Anti-Semitism in Europe Rising, But Education Could Help
Anti-Semitism remains a major issue in Europe, with a recent survey showing that every other European thinks it is a problem in their country, and only four in 10 think that Holocaust is taught sufficiently in school
On Tuesday, just as the Eurobarometer survey results were released, European Commissioner for Justice Vera Jourova stressed that there was a link between the education level of a person and their awareness of the issues linked to anti-Semitism.
The survey showed that only 3 percent of Europeans thought they were "very well informed" about Jewish history and customs, while 68 percent said they were "not informed."
"The lower the education level, the lower the awareness. Education is key to not only understanding the Shoah as the abyss of humanity, but also to increasing awareness of Antisemitism and how it is still very much alive in Europe today," Jourova said.
The commissioner delivered her remarks at the Jewish Museum of Belgium � in Brussels � which became the site of a shooting as recently as in 2014. Four people died in the attack. The suspect, Frenchman Mehdi Nemmouche, refused to testify at a hearing on January 15. His defense alleged that Israeli intelligence service Mossad had been involved in the attack, but investigating judges said the claim was not supported by any evidence.
The tragedy appears to fit into a larger pattern of growing violence.
According to the EU survey, 89 percent of Jews think that anti-Semitism has been on the rise in the past five years, but only 36 percent of the general public are of the same opinion.
Philippe Markiewicz, the president of the Central Israelite Consistory of Belgium, believes that "education is the best antidote to anti-Semitism.
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"There is a lot of work to do. We are seeing an increase in anti-Semitic acts, but I refuse to see Belgium as the second most anti-Semitic country in Europe, as some media have said," Markiewicz told Sputnik.
Between 4,000 and 7,000 Jews leave France every year either for Israel or for other countries, for example, the United States, Joel Rubinfeld, the president of the Belgian League Against Anti-Semitism, told Sputnik.
"The numbers increase especially after the attacks like that of Mohammed Merah in Toulouse, killing a teacher and Jewish children in front of a school in 2012," Rubinfeld added.
In Belgium, 300-500 Jews leave "in peak periods," while the entire Jewish community in Belgium is about 35,000-40,000 people, Rubinfeld said.
"Jews are an indicator of the balance and health of our democratic societies ... When Jews depart, it is a bad sign for democracy," he concluded.
Jourova listed several policies adopted in the European Union over the years to fight anti-Semitism, including a code of conduct concluded with major online platforms to counter hatred on social media; a high-level group on racism and xenophobia; an action plan to protect public spaces and several other steps.
"Jewish people should never again have to ask themselves whether they or their children have a future in Europe. They should never have to question whether the authorities will stand on their side to guarantee their safety," Jourova stressed.
The commissioner's remarks came only a few days ahead of January 27, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the deaths of estimated 6 million of Jews in the World War II.