The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution urging European nations to do more to protect Jewish communities amid an uptick in anti-Semitism.
“The number of violent anti-Semitic attacks has increased from 100 to 400 percent in some European countries since 2013,” said Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who co-chairs the Bipartisan Taskforce for Combating Anti-Semitism and spearheaded the resolution.
“The murders in Paris, Copenhagen, and elsewhere reminded us that there are those who are motivated by anti-Semitism and have the will to kill,” he said.
House Resolution 354, which includes 89 bipartisan co-sponsors, urges the U.S. government to work with its European counterparts to “formally recognize and partner with Jewish community groups to strengthen crisis prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and responses related to anti-Semitic attacks.”
The resolution was supported by several leading Jewish organizations, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish Federations of North America, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Orthodox Union, the Secure Community Network, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
“Battling the anti-Semitic threats facing European Jewish communities is vital to ensure the democratic and pluralistic fabric of Europe for all its citizens,” said American Jewish Committee Executive Director David Harris. “This resolution sends a powerful message that battling the anti-Semitic threats facing European Jewish communities is a shared responsibility.”
By: JNS.org