[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 162 (Monday, November 2, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H7372-H7378]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
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EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING SAFETY AND SECURITY OF
EUROPEAN JEWISH COMMUNITIES
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
resolution (H. Res. 354) expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities
in Europe.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 354
Whereas anti-Semitic rhetoric and acts, including violent
attacks on people and places of faith, have increased in
frequency, variety, and severity in many countries in Europe;
Whereas the French Service de Protection de la Communaute
Juive (Jewish Community Security Service) reported an
increase in anti-Semitic acts in France between 2013 to 2014
(from 423 acts to 851), including an increase in violent ones
(from 105 acts to 241);
Whereas the Community Security Trust reported an increase
in anti-Semitic acts in
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the United Kingdom between 2013 to 2014 (from 535 acts to
1,168), including an increase in violent ones (from 69 to
81); and the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary
European Jewry reported an increase in anti-Semitic acts
between 2013 and 2014 in Germany (from 788 acts to 1076,
including 36 violent acts to 76), Belgium (from 64 acts to
109, including 11 violent acts to 30), Austria (from 137 acts
to 255, including 4 violent acts to 9), and Italy (from 45 to
90, including 12 violent acts to 23);
Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported, in
its latest available statistics, 870 incidents in 2012 with
anti-Jewish bias motivation, including 13 violent incidents,
and 625 incidents in 2013 with anti-Jewish bias motivation,
including four violent incidents;
Whereas anti-Semitic attacks have been increasingly
directed at places of ordinary daily life and places of
worship, including--
(1) the violent extremist who pledged his loyalty to the
Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and attacked a
kosher supermarket in Paris, France, January 9, 2015,
murdering four Jewish patrons; and
(2) the violent extremist who pledged his loyalty to ISIS
and attacked the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen, Denmark,
during a bat mitzvah celebration, February 15, 2015,
murdering a member of the Jewish community on security duty,
and wounding two members of the Danish Police Service;
Whereas anti-Semitic attacks are threats to the fundamental
freedoms, rights, security, and diversity of all citizens,
societies, and countries in which they occur;
Whereas governments have primary responsibility for the
security and safety of all of their citizens and therefore
primary responsibility for monitoring, preventing, and
responding to anti-Semitic violence;
Whereas Jewish community groups that focus on strengthening
safety awareness, crisis management, and preparedness are
essential to keeping members of the Jewish community safe,
and complement efforts of government and inter-governmental
entities;
Whereas keeping members of Jewish communities safe requires
government agencies, intergovernmental institutions and
agencies, and law enforcement associations, formally
recognizing and partnering with Jewish community groups that
focus on safety awareness and crisis management and
preparedness;
Whereas in the United States, United Kingdom, and France,
there are examples of formal recognition, partnership,
training, and information-sharing between government entities
and Jewish community security groups that have strengthened
these countries and contributed to the safety and security of
Jewish communities;
Whereas Jewish community groups, consortia, and
initiatives, have formed and are forming to focus on safety
awareness, crisis management, and preparedness, and partner
with law enforcement entities and thought leaders;
Whereas information-sharing and action-focused campaigns,
including the national ``If You See Something, Say
Something'' campaign of the Department of Homeland Security,
which rely on members of the public reporting suspicious
activity to law enforcement personnel, are critical to
preventing violent attacks on individuals and communities;
Whereas relevant information, research, and analysis is
vital to strengthening the preparedness, prevention,
mitigation, and response of Jewish communities and law
enforcement agencies;
Whereas broader efforts to counter violent extremism, and
efforts to counter anti-Semitism, should be integrated with
each other as appropriate and share best practices;
Whereas in the Berlin Declaration of April 29, 2004,
participating States of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) condemned anti-Semitism and
committed themselves to specific actions to combat it, and to
collect and maintain reliable information and statistics
about anti-Semitic crimes;
Whereas, on December 6, 2013, the Ministerial Council of
the OSCE, which is composed of the Foreign Ministers of
participating States, adopted Decision number 3/13 entitled
``Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion, or Belief'',
emphasizing ``the link between security and full respect for
the freedom of thought'', and committing member governments
to adopt ``policies to promote respect and protection for
places of worship and religious sites, religious monuments,
cemeteries and shrines against vandalism and destruction'',
among other specific actions;
Whereas, on December 5, 2014, the Ministerial Council of
