On 24 & 25.9.2024, the work of the 6th meeting of the working group on the implementation of the EU strategy to combat anti-Semitism took place in Budapest, chaired by the Coordinator of the European Commission for combating anti-Semitism and promoting Jewish life, Katharina von Schnurbein.
The meeting, hosted at the Rumbach Synagogue and Cultural Center, brought together more than 90 representatives of national ministries and Jewish communities from 27 EU countries, senior officials from European institutions, as well as international organizations and civil society organizations.
Common concern was expressed about the rise of anti-Semitism after 7 October, with the EU Coordinator stating among other things that: "the road is still long before we succeed in becoming a society without anti-Semitism". On the Jewish side, EJC Vice President Raya Kalenova emphasized that “Europe can only prosper when its Jewish communities are safe. When we can no longer live in safety, it signals that our continent has become a dangerous place for everyone."
The main objective of the meeting was: a) to assess the steps taken by the member countries to integrate the EU Strategy to combat anti-Semitism through the adoption of national action plans and b) to share best practices.
Among the issues discussed were the effective prosecution of perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts, the role of the IHRA definition and its practical application, the pivotal role of education and the need to expand educational outreach programs to include anti-Semitism beyond Holocaust memory but and the cultural wealth of the Jews.
As part of the meeting, a visit to the Dohany Great Synagogue was also held, as well as an official ceremony at the Holocaust Memorial Center.
Greece was represented by the Special Envoy of the Foreign Minister. for the fight against Anti-Semitism and the preservation of Holocaust Remembrance, Ambassador Chrysoula Aliferi, and on behalf of KISE, Efi Ezrati, head of the Press and Public Relations Office, participated.
