Rise of anti-Semitism in Europe: ‘Govts must protect minorities’ rights’

With an increase of anti-Semitism in the EU, governments must take the responsibility to protect all citizens, Eitan Uri Bakhar from the World Zionist Organization told RT. When minorities are in danger, the whole population is at risk, he added.

READ MORE: ‘Despicable act’: Hundreds of Jewish tombs defaced in France

RT:Comparisons are being made with the Charlie Hebdo drama in January. What do these kinds of attacks mean for Europe?

Eitan Uri Bakhar: I believe that… Europe is waking up in new era, in a new reality out of which we in Israel and around the Jewish world have been pointing out for the last 10 years or even more. We are witnessing a rise of anti-Semitic attacks. They are getting worse and worse. And we are trying to differentiate between classical anti-Semitism and the modern one which is unfortunately what is taking place right now in Europe.

We say to Jews, to our brothers and sisters: Israel is your home. We are calling for the absorption of mass immigration from Europe

— בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) 15 февраля 2015

READ MORE: ‘Rise of extremism in Europe comes together with anti-Semitism’

RT:So, the first attack was on a free speech meeting in Copenhagen and then on a synagogue. Do you see a link between the two?

EUB: Definitely the first attack was against the freedom of speech, the second one was against the Jews. The Jews are always a reason to continue and fight against. When you are stopping freedom of speech you are stopping the right of a Jew to live freely wherever he wants to. And this is an unfortunate incident that is just going to lead us to the next incidents that will be not only in Europe but also in the rest of the world.

Just a couple of months ago, the EU Commission decided to take Hamas and Hezbollah off the terrorist organizations [list]. Maybe now, just a little bit too late, they are waking up to this unfortunate reality.

RT:A month ago Jews in Denmark asked their government to protect them. Now we see that it's clearly failed, hasn't it? Have they been given enough protection by the government?

EUB: Unfortunately … no, it’s not enough at all. When we are witnessing a rise in anti-Semitic expressions by politicians and by the Muslim community in Europe we need to wake up and say: “You know what, it is the responsibility of every government in Europe and around the world to protect their minorities and their citizens,” because the next stage is not only going to be the Jews, it is going to be the people who are born and raised in Europe themselves. People need to start waking up from this dream. We are facing a situation when the USA only last week, a couple of days ago announced that the terrorist attack, the anti-Semitic attack that took place in France was not necessarily an anti-Semitic one. Unfortunately, people were there at the wrong place and at the wrong time. I don’t really understand what else can bring the world governments to actually clarify and understand that this is anti-Semitism. A Jew that is going to a kosher supermarket that is being killed there is only because he is Jewish.

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