the OSCE adopted Declaration number 8, the Basel Declaration,
on ``Enhancing Efforts to Combat Anti-Semitism'', in which
members of the Council stated, ``We express our concern at
the disconcerting number of anti-Semitic incidents that
continue to take place in the OSCE area and remain a
challenge to stability and security'' and ``We stress the
importance of States collaborating with civil society through
effective partnerships and strengthened dialogue and co-
operation on combating anti-Semitism''; and
Whereas in 2004, Congress passed the Global Anti-Semitism
Review Act, which established an Office to Monitor and Combat
Anti-Semitism, headed by a Special Envoy to Monitor and
Combat Anti-Semitism: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) urges the United States Government to work closely with
European governments and their law enforcement agencies, the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
the European Union, Europol, and Interpol, encouraging them
to--
(A) formally recognize, partner, train, and share
information with Jewish community security groups to
strengthen preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and response
related to anti-Semitic attacks and to support related
research initiatives;
(B) consider the formal partnerships in the United States,
the United Kingdom, and France, between government entities
and Jewish community security groups, as examples of
partnership, training, and information-sharing;
(C) support assessments of the--
(i) general environment in which anti-Semitic attacks
occur;
(ii) data on types of crimes committed and the response
from law enforcement;
(iii) relationships of Jewish community groups with local
law enforcement agencies, including joint training
opportunities and information sharing;
(iv) preparedness, including emergency response plans, of
Jewish community groups; and
(v) response of local law enforcement systems to anti-
Semitic attacks, including incident reporting, initial
response, and the prioritization and prosecution of those
crimes;
(D) utilize these assessments to help make adjustments to
their strategies and efforts to combat anti-Semitism as
needed;
(E) help Jewish communities develop common, baseline safety
standards;
(F) consider developing a standardized pan-European
information-sharing and alerting system that can include
governmental and non-governmental agencies, as well as Jewish
communities;
(G) develop safety-awareness and suspicious activity
reporting campaigns;
(H) integrate, as appropriate, efforts to combat violent
extremism and efforts to combat anti-Semitism;
(I) ensure law enforcement personnel are effectively
trained to monitor, prevent, and respond to anti-Semitic
violence, and to partner with Jewish communities;
(J) reaffirm and work for the implementation of the OSCE
declarations, decisions, and other commitments focusing on
anti-Semitism; and
(K) ensure senior officials, with commensurate authority
and resources, have been appointed or designated to combat
anti-Semitism and collaborate with governmental and inter-
governmental agencies, law enforcement agencies, Jewish
community groups, and other civil society groups;
(2) reaffirms its support for the mandate of the United
States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as
part of the broader policy priority of fostering
international religious freedom; and
(3) urges the Secretary of State to continue robust United
States reporting on anti-Semitism by the Department of State
and the Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include any extraneous materials in the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism in Europe is on the rise. Jewish
communities there are on the edge. Fearing this rise in hatred toward
them may signal a return to Europe's darkest days. This sad reality is
well documented by authoritative reports from the Pew Foundation, the
Anti-Defamation League, and others.
In 2015, a survey by the Anti-Defamation League showed that over 25
percent of European respondents said that they harbored anti-Semitic
feelings; and that number had significantly increased from the year
before in a few countries, such as in the Netherlands and in the United
Kingdom.
It is a phenomenon clearly felt on the streets, seen scrawled across
synagogues and in desecrated burial sites, and even demonstrated in
deadly acts of terror. We all recall the horrific attacks on the
Charlie Hebdo offices and
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the grocery in Paris and the later attacks at a synagogue and a cafe in
Copenhagen. Just last month in Manchester, four Jewish youths were
attacked by thugs who shouted their hatred of Jews. One of the victims,
a 17-year-old boy, had to be hospitalized.
The rise of such attacks and hate-filled rhetoric is causing Europe's
Jews to look over their shoulders and even consider fleeing communities
that they have been a part of for over 20 generations, to seek safety
elsewhere.
Targeted violence against the Jewish people or any other religious or
minority group is repugnant. Sadly, the Jewish people have been among
the most persecuted in the world.
When you think of the consequences of the Holocaust, when you think
of the consequences of the Inquisition, the magnitude of it comes home
when you realize that there are as many Jews left alive on this planet
today as there were during the early days of the Roman Empire. The
slaughter of these people, their persecution, leaves for humanity the
thought: Have we learned nothing from the Holocaust?
European leaders must unequivocally send this message to their people
and act to provide greater protection for their Jewish citizens.
