Commissioner Jourová visit to Israel and Palestine, 22-26/06/2017

11TH HIGH-LEVEL EU-ISRAEL SEMINAR ON COMBATTING RACISM, XENOPHOBIA AND ANTI-SEMITISM Context Since 2005, DG JUST has met annually with the Israeli authorities for an informal technical EU-Israel seminar on combating racism, xenophobia and Antisemitism to exchange best practice and improve cooperation to combat Antisemitism. You opened the 9th EU-Israel Seminar on Antisemitism in Brussels in December 2015. With the exception of the launch meeting by the then Commissioner Frattini, such meetings are usually attended at Director's/HoU level and the EU Coordinator on combating Antisemitism. The 10th EU-Israel seminar of December 2016 was also attended by DHoC Braun and focused on countering illegal hate speech online and education as preventive measures. To mark your visit, an 11th EU-Israel seminar on Antisemitism takes place again in Jerusalem. The 2018 seminar will be held in Brussels. Next to Israel MFA Director-General , Ambassadors from the EU Member States were invited to participate. Discussions will focus on: 1. Combating Cyber Hate and Online Antisemitism

2. Tools to advance monitoring and recognizing of Antisemitism; On 31 May 2017 the European Parliament adopted it's first ever Resolutiona on Antisemitim. The two main points are the call to national governments to appoint national special envoys on Antisemitism as well as the call for the adoption and application of the IHRA working definition on Antisemitism. The European Commission supports both. In particular Commissioner Jourová endorsed the non-legally binding IHRA working definition on Antisemitism as a 2useful tool" at the occasion of the 2017 Int. Holocaust remembrance day. Not withstanding other point of the resolution (the Commission's High-level Group on racism and Xenophobia, Security of Jewish communities, Education) this session will focus mainly on advancing the two former points. 3. Education for Tolerance in Europe and Israel: Innovative Best Practices from the Field. Following the Paris Declaration of 2015, the Commission has significantly increased its support for intercultural projects to foster citizenship education and respect for diversity. The Commission will give various concrete examples of successful projects.

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Commissioner Jourová visit to Israel and Palestine, 22-26/06/2017

Objectives Highlight your concerns about rising Antisemitism that targets dominantly young Jews and inform Israel of EC actions in countering Antisemitism. Refer to specific challenges such as rising populism, increasing division within society, increase of hate crime and hate speech online, including antisemitic. Refer to recent successes at European level, such as the report on significant progress within the Code of Conduct implementation and the EP resolution on Antisemitism, which was the first of the kind (both on 31 May). Express your determination to use all means available to the European Commission to tackle Antisemitism.

Speaking points to open the Seminar (10 min maximum)

Thank you, Yuval, for the kind invitation. I know the last seminar in Jerusalem was only six months ago and again we are guests at your Ministry. I promise you: haShana habaa be'Brissel - next year in Brussels. (Note: rather than "next year in Jerusalem" a common Jewish wish.) It was my strong personal desire to actively engage, particularly here in Jerusalem in a discussion about combating Antisemitism as one of the top priorities when it comes to Europe's future. We have to ensure not only the preservation of Jewish communities in the sense that "Europe without Jews is no longer Europe". We must help them flourish and our ultimate aim must be a return to normality of Jewish life in Europe. In my hometown Třebíč in the Czech Republic two places exist of crucial importance that show you the link between Jews and Europe: the St. Procopius Basilica and the Jewish Quarter. They are taken together as world heritage with the justification, they bear witness to the coexistence and interchange between two cultures, Jewish and Christian, over many centuries. But the Jewish Quarter of Třebíč is also an exceptional testimony to the cultural traditions related to the Jewish diaspora in central Europe. Europe 51

Commissioner Jourová visit to Israel and Palestine, 22-26/06/2017

and Jews have an inseparable history. When I met Chief Rabbi Yisrael Lau this January to commemorate together the 6 million Jews murdered during the Shoa, I reiterated that Jew-hatred has no space in Europe and we stand firm to protect the Jewish Communities, together with our Member States, international organisations and partners, like Israel and the US. EP resolution and Working definition This year's International Holocaust Remembrance Day was an appropriate occasion to endorse the non-legally binding working definition on Antisemitism as a useful tool and place it on the European Commission's Antisemitism website. I am aware that Israel strongly advocated for the definition. (You can't fight Antisemitism it if you can't define it.) I am pleased that not only IHRA and three EU Member States (UK, AT, ROM) have adopted this definition, but some three weeks ago the European Parliament passed its first ever resolution on Antisemitism which calls upon the EU institutions, it's agencies and the EU Member States "to adopt and apply" the definition. The definition is useful for teacher training just as much as training for law enforcement authorities. It should be used widely. I am pleased that the resolution was voted by a strong two third majority. It gives us a solid basis to take further measures against Antisemitism. Contrary to what some might argue: This definition is not an infringement on freedom of speech. The definition states clearly that "criticism of Israel like that towards other states cannot be considered Antisemitic". The definition does not criminalise Antisemitism. In fact it is non-legally 52

