[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16158-16164]
[From the U.S. 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 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.

[[Page 16159]]

  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, 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.

[[Page 16160]]


  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 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.

[[Page 16161]]

  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. 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, 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

[[Page 16162]]

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 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

[[Page 16163]]

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. 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 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.

[[Page 16164]]

  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.

                          ____________________