[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 163 (Tuesday, November 3, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE REGARDING SAFETY AND SECURITY OF 
                      EUROPEAN JEWISH COMMUNITIES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. PATRICK MURPHY

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, November 2, 2015

  Mr. MURPHY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this 
resolution regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities in 
Europe. Seventy years after the Holocaust, we are seeing an alarming 
spike in anti-Semitic activity and violence targeting Jews throughout 
Europe. In the past year alone, there have been hundreds of violent 
acts targeting the Jewish community, including deadly attacks at a 
kosher supermarket in Paris and the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen.
  As a world leader, the United States must make every effort to work 
with our European partners to keep the Jewish community safe and 
secure. This resolution does just that by encouraging the United States 
to work with European governments to create partnerships with Jewish 
community groups to improve preparedness and responsiveness to anti-
Semitic attacks, create open lines of communication to share 
information about potential threats, expand relationships with local 
law enforcement, and to help develop baseline security standards for 
Jewish organizations and facilities. It also urges European allies to 
appoint senior officials to coordinate efforts to combat anti-Semitism 
and hold law enforcement accountable for training to monitor and 
respond to anti-Semitic violence. Additionally, this resolution 
commends the work of the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and 
Combat Anti-Semitism and its efforts in promoting religious freedom 
around the world.
  As a member of the Intelligence Committee and the Bipartisan Task 
Force on Combating Anti-Semitism, I understand how crucial it is to the 
stabilization of communities in Europe that we forcefully stand up to 
anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism does not just impact the Jewish community. 
When this hatred flourishes, it affects all ethnic, religious, and 
other minority groups.
  Given the urgency of addressing this growing threat, I am proud to 
have prioritized working to combat the rise in anti-Semitism, leading 
my colleagues in writing to the Special Envoy calling for the U.S. to 
continue to be a global leader in combating all forms of hate. My 
colleagues also joined me in encouraging the United Nations to work 
with member states to curb anti-Semitism by enacting strong hate crime 
laws, expanding education on diversity and tolerance in their own 
countries, and encouraging heads of state to forcefully speak out about 
the dangers of anti-Semitism.
  This resolution furthers these efforts by highlighting the safety and 
security needs of Jewish communities across Europe and the role our 
European partners have to play in combatting anti-Semitism. I urge my 
colleagues in the House to join me in passing this urgent resolution.

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