This important resolution proposes several commonsense steps for our
European allies to consider to improve the safety of their Jewish
communities:
It calls for establishing partnerships between law enforcement and
Jewish community groups in order to improve the security plans,
training, and enhanced law enforcement response to these anti-Semitic
attacks.
Improved sharing of information between government agencies, law
enforcement, and Jewish community groups is another key recommendation.
Finally, this measure encourages European nations to improve
communication between themselves and with the United States to analyze
trends in anti-Semitic crimes and to share best practices in combating
extremism.
As we learned from the Holocaust, anti-Semitic sentiment can lay the
foundation for persecution of Jewish communities under the guise of
political protest or under the guise of nationalistic pride. That is
why leaders of free societies everywhere must expose these prejudices
for the dangers they pose to their communities.
I want to recognize Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey for
authoring this important measure. And, as always, I thank Ranking
Member Engel for his help on this measure and in getting this bill to
the floor.
I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this timely resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume,
and I rise in support of this measure.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce, again, for being on top
of all these very important issues. Under his leadership, the Foreign
Affairs Committee has really taken the lead on important issues such as
this.
I want to also thank Mr. Smith from New Jersey for sponsoring this
resolution. As the chair of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa,
Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, Chris Smith has
been focused on the disturbing surge of anti-Semitism in Europe. He is
always there. He always speaks out forcefully about anti-Semitism and
other things that are important to him. I am grateful for his
leadership.
It is disappointing that we still need to take up this sort of
measure. As we all know, anti-Semitism, that ancient hatred, has
continued smoldering through the centuries. Week after week, we hear
reports of new anti-Semitic attacks: the vandalism of the Babi Yar
Holocaust site in Kiev--I have been there a number of times. It is very
disheartening that that would be desecrated--the targeting of the Great
Synagogue in Copenhagen; and, of course, the unfathomable attack, as
Chairman Royce mentioned, in Paris last January.
We would be foolish to dismiss this surge in anti-Semitism as the
work of violent, fringe individuals. In countries like Hungary and
Greece, shamefully, we see explicitly anti-Semitic political parties
winning seats and elections. It is deeply troubling, very disturbing.
It wasn't even a century ago that we heard this canary in the coal
mine. You can draw a straight line from early indifference and inaction
to the darkest chapter in human history. The lessons of the Holocaust
are seared in our collective consciousness. Those lessons are telling
us to throw water on this fire before it burns out of control.
I was born after World War II in New York, and I remember hearing
family members talking about anti-Semitism. The general prevailing
thought was, well, this is something that will never happen again, that
the Holocaust was so horrific that world humanity would understand that
something like this could never happen again. When I say ``never happen
again,'' I mean to any group--not just to Jewish groups, to any group.
This cannot be tolerated, and one has to just look around the world
to see all the hatred and all the people who are being slaughtered
because of who they are or what tribe they are from or what people they
are from.
It is particularly galling in Europe, where so many people--6 million
Jewish people--perished during the Holocaust, that anti-Semitism would
rear its ugly head again. One would think that people would be ashamed
and would not want to go down the anti-Semitic path again.
Here it is, barely 70 years after the end of World War II, and we see
an alarming rise. And it is an alarming rise from a lot of different
communities. There are skinheads and people who have always uttered
anti-Semitic remarks.
We also, unfortunately, have a number of people living in Europe of
Middle Eastern descent who also are using the conflict between Israel
and the Palestinians to, again, fan the fires of anti-Semitic hatred.
As the numbers of people from Arab lands go to Europe, some,
unfortunately, are fanning the fires of anti-Semitism. That has to be
condemned and stopped as well.
Anti-Semitism needs to be condemned no matter who is espousing it, no
matter where it is coming from, and no matter what they are saying. It
is really time to call it the way it is.
So we need greater vigilance by law enforcement when Jewish
communities in Europe are under threat. But it is not that simple. We
also need greater leadership from officials by speaking out against
anti-Semitism. We had a bill just a couple of hours ago--maybe not even
a couple of hours ago--which talked about the Palestinian leadership
not condemning anti-Semitism and having incitement of things that
result in anti-Semitic attacks.
So this is the same thing. It is the same thing, whether it is in
Europe or the Middle East. It is rearing its ugly head, and it is time
for us to continue to speak out against it.
The United States of America has always been the bastion of society,
and the world looks to us for leadership. I think it is very important
that the United States Congress is doing this now.