Commissioner Jourová visit to Israel and Palestine, 22-26/06/2017

binding. But what the definition does is that it clearly says that when someone denies Israel's right to exist, he must live with the fact that someone else may call him an Antisemite. Freedom of speech is a two way street. National special envoys on Antisemitism The EP resolution calls further for the appointment of special envoys on Antisemitism on national level. The Commission, together with seven EU countries (DE, UK, FR, CR, EL, SE, PL) is leading by example. We fully support this call. Security The EP resolution also calls for several other actions on EU and national level. One is the request to increase Security. While it is very unfortunate that Jewish children have to go to schools behind barbed wires and walls, we know that security measures are necessary at the moment and they have an effect. The drop of recorded Antisemitic incidents by 60% last year in France is largely credited to increased security measures. Ensuring the safety of its citizens is a national responsibility and the costs should not have to be borne by the respective communities. Current day Antisemitism in Europe Antisemitism doesn't only come anymore from the traditional right-wing extremists that hate Jews as much as they hate everybody who they single out as different. We have to acknowledge that Antisemitism has developed further and functions as essential link for right-wing, left-wing and religious (Christian and Muslim) extremist ideologies blaming the Jews or "Israel" as Jewish collective for every evil in the world. On the left, Antisemitism is hiding behind Antizionism. The proliferating of 53

Commissioner Jourová visit to Israel and Palestine, 22-26/06/2017

hatred against Israel has not been taken seriously enough. We must be sensible when animosity towards the State of Israel spills over into hatred of Jews; when age-old blood libels and conspiracy theories are employed to delegitimize and demonise Jews or the Jewish state. We become increasingly aware just how deeply anti-Jewish and anti-Israel propaganda impacted on our European youngsters, particularly from migrant communities, that incites them to attack Jews as "proxies of Israel". The solution is not stigmatization, but support and help to challenge these hateful messages and condemning antisemitic acts and violence and not to excuse it by pointing to the situation in the Middle East. Rise of far right The re-emergence of the far-right challenges the fundament of our common European project based on three points. Firstly, their rejection and deep hatred against the European integration project that guaranteed peace, prosperity and security for now exactly 60 years on our continent. Secondly, the distortion of European memory, most notably the Holocaust, and the rejection of its lessons for fundamental values of our European societies. This historical revisionism attempts to whitewash nationalism from its negative image in order to refresh dismissed concepts of internal enemies in society like the Jews, Muslims, Sinti or Roma or others. And as a last common denominator, the search for scapegoats. Jews are much too familiar with it in centuries of persecution, expulsion and discrimination. The recent focus is on singling out "refugees" and "Muslims" as "the other" in European societies additionally to Jewish Europeans. Right-wing extremists may ask the right questions, but they give the wrong answers. Who incites today against Muslims, will incite tomorrow against Jews. 54

Commissioner Jourová visit to Israel and Palestine, 22-26/06/2017

Hatred against one minority will trigger necessarily hatred against Jews. I was pleased to see the strong opposition by Jewish communities to rightwing discourse in the recent elections (AT, FR, NL) Measures to counter Antisemitism Framework Decision How can we cope with these challenges? Common Legislation allows us to create a level playing field in Europe. Holocaust denial and antisemitic hate speech inciting to violence and hatred is outlawed in Europe on the basis of the Framework decision on combating racism and xenophobia from 2008. The Commission monitors closely its implementation at the national level and despite progress (8 countries have reviewed their criminal law in the last couple of years) some still need to correctly and fully transpose the legislation and we are calling on all Member States to swiftly follow. Furthermore, we offer substantial support for Member States to train law enforcement authorities in the correct enforcement of this legislation. Fighting illegal online hate speech We identified together with – among other – the Jewish communities online hate speech as one of the main driving forces leading to violence against Jews and other groups in society. What is illegal in reality is also illegal online. Perpetrators have to be brought to court and this is perfectly possible on the basis of existing legislation. We welcome that some Member States have started doing so (FR, DE, NL, LUX). As you know in May 2016 I reached agreement with Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Microsoft on a Code of Conduct on countering illegal hate speech online. 55

Commissioner Jourová visit to Israel and Palestine, 22-26/06/2017

They committed themselves to take down the majority of flagged illegal hate speech within 24 hours. I don't want to anticipate all results as Daniel will go into the details but I am very proud that the Code of Conduct has delivered significant progress. Antisemitism in schools and universities Young Jews are 5-times more likely to experience Antisemitism. Jewish student leaders across Europe testified at the recent high-level group on Racism and Xenophobia, of the situation on European campuses. Although intended to be our bastions of liberal values, universities and schools become an increasingly chilling environment for Jewish students. This is very worrying. BDS activities leading to incitement, discrimination and hatred against Jews in Europe are unacceptable. We have taken note that following the adoption of the IHRA Working Definition on Antisemitism by the UK government, some UK universities have prohibited concrete events to take place during the annual "Israeli Apartheid week" given that the repercussions or the events themselves were seen as discriminatory and Antisemitic according to the definition. Education Education remains the main long-term prevention against Antisemitism and although we don't have direct competences, we engage in discussion with Member States how to best address the gaps and support exchange of bestpractices. We will give you a few best practices in the course of this seminar. I am looking forward to the discussion and also to welcoming you next year in Brussels.

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