Speech of the vice-president of the European Commission at an international conference in Ioannina
He described “online anti-Semitism, which experienced an unprecedented explosion during the pandemic” as a “modern scourge”. the vice-president of the European Commission Margaritis Schinasduring his speech at the International Conference on the subject “combating anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and distortion in the digital realm”which was completed today in Ioannina.
From Brussels, the Greek commissioner reported that anti-Semitic content on electronic platforms, during that period, increased 7 times in the French language and 13 times in the German language. 9 out of 10 Jews in Europe they have no doubt, they say in opinion polls, as he said, that the internet is seen as the main source of anti-Semitism today.
Margaritis Schinas presented parameters of the phenomenon with examples.
“Unfortunately, we all know that these conspiracy myths and hate speech are not just an online phenomenon that is exhausted by the circulation of these theories among users. Very quickly this content can from the screens, be transformed into verbal attacks, physical and even murders, on streets of European cities not in cyberspace…
And if the pandemic multiplied the problem and brought it to the center of political interest in Europe, with the senseless war, the invasion of Russia in Ukraine, we saw yet another escalation of anti-Semitic hate speech. The Russian authorities, that is, the aggressor, had the audacity among all to talk about the alleged de-Nazification of Ukraine, essentially using the distortion of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism, as parallel weapons, with the weapons at his disposal, to wage the war in Ukraine”.
Mr. Schinas repeated the clear position he had formulated at the commemoration celebrations last January in Thessaloniki, stating that “this kind of propaganda and this rhetoric has absolutely no place in public discourse and in European democracy”.
The vice-president of the European Commission then underlined that Europe, in the face of these challenges, is better prepared than ever, with the pioneering move, that of the “European strategy against anti-Semitism and the strengthening of Jewish life in Europe”, which has horizon until 2030.
The European strategy “which is also the flagship of the EU’s actions”, as he described it, is based on three pillars:
The 1st pillarconcerns prevention and combat, with the main priority being the fight on the internet.
The 2nd pillar it is not only about the defensive approach against anti-Semitism, but it emphasizes the support and promotion of the European, the Jewish way of life, in European societies.
The 3rd pillar of the strategy, aims to preserve the memory of the holocaust, “we owe it not only to the victims and the survivors, we owe it to ourselves and our children”, emphasized Mr. Schoinas.
Indeed, in the framework of the European Year for Youth, which is this year, the foundations were laid for a new innovative idea, the establishment of a network of new European ambassadors of the memory of the Holocaust, who in constant dialogue with the survivors, their families, will help to keep stories alive both online and through events in schools and local communities. At the same time, he continued, the mapping of a network of places and locations, where the holocaust happened, is promoted, not only the concentration camps, but also the places, the emblematic locations throughout Europe, where the death trains, the ghettos, that have been indelibly linked to the Holocaust, so that the new generations can remember and know, with informative actions.
The MEP also intervened at the conference Anna – Michel Asimakopoulou which emphasized that the strategy of the E.U. to combat anti-Semitism and preserve Jewish life is needed more than ever.
It is a zero-tolerance strategy for anti-Semitism that attempts to put an end to it, the MEP pointed out and added:
“The E.U. will continue to support the European Community and will contribute to the preservation of Jewish life in all its manifestations, because it has the right to be protected, but also to flourish in all its diversity. The Jewish way of life is an integral part of the European way of life, and Europe can only prosper when everyone in it prospers.”
The Deputy Minister of Environment, Member of Parliament for Ioannina, Giorgos Amyras, who attended the Conference, emphasized that an important weapon in the battle against anti-Semitism is education.
RES-EMP
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