So we need greater vigilance by law enforcement when Jewish
communities in Europe are under threat, but it is not that simple. We
also need greater leadership from officials by speaking out against
anti-Semitism. We need stronger partnerships with Jewish communities to
help them develop their own safety responses, community policing
techniques, and information sharing with government agencies.
We need to foster cultures that respect diversity and don't ostracize
minority groups. I condemn any kind of ostracizing of any minority
group in this country or around the world. We need to step in and say
that we will not tolerate it.
So this resolution encourages these efforts, and I encourage my
colleagues to support it. Anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head, but
it can be defeated. I think what the Congress is doing today is a very
good step in that direction.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield the remainder of my time to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), the author of this measure, and
I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control the time. Mr.
Smith, as U.S. chairman of the Helsinki Commission, works with our
European allies to improve the security and improve the safety of these
Jewish communities in Europe. We appreciate his authorship of this
resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
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There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for his
leadership on this very important human rights issue, as he has done so
ably and effectively on all of these issues, particularly his
leadership on Iran; and that, of course, would be echoed with Eliot
Engel's excellent work there as well. This is a group of leaders that
have made a huge difference. So thank you, Chairman Royce, for that.
H. Res. 354, Mr. Speaker, prescribes specific, effective actions that
government should take in response to the deadly threats to the Jewish
communities in Europe. As we all know, the number of violent anti-
Semitic attacks have increased from 100 to 400 percent in some European
countries since 2013 alone. Murders in Paris and Copenhagen and
elsewhere remind us that there are those who are motivated by anti-
Semitic hate and have the will and the means to kill.
I would just note parenthetically that my work in combating anti-
Semitism began back in 1981, in my first term, from this very podium,
speaking out in favor of Jewish refuseniks. I joined Mark Levin and the
NCSJ 1 year later in 1982 on a trip to the Soviet Union where we met
with men and women who were targeted by the KGB and the Soviet evil
empire simply because they were Jewish. Sadly, anti-Semitism has not
abated, and in recent years, it has actually worsened.
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This resolution calls for the United States Government to work with
our European allies on specific actions that are essential to keep
European Jewish communities safe and secure. It is based on
consultations with the leading experts who are working directly with
these communities. The resolution focuses on the formal partnerships
between European law enforcement agencies and Jewish community security
groups.
Here in the United States, Mr. Speaker, the collaboration between the
Department of Homeland Security and Security Community Network--an
initiative of the Jewish Federation of North America and the Conference
of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations--has been
essential to protecting Jewish communities here.
The formal partnerships between the Community Security Trust in the
United Kingdom and the Jewish Community Security Service in France and
their respective governments are also excellent models that need to be
emulated.
The resolution emphasizes the importance of consistent, two-way
communication and information sharing between law enforcement agencies
and Jewish community groups. It encourages the development of a pan-
European information sharing, communication, and alerting system, and
envisions governments, intergovernmental agencies, and Jewish
communities working together on it. Such a system should function day-
round and year-round and include training for personnel who are
implementing it.
The resolution also calls for European governments to support
assessments in several key areas and accordingly adjust their actions
and strategies. Details matter. The assessments should gather and
analyze data on crimes committed, response from law enforcement, types
of attacks or incidents that are most prevalent, and the types of
targets that are most at risk.
It is essential to understand how law enforcement agencies usually
receive reports of anti-Semitic crimes and what initial actions they
take when a report is filed.
I remember years ago, when I offered a resolution at the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly, we heard that it was just hooliganism and other
kinds of acts done by young people when you spray-paint a swastika on a
tombstone in a Jewish cemetery, when you deface a synagogue, and you
attack a man simply because he is wearing a yarmulke. Clearly, these
are acts of anti-Semitic hate; yet, they were being dismissed as
something that was other.
Assessments are also needed on Jewish community security groups,
particularly of their capabilities, resources, relationships with local
law enforcement agencies, preparedness, including emergency response
plans, and the extent to which their decisionmaking is based on the
best available information, analysis, and practices.
The resolution calls for governments to use these assessments to help
these community groups develop common baseline safety standards. These
standards should include, as I said before, training, controlling
access to physical facilities, physical security measures, including
cameras, and crisis communications. Emergency exercises and
simulations, mapping access to facilities, and sharing information with
law enforcement agencies should also be part of the standards.
These assessments, Mr. Speaker, will help achieve the resolution's
call for law enforcement personnel to be well trained to monitor,
prevent, and respond to anti-Semitic violence and to partner with
Jewish communities. For all of these assessments, governments should
draw information from sources that include Jewish groups, law
enforcement agencies, independent human rights NGOs, research
initiatives, and other civil society groups and leaders.
