is
important is the fact that he was winked at and that for 10 years after
that statement, he still remained a recognized leader. That did
tremendous harm in America's black community. It sent a horrible
message to young blacks and we are paying some of the price of an
increased anti-Semitism today in our black community by mistakes that
we made 10 years ago by not condemning that and other types of horrible
remarks that should never have been made or accepted in our political
debate.
In Europe today, we see that same kind of winking going on. Oh, yes,
people are ignoring statements that are being made that are totally
unacceptable to people who believe in civilized behavior and are
opposed to this type of vile hatred, the vile hatred in relationship to
their fellow man. This is an alarm bell today. I am very proud to stand
here with the gentleman from
[[Page H5846]]
California and the gentleman from New Jersey ringing the alarm bell. We
are not going to sit idly by and wink at an increase in this level of
hatred towards our Jewish friends nor towards any other minority in the
Western democracies. The Western democracies, our friends in Europe,
just like we in the United States, have to remain vigilant and it is up
to us as leaders of this society and the democratic leaders in Europe
to call to task those who would wink and would not condemn this type of
vicious trend in their society. We can cut it short now. Let us stand
together united against anti-Semitism and all such hatred.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to the
distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank).
Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, in terms that we do not
usually use on this floor but in terms that may be familiar to our
friends in Europe, in the American context, I am a man of the left. I
voted against the war in Iraq. I will vote for the resolution later
about Israel's right to respond to terrorism, but I will put into the
Congressional Record Tom Friedman's article urging them to think about
prudence and restraint. I think the settlements are by and large a
mistake. And I speak today in defense of this resolution, specifically
to others on the left in Europe, many of whom have in my judgment been
morally deficient in the obligation we have to speak out against
prejudice and injustice across the board. Those who hold to liberal
values have no moral right to put an ideological screen between victims
and those values, and those on the left who use an excuse of a
disagreement with the policy of the Sharon government or the Bush
government or anybody else as a reason to be soft on anti-Semitism
betray liberalism and betray its values.
By the way, with regard to the government of Israel, let me speak to
the people on the left. I disagree with some aspects of its policy, but
I staunchly defend its right to exist. But even more important, by
every value that I as a liberal hold dear, the government and society
of Israel is quite morally superior to any of its neighbors, and to
focus only on those aspects of disagreement and to ignore its
longstanding commitment to civil rights and civil liberties, in fact I
think our society, the United States, has a good deal to learn from the
society of Israel about how you deal with external threats and still
show a respect for civil liberties.
I thank the gentleman from California and the gentleman from New
Jersey for bringing this forward and the gentleman from Illinois for
his support. I want to reiterate as a man on the left who shares a
great deal of both general values and specific policy prescriptions
with many on the left in Europe, I am appalled at those who fail to
carry out our liberal principles fully and across the board. A vigorous
and ongoing condemnation of anti-Semitism is a requisite part of that
commitment.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
At the most recent conference that was held in Vienna, I just want to
again thank the great work that Ambassador Minikes did, our Ambassador
to the OSCE. He has worked very, very hard to help put together that
anti-Semitism conference. He did an outstanding job. Ambassador Cliff
Sobel, our Ambassador to the Netherlands, also worked very hard on it
as well, as did many others in the State Department. It was a joint
effort. Again I want to thank Rudy Giuliani for the good work he did in
leading that.
Let me just also say that, Mr. Speaker, next week in Rotterdam we
will have an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and I plan on offering another
resolution on anti-Semitism at that and hopefully we continue not only
this dialogue but this outrage that we are expressing about
intolerance. The more we raise our voices, the more we have mutually
reinforcing policies, including good law, good law enforcement and
hopefully a chronicling of these misdeeds so that law enforcement knows
that they do indeed have a problem. This has been a particular problem
in Europe, where hate crimes are committed and they are not attributed
to the hate crimes that they represent.
{time} 1315
The more we chronicle, the more we will see that there is an
explosion of anti-Semitism in Europe. This is a good resolution. I
thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), and I thank the
gentleman and chairman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for moving this bill
expeditiously through the committee and for his strong support for it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Berkley), a distinguished member of the Committee on
International Relations and a fighter for human rights.
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from
California (Mr. Lantos) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith)
for putting this before our body.
I grew up hearing about anti-Semitism from my grandparents and my
parents, things that I could not believe could have ever happened; but
the anti-Semitism acts that they spoke of seemed like historic oddities
to me, something from a distant time and a distant place. I never
dreamed, never dreamed that anti-Semitism could ever rear its ugly head
again during my lifetime or the lifetime of my children.
Especially after World War II, I thought Europe and the rest of the
world had learned a very important and valuable lesson. I ran for
Congress so that I could speak out against issues that I thought were
horrific; and anti-Semitism, and its continued existence on this
planet, is certainly something that I wish to speak out against. I am
glad that we are condemning anti-Semitism in no uncertain terms and
putting the United States Congress on record and speaking out
forcefully against this horrible scourge and plague.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to
reclaim my time for purposes of yielding the remainder of my time to
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bass). Is there objection to the request
of the gentleman from New Jersey?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 1 minute.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Helsinki
Commission for yielding me this time. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of
this very important resolution.
This is about anti-Semitism. But more broadly than that, it is about
hate. It is about the human inclination from time to time to hate
others who are different, to discriminate against others who are
different, who have a different color of skin, who have a different
religion, who have a different national origin. More human violence
perhaps has been perpetrated in the name of those distinctions and
prejudices and hate than any other.
It is important that we regularly and strongly and without
equivocation speak out against those who would perpetrate and spread
hate in our world, in our country, in our communities.
