Ukraine should cooperate with the European Union and international organizations to effectively combat anti-Semitism. This was stated during a discussion at the Kyiv Jewish Forum 2020 by Katharina von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life.
Participation in the European and international projects, such as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), will allow the Ukrainian authorities to better understand what anti-Semitism is and how to fight it, the politician believes.
“You cannot fight something if you cannot define what it is. We need to know what anti-Semitism is and what its various aspects are today, in order to be able to fight it,” noted von Schnurbein.
There are clear criteria in the EU countries that make it possible to determine the type of anti-Semitism, its sources and how the authorities should respond to it, explained von Schnurbein.
“It is important to know the origins of the various forms of manifestations of anti-Semitism, from right-wing racist, Christian, Islamist to left-wing anti-Semitism,” she said.
According to von Schnurbein, all EU states have unanimously adopted a declaration against anti-Semitism. It recommends using the IHRA-approved definition of anti-Semitism, as it helps to recognize and collect data on anti-Semitic incidents.
One of the key aspects of the fight against anti-Semitism is monitoring anti-Semitic statements on the Internet, according to the politician: “A recent study conducted in Italy shows that people are radicalized on the Internet four times faster than in the real world. Therefore, it is imperative to fight hate speech and conspiracy theories on the Internet.”
Membership in international organizations will enable Ukraine to effectively implement western strategies to combat anti-Semitism.
“A holistic approach is essential to effectively counter anti-Semitism,” noted von Schnurbein.
As a reminder, the President of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine Boris Lozhkin earlier called global anti-Semitism one of the main problems of our time.