International Holocaust Remembrance Day is dedicated to sincere reflection about the past. It is about trying to understand how such evil was possible and paying tribute to the nearly six million souls that were lost during history's darkest hour. For us Europeans, it is equally important to think about the future. We recommit to our efforts to commemorate the Shoah, to act against Holocaust denial and distortion. We double down on our pledge to tirelessly fight antisemitism in all its forms, in Europe and across the globe, as endorsed by the UN General Assembly last week.
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But lofty words are not enough. They need to be followed up with deeds. That is why last October the European Commission presented its first-ever comprehensive strategy on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life. It is an actionable plan laying out the concrete steps we are going to take to prevent antisemitism, secure and foster Jewish life, promote Holocaust remembrance and education. From curbing online antisemitism to securing public spaces and places of worship, strengthening our legal framework or further mobilizing Europol, we will not stay idle as hate speech and violent acts grow louder once again.
We are also developing new ways of raising awareness, for instance by stepping up a European research hub on Jewish life or creating a network of sites "where the Holocaust happened" – synagogues and cultural sites, hiding places or shooting grounds. This will enable school students, practitioners and the wider public to trace the continuity of Jewish presence in Europe over the centuries, and facilitate local initiatives to visit and restore cultural sites such as the Rouen-located 'Maison Sublime,' French jewel of medieval Judaism.
With the support of France, which assumed on January 1st the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, the European Commission will start implementing its new strategy. EU member states have committed to adapt their own national plans on antisemitism by end of the year.
France has been among the most active EU member states regarding the fight against antisemitism and Holocaust denial, particularly through the creation of a dedicated team of investigators and judges. Today, (Jan. 27) French President Emmanuel Macron will address a conference on discrimination, antisemitism and other contemporary forms of intolerance, with the support – among others – of Yad Vashem.
Tragically, antisemitism, known as the oldest hatred, continues to fester within our societies. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how old antisemitic prejudices can resurge, inspire new conspiracy theories and generate hatred online and offline. The comparison of health-related measures with genocidal policies are unacceptable.
Holocaust distortion does not only pave the way for denial and antisemitism, it also nourishes dangerous forms of nationalism that constitute a threat to our democracies. We reaffirm our determination to fight this through legal means. The denial or gross trivialization of the Holocaust is criminalized at the EU level. All member states are obliged to include this prohibition in their national laws.
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Today, all of Europe is united in remembering the darkness of the Holocaust. European Parliament President David Sassoli, who passed away earlier this month, said during his last visit to Israel, in January 2020: "The European Union was created in the shadow of Auschwitz, to reunite Europe and ensure that the horrors of the Second World War could never happen again."
We will do whatever it takes to fulfill this sacred mission.
Dimiter Tzantchev is the EU ambassador to Israel. Eric Danon is the French ambassador to Israel.