H. Res. 354 calls for safety awareness and suspicious activity
reporting campaigns, like ``If you see something, say something'' here
in the United States. Other aspects of the resolution include
appropriately integrating initiatives to counter violent extremism and
those to combat anti-Semitism and the urgency of implementing the
declarations, decisions, and other commitments of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe that focus on anti-Semitism.
To accomplish these goals, the resolution calls for European
governments to ensure that they appoint or designate senior officials
with the necessary authority and resources to combat anti-Semitism and
collaborate with governmental and intergovernmental agencies, law
enforcement, and Jewish community groups.
Finally, the resolution reaffirms support for the mandate of the
United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as part
of the broader policy of fostering international religious freedom and
urges the Secretary of State to continue robust U.S. reporting on anti-
Semitism by the Department of State and the Special Envoy to Combat and
Monitor Anti-Semitism.
I would note parenthetically that I authored the amendment to the
Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004, introduced and sponsored by
Senator Voinovich. My amendment created the Office to Monitor and
Combat Anti-Semitism within the State Department. That has proven to be
a key tool in this fight.
Mr. Speaker, the resolution has the support of leading organizations,
and it has 89 cosponsors, including all eight of the co-chairs of the
Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism.
I would like to acknowledge, Mr. Speaker, John Farmer, Jr., and Paul
Goldenberg for their tireless efforts and dedication and leadership in
fighting anti-Semitism and terrorism over the years.
John is a former attorney general of New Jersey and is now on the
steering committee of the Institute for Emergency Preparedness and
Homeland Security and is the codirector of the Faith-Based Communities
Security Program at Rutgers University.
Paul is the executive director of the Secure Community Network and a
senior adviser to the Institute and the program. Several major Jewish
communities in Europe have relied on their counsel, and both have spent
time on the ground within these communities.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge and single out for very, very
special thanks and recognition Rabbi Andy Baker, personal
representative of the OSCE chair in the Office on Combating Anti-
Semitism and director of the International Jewish Affairs for the
American Jewish Committee. He has been critical--critical--to American
leadership in Europe and in the United States in the fight against
anti-Semitism.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New
York (Mrs. Lowey), my good friend and the ranking member of the
Committee on Appropriations.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to particularly thank Chairman Ed
Royce
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and my good friend, our ranking member of the committee, Eliot Engel,
and all those who were so involved in putting this important resolution
together.
I rise in support of House Resolution 354. It was introduced by the
co-chairs of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism. In
the aftermath of appalling anti-Semitic incidents throughout Europe,
including the devastating terrorist attacks at the Paris kosher
supermarket and the Great Synagogue of Copenhagen, this important
resolution urges the United States Government to help improve the
safety and security of Jewish communities in Europe.
From Austria to Belgium, Germany to the United Kingdom, Ukraine to
France, there has been a sharp rise in assaults on Jewish individuals
and acts of vandalism on Jewish places of worship, cemeteries, and
memorials. Such destruction and desecration is unacceptable and must be
stopped. That is why this resolution is so critical.
It highlights specific ways the administration can work with European
governments, especially law enforcement agencies, to formally recognize
and partner with Jewish organizations to develop common safety
standards, alert systems, information-sharing mechanisms, and ensure
that local law enforcement personnel are effectively trained to
monitor, prevent, and respond to anti-Semitic violence.
I want to express my appreciation to my fellow co-chairs of the Anti-
Semitism Taskforce, Representatives Smith, Engel, Granger, Israel, Ros-
Lehtinen, Deutch, and Roskam. The task force remains committed to
working across regions, religions, and party lines to condemn all anti-
Semitism and fight for the right of Jews to live freely as Jews without
fear.
Before closing, I also want to express my strong support for H. Res.
293, which condemns anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement within the
Palestinian Authority and calls on President Abbas to discourage such
despicable behavior.
The latest cycle of terrorism against Israel must end. The only way
it will end is if Palestinian leaders take genuine and immediate steps
to denounce all violence and promote security cooperation, coexistence,
and peace with Israel.
As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs of the Committee on Appropriations, I
will continue to do everything in my power to bolster Israel's security
to combat incitement and to promote stability and peaceful coexistence
throughout the world.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), the chair of the
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and the former chair of the full committee.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Mr.
Smith's bill, House Resolution 354, expressing the sense of the House
of Representatives regarding the safety and security of Jewish
communities in Europe. I was an original cosponsor of this resolution.