I thank the gentleman from New Jersey, and I thank my good friend,
the gentleman from California, for their leadership on this issue. It
is an appropriate statement for us to make as the representatives of a
free and tolerant people.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Davis).
(Mr. DAVIS of Alabama asked and was given permission to revise and
extend his remarks.)
Mr. DAVIS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I do not want this debate to end
without adding my voice in support of the resolution.
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Nadler), a distinguished fighter for human rights.
Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, many people thought that the Holocaust cleansed the
Western world of anti-Semitism, that the catastrophe, the mass murder,
and the genocide in the Holocaust caused the civilized world or at
least the Western part of the civilized world to recoil in such horror
that anti-Semitism would
[[Page H5847]]
not be a major problem again. We now know that maybe it did that for a
generation or two, but that the scourge of anti-Semitism is returning
in great and terrible force in its ancient homeland of Europe and other
places.
Today we have two major problems of anti-Semitism: in Europe and in
the Muslim world. It is very appropriate that we adopt this resolution
today to ask the governments of Europe through the OSCE and
individually to crack down on anti-Semitism, to speak out against it,
to act against it because many of the governments of Europe, many of
the parts of the political left in Europe and elsewhere as well as the
right have not done so. They ought to do so. And this resolution is
fitting and appropriate to adopt today for that purpose.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.
Con. Res. 49, expressing the sense of Congress that the sharp
escalation of anti-Semitic violence within many participating States of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is of profound
concern and efforts should be undertaken to prevent future occurrences.
I begin by praising the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe for their conference this past weekend devoted to the issues of
anti-Semitism and how to combat it. The Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is the largest regional security
organization in the world with 55 participating countries from Europe,
Central Asia, and North America. The OSCE has a comprehensive and
cooperative approach to security, stressing preventative diplomacy and
human rights.
The conference last weekend was the first high level OSCE conference
devoted specifically to the issue of anti-Semitism. Over 400 government
and nongovernment officials attended.
The conference took place at Vienna's Hofburg Palace. This same
location is where Hitler stood, 65 years ago, proclaiming Austria's
annexation to a cheering crowd of thousands. Sixty-five years later,
what can we say about tolerance and diversity in Europe? What can we
say about Human Rights worldwide? Specifically, 65 years after the
beginning of the worst genocide in our time, what can we say we have
learned about anti-Semitism and the horrors of racial hatred?
Much has changed since then. Yet today there are both overt and
subtle versions of anti-Semitism, in the United States and abroad.
Physical assaults, arson at synagogues and desecration of Jewish
cultural sites are occurring. Unfortunately, government officials are
not speaking harshly enough against them.
The conference on anti-Semitism opened a day after the Romanian
Government retracted an earlier claim that ``there was no Holocaust''
on Romanian soil. In Greece, a recent newspaper cartoon had one Israeli
soldier telling the other, ``we were not in Dachau concentration camp
to survive, but to learn.''
France has experienced a six-fold increase in anti-Semitic incidents
in the space of a year. In Poland, the word ``Jewish'' is used as a
term of abuse for Polish soccer fans. In other parts of Europe, claims
are made that Jews had forewarning of the September 11th attacks at the
Pentagon and World Trade Towers.
The existence of anti-Semitism has played throughout history as a
major threat to freedom. Participating states of the OSCE should
unequivocally condemn anti-Semitism, racial and ethnic hatred and
xenophobia, and they need to be loud and clear in their message.
We cannot allow future generations to be taught a distorted view of
history. Prejudice must be rooted out of textbooks, governments must
speak out against these wrongdoings, and anti-Semitic actions must be
classified as hate crimes. We also need to ensure effective law
enforcement. Finally, we must promote the creation of educational
efforts and we must increase Holocaust awareness. I abhor and stand
against all forms of hatred.
If action had been taken in the 1930s, many lives could have been
saved. There are so many lessons of history that need to be learned,
lest they not be repeated. For that reason I support H. Con. Res. 49.
Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker: I will reluctantly vote in favor of this
legislation, partly because it is simply a sense of Congress
resolution. But I am concerned about this bill and the others like it
we face with regularity on the floor of Congress. We all condemn
violence against innocents, whether it is motivated by hatred,
prejudice, greed, jealousy, or whatever else. But that is not what this
legislation is really about. It is about the Congress of the United
States presuming to know--and to legislate on--the affairs of European
countries. First, this is the United States Congress. We have no
Constitutional authority to pass legislation affecting foreign
countries. Second, when we get involved in matters such as this we
usually get it wrong. H. Con. Res. 45 is an example of us getting it
wrong on both fronts.
This legislation refers to the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe as if
it is a purely homegrown phenomenon, as if native residents of European
countries are suddenly committing violent crimes against Jews. But I
think we are only getting part of the story here. What is absent from
the legislation is mention of the well-reported fact that much of the
anti-Jewish violence in Europe is perpetrated by recent immigrants from
Muslim countries of the Middle East and Africa. Reporting on a
firebombing of a Synagogue in Marseille, France, for example, the New
York Times quotes the longtime president of that region's Jewish
Council, Charles Haddad, as saying, ``This is not anti-Semitic
violence; it's the Middle East conflict that's playing out here.''
Therefore, part of the problem in many European countries is the
massive immigration from predominantly Muslim countries, where new
residents bring their hatreds and prejudices with them. Those European
politicians who recognize this growing problem--there are now 600,000
Jews in France and five million Muslims--are denounced as racist and
worse. While I do not oppose immigration, it must be admitted that
massive immigration from vastly different cultures brings a myriad of
potential problems and conflicts. These are complicated issues for we
in Congress to deal with here in the United States. Yes, prejudice and
hatred are evil and must be opposed, but it is absurd for us to try to
solve these problems in countries overseas.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 49.
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.
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