[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16944-16950]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1900
  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 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

[[Page 16945]]

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 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

[[Page 16946]]

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?
  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.

                              {time}  1915

  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

[[Page 16947]]

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 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

[[Page 16948]]

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 
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.

[[Page 16949]]

  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.
  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.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  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.

                              {time}  1945

  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.
  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

[[Page 16950]]

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.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H. Res. 354, 
regarding the safety and security of Jewish communities across Europe.
  I continue to support the safety of Israeli people across the globe.
  Indeed, last week, I signed on to the Royce-Engel letter to President 
Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian National Authority to express my deep 
concern over the recent wave of violence in Israel and the West Bank.
  It is imperative that political leaders across the globe help to set 
the tone for peace by advocating non-violence.
  Numerous attacks on so many innocent lives in Europe alone is so much 
cause for alarm: Anti-Semitic rhetoric and acts, according to FBI 
reports involved 870 incidents in 2012 with anti-Jewish bias 
motivation, including 13 violent incidents, and 625 incidents in 2013 
attributed to anti-Jewish bias; an increase in violent attacks on 
people and places of worship; and an escalation of frequency, variety 
and severity of the various attacks.
  Anti-Semitic attacks are threats to the fundamental rights we hold so 
dear in our nation.
  Security and diversity of all citizens, societies and countries are 
sacrosanct in our nation.
  This is why the United States joined forces with France and the 
United Kingdom in recognition of the importance of partnership, 
training and information sharing between government entities and the 
Jewish community security groups with the eye towards the safety and 
security of Jewish communities.
  As a senior member of the House Homeland Security Committee, 
information sharing initiatives such as our national ``If You See 
Something, Say Something'' campaign implemented by our nation's 
Department of Homeland Security is a critical initiative that will 
enable prevention of anti-Semitic violent attacks on individuals and 
communities.
  This bill is also critical because it urges the United States 
Government, the Secretary of State, Secretary of Homeland Security, the 
Attorney General, Director of the FBI to engage their European 
counterparts to partner in the protection of the Jewish community in 
Europe.
  This Bill reaffirms the very important U.S. support for the United 
States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat anti-Semitism with the eye 
towards fostering and facilitating international religious freedom.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 354 because it supports an end 
to the dramatic increase of the number of violent anti-Semitic attacks 
in some European countries.
  These attacks, increasingly targeting places of ordinary daily life 
like market places and places of worship must stop.
  Thus, I support and urge enhanced partnerships between governments 
and Jewish community groups-which are critical to helping keep Jewish 
communities secure.
  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.

                          ____________________