European Jewish Association (EJA) Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin spoke to Arutz Sheva – Israel National News at the annual conference and symposium marking the remembrance of Kristallnacht about the proliferation of antisemitism under the guise of anti-Zionism.
“Unfortunately we saw how Israel became an excuse for Jewish haters to fight against Jewish people on the streets. What we called anti-Zionism became the new anti-Semitism.”
Dumisani Washington, the founder of the Black Institute for Solidarity with Israel, added “An unfair or critical assessment of Israel is the same thing as attacking the Jewish people – it’s the only Jewish state in the world. The type of criticism that it gets from the United Nations and other world bodies is clearly anti-Semitism.”
David Lega, the EJA’s senior advisor for the Scandinavian region, said ”If you don’t believe that the Jewish people have a right to its homeland, to the state of Israel, you’re anti-semitic. We have always thought that if something happens, we can always go to Israel, but the October 7th massacre was the first time in my generation that we weren’t sure that Israel would make it. We no longer feel safe.”
He called on the EU to do more for Jews. ”We need a six-month state of emergency declared by European governments, right now, along with extra security measures, to make sure that Jewish people can exercise their right to be Jews in Europe.”
Rabbi Margolin spoke about the effects of the war on antisemitism. “Since the October 7th massacre, we see a rise of anti-Semitism every person who doesn’t like Jews became, officially, a defender of the Palestinian people. They used this as an excuse to attack Jewish people in Europe.”
Dumisani spoke about the effects on Jews outside of Israel. ”In the United States, Jewish life has been made much more perilous. Jews are generally being blamed for what’s being perceived as happening in the Middle East. The riots in Amsterdam were coordinated by Hamas affiliates. Some say it was a pogrom, but also it’s another type of jihad.”
Rabbi Margolin also called for increased Holocaust education saying “People do not understand today that if we do not deal with antisemitism, we may see another Holocaust. We need more Holocaust education so that people understand the dangers of antisemitism not just to Jews but to the entire continent.”
Lega explained another aspect of the need for Holocaust education: “80 years later, we don’t feel it naturally. We need not only to remember and understand the victims but to understand how the anti-semites became anti-semites in order to tackle new threats.”
Dumisani talked about his tour of Auschwitz. “It is important for people to know what this type of unchecked evil does and where it could lead. There needs to be the stopping of the propaganda and the demonization and education in an affirmative way.”
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