I want to highlight the work of my good friend and colleague, Chris
Smith, for his leadership on this issue and, indeed, for his tireless
efforts to fight anti-Semitism and support international religious
freedom.
I would also like to thank our fellow co-chairs of the congressional
Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism for demonstrating
their leadership on this issue in Congress and for raising the level of
awareness and dialogue within our body related to global anti-Semitism.
In recent years, Mr. Speaker, the protection and the promotion of
these values have moved from being part and parcel of our foreign
policy objective to not even ranking as one of our top priorities. It
is time.
It is way past time that we make respect for human rights and the
protection of religious and ethnic minorities a top priority for our
foreign policy objectives and show real leadership and show that we
have the will and the moral imperative to promote our values across the
world.
The terror group ISIL is rising in the Middle East. It is seeking to
establish an Islamic caliphate. It wants to wipe out the region's
religious minorities of all kinds and anyone who does not adhere to its
radical brand of Islam.
This, along with an alarming rise in anti-Semitism in Europe and
other attacks on religious freedom across the globe, underscores why
Mr. Smith's measure before us today is so timely, is so important.
It urges our government to work with European governments and law
enforcement agencies in order to help them fight the rise of anti-
Semitism across the continent and to make combating anti-Semitism part
of our government's broader policy of promoting international religious
freedom.
Europe is at the dawn of a lamentably repeated and dangerous era, one
of anti-Semitism, often masked through a political anti-Israel stance.
If we don't move to act now, Mr. Speaker, we may see more deadly
attacks, like the murder of four Jews in a kosher supermarket in Paris
earlier this year.
We in the United States must be at the forefront, leading the effort,
helping other nations develop a more comprehensive approach to
confronting the rising anti-Semitism problem. This measure before us
today establishes a good framework in moving forward.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30
seconds to the gentlewoman.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the task force
members, of which I am humbled to be just a small part, Congresspersons
Chris Smith, Kay Granger, Peter Roskam, Eliot Engel, Nita Lowey, Ted
Deutch, and Steve Israel, all of us working together to highlight the
spread of anti-Semitism and steps we must take to stem this tide.
I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution brought
forth by the gentleman from New Jersey. I thank all of the Members who
have worked on the task force to bring this forward.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains on both
sides?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York has 11 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from New Jersey has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), who is the ranking member of the
Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs and a good friend.
{time} 1930
Mr. DEUTCH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman, the ranking member of
the Foreign Affairs Committee, for yielding and for his tireless work
to address the threat of anti-Semitism around the world.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution was a collaborative effort among my
fellow co-chairs of the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-
Semitism, and I thank each of them for their commitment to bringing
attention and responding to the proliferation of anti-Semitism
globally. I especially want to thank and acknowledge Congressman Smith
of New Jersey for his commitment to human rights and his ongoing fight
against anti-Semitism.
This resolution is a strong statement by Congress that, in the face
of rising global anti-Semitism, countries, including ours, must
prioritize the security and the protection of their Jewish communities.
The anti-Semitism we are witnessing around the world today is both
unique and longstanding. It is amorphous and it is very direct. It is
complex. But in many ways, it is straightforward hatred.
Not every case of anti-Semitism will garner international attention
like the attack on the Paris supermarket earlier this year. However,
Jewish communities around the world experience attacks and intimidation
on a regular basis.
Just weeks ago, in Marseille, France, an armed man attacked three
Jews near a synagogue, including a rabbi and his 19-year-old son. A
third man suffered serious injuries from the stabbing. Earlier this
year, in Argentina, the phrase ``death to the Jews'' and a swastika
were spray painted. In Ukraine, there have been at least three
incidents of Holocaust memorials desecrated with swastikas. And in many
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cities, Jews are simply afraid to walk the streets as Jews.
Tragically, these cases are far too commonplace for Jewish
communities. No one, Jewish or otherwise, should ever have to accept
they will feel targeted, that they will not feel safe, and that their
lives are always somewhat at risk.
Governments must take a hard look at the trends of bigotry developing
in their countries. They must be sufficiently prepared to react
preemptively and respond swiftly to cases of violence and intimidation
against Jewish communities.
This resolution, among other things, calls on countries to build
partnerships between communities and law enforcement agencies and to
establish standard procedures for responding to threats and attacks by
outlining steps to take and the responsibilities for each party.
