Human Rights First Report Monitors Anti-Semitism in Europe
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 6/24/2004
"Antisemitism in Europe: Challenging Official Indifference," a new report by Human Rights First, examines responses to anti-Semitic violence in European countries. The report was released this summer at a conference that took place in Berlin.The conference, sponsored by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), was attended by European, North American, and Central Asian representatives who met to discuss the alarming rise of hate crimes against Jews and Jewish communities in Europe.
Human Rights First's new report, which was presented to European governments that met at the OSCE conference, documents anti-Jewish acts in Europe and examines European governments' and institutions' response to the violence. The report determines that "a pattern of official indifference" remains in combating the continuing problem.
The report is an update to a 2002 Human Rights First report on anti-Semitic violence in Europe, "Fire and Broken Glass."
"Our point is that timely, accurate and public information on racist violence is an essential step in developing effective action to suppress it," say authors Michael McClintock and Judith Sunderland.
The report also calls on European countries to pass laws to facilitate action against hate crimes. The report's summary states that better documentation alone will "accomplish little, if governmental authorities do not strengthen their laws barring such crimes and investigate and prosecute those who are responsible."
