{"id":1658,"date":"2020-06-30T13:45:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eujs.org\/?p=1658"},"modified":"2023-06-01T13:54:18","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T13:54:18","slug":"germanys-eu-council-presidency-actions-for-a-safer-more-inclusive-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eujs.org\/press-releases\/germanys-eu-council-presidency-actions-for-a-safer-more-inclusive-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Germany’s EU Council Presidency: Actions for a Safer, More Inclusive Europe’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Together with JSUD, the German Union of Jewish Students, EUJS is today releasing a 10 step action plan on what the German Presidency of the EU Council can do to make Europe a more inclusive place for Jewish Students, the Jewish community more broadly and for all those living here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

National Strategies on Combating Antisemitism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In noting the European Union Fundamental Rights Agency’s 2018 report findings on antisemitism within Europe, we are alarmed by the fact that 89% of Jews in Europe believe that antisemitism increased in their country over the preceding five year period. In combating this stain on European society, the widely-accepted International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism must be considered a vital tool to use in this fight. In September 2017, the German government adopted the IHRA definition and Germany became the fifth IHRA member state, implementing this working definition on a national level. The adoption of the IHRA definition represents not only an important step in the fight against antisemitism but also in the protection of Jewish communities around the world. Therefore, we call on both the EU and national authorities to prioritise the fight against antisemitism and to work alongside the German Presidency of IHRA. Furthermore, we remind the EU of its past declarations and resolutions on this topic, most notably of the December 2018 Council of the EU declaration which called on “member states that have not done so yet to endorse the non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism employed by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Far-Right Extremism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The past few years have seen a clear rise in far-right extremism within Europe. For instance, the terrorist attacks in Hesse, Halle and Hanau which took place within a period of just months, illustrate the significant threat that faces European society. The nature of such attacks, often targeting religious sites and minority communities makes the need of combating far-right extremism paramount to the inclusive and pluralistic foundation of the European Union itself. Thus, we call on the EU to fight against the far-right, by introducing a comprehensive report on far-right activities, formulating a unified definition of “Far-Right” and fighting its manifestations, including but not limited to, European networking events like the “Day of Honor” in Hungary, the “Lukov March” in Bulgaria and the “Bleiburg-Meeting” in Austria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hezbollah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April 2020 Germany banned all activities of Hezbollah and formally agreed to make no distinction between the military and political wings of the organisation. However, the EU continues to solely view the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist group whilst placing no restrictions on its so-called political wing, a distinction that Hezbollah itself ridicules, stating that it is, in fact, a unitary actor. We therefore call on the EU to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, in its entirety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions – (BDS) Movement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BDS is an antisemitic movement targeting Jewish life in Europe via restrictions on access to kosher food, minimising academic freedom and pluralism as well as inviting greater hate on Jews across Europe as BDS leaders and supporters repeatedly seek to hold Jews collectively responsible for the actions of an Israeli government. We welcome the May 2019 decision of the German Parliament to label the BDS movement as antisemitic and, as such, we call on the EU to condemn the BDS movement as racist and antisemitic and to ban EU representatives from endorsing the movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persecution of Uyghurs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ongoing persecution of Uyghur Muslims held in concentration camps (not extermination camps) in China, where they are subjected to gross human rights violations from the Chinese government is one of the world’s most worrying and pressing issues. We, therefore, call on the EU to refocus its efforts on this issue – via adopting the 11 pledges as recommended in the Never Again. Right Now campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFullscreen Mode<\/a>