I welcome the historic and continued bipartisan and overwhelming
support in Congress for combating anti-Semitism. Tonight, we stand
against anti-Semitism, it is true; but where anti-Semitism grows, it is
a symptom of the growth of hatred, of bigotry, and of the violation of
human rights.
I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution and, in turn, to
support a world where hatred of any type, anti-Semitism and all hatred,
will not be tolerated. That is the world that we envision on the floor
of the United States House of Representatives this evening.
Again, I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Connolly), a very valued member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee.
Mr. CONNOLLY. I thank my friend from New York for his leadership. I
also thank Mr. Chris Smith of New Jersey, of course, for his
leadership, and that of the taskforce.
Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism and the safety of Jewish communities in
Europe are issues with overwhelmingly powerful historical context. The
Continent has more than intimate knowledge of the devastation wrought
by the purveyors of anti-Semitism.
When we say ``never again,'' our threshold for action shouldn't be
the impending threat of violence, let alone genocide. Instead, we must
marshal the will and resources to stamp out even the conditions or
precursors to an environment that allows for such anti-Semitism to
flourish. In fact, when we face anti-Semitism today, whether it be
here, in Europe, or in any part of the world, we ought to say to those
purveyors, ``We are all Jews.'' That is the protection we ought to
seek.
The proactive measures and collaboration encouraged by this
resolution are in keeping with what should be our highest standard for
vigilance with respect to anti-Semitism. ``Never again'' isn't about
words. It is a pledge that is sacred and must be kept.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I want to
thank everybody who has put effort into bringing this resolution to the
floor.
It is not difficult to stand up--or it shouldn't be difficult, and I
don't think it is--to speak against anti-Semitism, but it is a little
more difficult to have carved a niche in the United States Government
and governments around the world as being a leader in fighting for
human rights and against anti-Semitism; and that is what I have seen
Congressman Chris Smith do.
Congressman Smith is the chair of the Helsinki Commission, of which I
am a proud member. I got to know Mr. Smith during the hearings we have
had and the travels on the Helsinki Commission. Chris Smith is a super
leader in looking out for people and minorities all over the world. So
I thank him particularly for his efforts at spearheading this and being
vigilant. It is so important.
It is hard to fathom that we still have anti-Semitism in this world.
It wasn't that long ago that the Holocaust occurred. We have got
Holocaust museums and programs throughout different countries. We have
had a lot of Holocaust museums and an understanding in Germany as well,
but you have got skinheads and disciples of ISIL who continue to spread
hate and venom.
I know Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust, said that people who
hate, hate everyone; and I know Elie Wiesel, who was a genius and a
prophet, was right. So it is important that we stand up and that we
share resources with our European allies to fight anti-Semitism and
that this country remains a bulwark in fighting against anti-Semitism.
We haven't always been that. We are today, and we will continue to be.
I am proud to support this resolution. I thank the Members for
bringing it, and I urge all Members to vote for it and pass it.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
I just want to thank my dear colleague, Mr. Cohen, and the other
members of the taskforce.
This is truly a bipartisan resolution. We all contributed to it. We
all care deeply about it. I want him and my other colleagues to know
how deeply I respect their efforts, which have been Herculean, to try
to end this cruelty that is on the rise in Europe, in the United
States, and in other parts. We know in the Middle East it is perhaps as
bad as it has ever been; and the diaspora that makes its way into
Europe is carrying that hatred with them--not all of them, of course,
but a sizable number--presenting more and more challenges.
This is truly a bipartisan effort, and I want to thank Mr. Cohen for
his comments.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the
gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), who is a newer
Member, but she has certainly made her mark.
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I want to thank Mr. Engel for giving me this
opportunity to speak, and I want to thank my colleague and neighbor,
Congressman Chris Smith, for introducing this resolution. I stand in
proud support of the resolution, and I urge its passage.
Mr. Speaker, more than 70 years removed from the Holocaust, Jewish
residents in Europe face renewed waves of anti-Semitic violence. The
Pew Research Center reported that global harassment of Jews has reached
a 7-year high. This violence is pronounced in Europe, where the
desecration of synagogues, cemeteries, schools, and other violent
incidents have spiked over the past few years.
The Jewish Community Security Trust reported more than 1,100 anti-
Jewish incidents in the United Kingdom in 2014, including 81 violent
assaults. That same year, according to the French Jewish advocacy group
CRIF, anti-Semitic incidents doubled in that nation. Troubling,
violent, and even deadly anti-Semitic attacks have also occurred in
countries such as Denmark, Belgium, and Germany.
