Against the backdrop of what several speakers called an unmistakable rise in anti-Semitism in Europe, the American ambassador to the United Nations warned on Thursday that the increase in attacks poses a threat to European values, and urged leaders to step up their efforts to thwart anti-Jewish sentiment.Here is Samantha Powers' speech. (Full text here.)
“Make no mistake – we have a problem,” said Samantha Power, a top aide to President Obama, at a conference here organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. She said the growing number of anti-Semitic acts “are not only a threat to the Jewish community, they are a threat to the larger project of European liberalism and pluralism.”
The two-day conference was attended by only about two-thirds of the 57 member states, most of whom, unlike the United States, sent deputy-level representatives.
Ms. Power, speaking firmly, chastised European leaders, asking why fewer countries were attending the gathering than were present a decade ago, when representatives passed a resolution on fighting anti-Semitism, known as the Berlin Resolution. Deputy Foreign Minister Tzachi Hanegbi of Israel noted at the time that the measure had been adopted with the force of law in only 12 of the 57 participating states.
The only specific groups she mentioned as having antisemitic attitudes were right wing groups in Europe. The only mentions of Muslims she gives are two anecdotes of Jewish groups (in Sarajevo and in London) helping Muslims in trouble. She elliptically mentioned that antisemitic attitudes were being manifested in anti-Israel protests - protests that she emphasized were an important part of a pluralistic society - but she did not once mention that Muslims are the major purveyors of antisemitism worldwide today, even as she mentioned specific attacks on Jews in Europe that were done by Muslims.
And it was not only Samantha Power. The conference's closing statement mentions nothing about rabid incitement against Jews happening daily in Muslim countries.
The conference agenda shows that there was not a single session talking about endemic antisemitism coming from Muslim communities in Europe and Arab states However, there was one about right-wing nationalism:
Working Group IV: The Relationship between Nationalism and Anti-Semitism. Nationalist and populist political parties in Europe have been part of the political landscape for some time, employing at various times anti-Semitism as part of their ideology. However, concerns revolve around the recent electoral success in some countries of extreme right-wing parties that openly use anti-Semitism as part of their party platform. There have also been troubling incidents of individual politicians from more mainstream parties making unabashed use of anti-Semitic stereotypes. Furthermore, challenges emerge from charges of anti-Semitism brandished openly in the political arena. This working group will discuss ways to counter manifestations of anti-Semitism in the political arena.Of course, there are some manifestations of antisemitism among some right wing groups in Europe, but almost all of the actual attacks have been coming from Muslims. Malmo, Paris, Toulouse, Brussels, Berlin, London - Muslims have been behind the events we've all read about, not right wing nationalist groups. Even The Guardian, when writing on the resurgence of antisemitism, mentions the Muslim factor.
The fact that the biggest source for hate and incitement has been ignored and downplayed by this conference shows that the conference itself is not meant to seriously address antisemitism, but rather to pretend to address it by using it as an excuse to attack the groups that they want to attack anyway and to ignore the major source of hate in the world today.
From what I can see online, this conference was a joke. Nothing will come out from it and already it is being watered down from the original Berlin conference on the topic ten years ago. It is an exercise in self-congratulatory politics so attendees can pretend that they "did something" - but nothing so drastic that they could put themselves in danger from radical Muslims who live in their own areas.
(h/t Ronald)
UPDATE: I'm told on Twitter that this working group addressed this.
Working Group VI: Addressing Anti-Semitism against the Background of the Conflict in the Middle East
At the 2004 Berlin conference, OSCE participating States emphasized that international developments, including those in the Middle East, never justify anti-Semitism. A lack of differentiation between the actions of the state of Israel and Jewish communities in OSCE participating States can lead to direct threats as well as to attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions. This working group will address ways for governments and civil society to identify effective approaches to countering anti-Semitic discourse in connection with conflicts in the Middle East. This will include a discussion about relevant educational tools.
Maybe the group was great, but the descriptions seems to me to still be trying hard not to offend Muslims rather than attack the topic head on.