Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Wednesday that the world was experiencing a resurgence of anti-Semitism.
In a video address to a Vienna conference titled Europe Beyond Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism, Netanyahu declared: "We once again hear false and dehumanizing allegations against Jews. We see attempts to kill or harm Jews in the name of radical ideologies. And since the establishment of the State of Israel, we face a new form of anti-Semitism: vicious efforts to demonize the Jewish State and deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland, the land of Israel."
"When every nation is allowed to define its flag, its national anthem, its national identity, except for the Jewish people, this is anti-Semitism," he said.
Netanyahu called Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz "a true friend of Israel, a true friend of the Jewish people." He thanked Kurz "for taking such a strong moral stand against anti-Semitism. You have been unyielding in your efforts to recognize history, to defend the truth and to combat anti-Semitism in Austria and throughout Europe."
Meanwhile, Jewish and European leaders vowed to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on the continent and proposed concrete measures to counter the hatred of Jews at the conference.
European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor warned that "Jewish communities in Europe are increasingly concerned about their security and pessimistic about their future."
He and others called on governments, as well as public and private institutions, to implement policies to combat anti-Semitism presented at the conference.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of the year and hosted the meeting, said the measures include providing better safety for Jewish communities, reinforcing legislation and improving education against anti-Semitism.
He said the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, or "Night of Broken Glass," marked last week was a reminder of the "historic responsibility" to fight anti-Semitism in all its forms.
In an interview with Israel Hayom, Wednesday, German politician Manfred Weber, 46, head of the European People's Party in the European Parliament and a member of the conservative Christian Social Union in Bavaria, warned of growing anti-Semitism on the continent.
"The growing anti-Semitism makes me uneasy. Not just the public attacks but the 'relativization' of anti-Semitism creeping into people's minds. It seems that for far too long, many were convinced that the situation in Europe was under control. There is nothing more to add other than we must act against this phenomenon while it is limited. My demand is that everyone rise up and oppose anti-Semitism," he said.