As the leader in the international community, the United States plays
a very vital role in denouncing anti-Semitism and hate. The national
director of the Anti-Defamation League has attributed U.S. public
figures speaking out against hate as contributing to steady decreases
in anti-Semitic attitudes domestically.
As a nation founded on equality and religious freedom, we share a
responsibility to stand against anti-Semitism and against hate in all
its manifestations, whether it is the hate that manifested as four
people were killed at the HyperCacher Jewish supermarket outside of
Paris this past January, or the hate that manifested as the nine
Americans killed in the massacre at Mother Emmanuel AME in Charleston,
or the hate manifested as six killed at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek,
or the hate that manifested in the flames that have recently burned
countless Black churches to the ground. We must join together as a
nation and a global community to denounce hate wherever it may appear
and uproot weeds of hate wherever they may sprout.
With that, I urge my colleagues to support this.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Florida (Ms. Frankel), a very valued member of the Foreign Affairs
Committee.
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Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. I thank Mr. Engel, Mr. Smith, and my
colleagues on the anti-Semitism Taskforce.
Mr. Speaker, Susanne Winter, a member of the Austrian Parliament from
the extreme rightwing Freedom Party of Austria, received the following
post on her Facebook: ``The Zionist money Jews are the global problem.
Europe, and in particular Germany, are now getting what they deserve
from Zionist Jews, particularly rich Zionist Jews in the USA.'' Winter
responded to the post on Saturday. She said: ``It is great. You took
the words right out of my mouth.''
Mr. Speaker, this resolution condemning anti-Semitism in Europe takes
the words right out of my mouth, and I support it emphatically.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
History has shown us the tragedy of what can happen when this sort of
hatred goes on unchecked. It is past time for governments and
communities to focus on the rising tide of anti-Semitism in Europe and
do whatever it takes to turn it back.
This resolution sends a message that we are keeping a close eye on
the problem and that action is needed now to meet this challenge. I
encourage my colleagues to support this measure.
I want to also compliment my good friend Chris Smith. We all worked
hard on this, but no one works harder than he in combating anti-
Semitism. If you know Chris Smith, you know that, when he gets obsessed
with something, he follows it to the end; and it, as always, has a
great conclusion. He is obsessed against hatred. He is obsessed against
bad things happening to any group of people. I am very proud of the
work that he has done through the years, and I want to thank him for
his leadership in combating anti-Semitism.
I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Again, I want to thank Mr. Engel for his leadership and his kind
words. Again, this is truly a collaborative effort, and I want to thank
him for it.
Mr. Speaker, at a congressional hearing I chaired in 2002--and I
chaired about 18 such hearings on combating anti-Semitism--Dr. Shimon
Samuels of the Wiesenthal Center said: ``The Holocaust for 30 years
after the war acted as a protective Teflon against blatant anti-Semitic
expression, especially in Europe. That Teflon has eroded, and what was
considered distasteful and politically incorrect is becoming simply an
opinion.'' He warned ominously, saying, ``cocktail chatter at fine
English dinners can end as Molotov cocktails against synagogues.''
Mr. Speaker, Abraham Lincoln once said that ``to sin by silence when
they should protest makes cowards of men.'' Silence is not an option.
And, I would equally say, nor is inaction.
If our fight is to succeed, we need government officials at all
levels to not just denounce but to act without hesitation or delay
whenever and wherever anti-Semitic acts occur. There are no exceptions.
The purveyors of hate never take a holiday or grow weary, nor should
we.
H. Res. 354 is a best practices resolution designed to seriously
inspire and challenge the governments of Europe, especially law
enforcement and their homeland security agencies, to partner with their
respective Jewish communities to mitigate and hopefully end and
eradicate anti-Semitism in all of its ugly manifestations.
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United States law enforcement, Department of Homeland Security, the
Justice Department, the FBI, as well as State Homeland Security
agencies, including in my own State of New Jersey, have been robust and
aggressive in combating anti-Semitism here. We need to replicate this
and encourage others to follow our lead and that of the UK, and I do
hope we will do that.
This resolution is broadly bipartisan. I want to thank Nathaniel
Hurd, on our staff, for his tremendous work on this resolution, working
with all of his respective staffers and Members, of course, to bring
this about. And I want to thank the leadership for bringing it to the
floor this evening.
I urge a ``yea'' vote.
I yield back the balance of my time.
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 resolution, H. Res. 354, as amended.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. 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, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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