Urge European leaders to increase
their efforts to monitor and address antisemitism

LCHR sent a letter on Aug. 27th to President Chirac and other European Union leaders expressing grave concern about the rise of antisemitism in Europe and the inadequacy of the official response.

Send your own letter to President Chirac and other EU leaders expressing your concern and urging them to take action.

Print out, sign and send the following sample letter or create your own:

Dear President Chirac [or other EU leader]:

I am writing to you and other EU leaders to express my grave concern about the rise of antisemitism in Europe and the inadequacy of the official response. I refer you to a report just published by the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, entitled “Fire and Broken Glass: The Rise of Antisemitism in Europe,” examining efforts by European governments and institutions to monitor and address antisemitism. (The report is available at http://www.lchr.org.) I am dismayed by the insufficiency of these efforts, and urge you to do more to address and combat antisemitic speech and violence.

Specifically, I urge you to publicly acknowledge the dangers posed by the rise in antisemitism in your country and elsewhere in Europe. I call upon you to establish clear criteria for registering and reporting crimes motivated by racist animus – so-called “hate crimes.” I recommend also that you develop a more comprehensive official reporting system, under which crimes motivated by racism and religious intolerance are publicly reported in a systematic, accessible way. As your government develops enhanced reporting mechanisms, it should cooperate fully with European inter-governmental organizations charged with combating racism.

I also urge you to take steps to enhance the enforcement of criminal laws aimed at prosecuting offenders. Antisemitism is racism and antisemitic acts must be treated as serious violations of international human rights. As such, perpetrators must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

I urge you and your government to pursue whatever additional measures are necessary to combat the escalating wave of antisemitic attacks.

Sincerely,

Your Name

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