The unusual warning in Europe: “Families are afraid to walk the streets”

Over 100 Jewish leaders, senior politicians and diplomats from all over the continent participated this week in the European Association of Jewish Organizations (EJA) conference held in Brussels. The conference, held under the title “Jewish communities at the forefront of a global intifada”, dealt with the dramatic increase in anti-Semitism incidents, the escalation of violence and the feeling of insecurity among Jews in Europe. At the center of the discussions, the demand was raised to grant the Jews the status of a special protected minority, which would guarantee legal protections, physical security and long-term protection of the communities.

The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metzola, sent a particularly harsh message during her speech and clarified that the current situation is a failure of Europe. “Synagogues are attacked, schools are marked as targets, ambulances are set on fire and Jewish families are afraid to walk the streets. These are not isolated cases, but a direct attack on everything that Europe is supposed to represent.”

In addition, she warned of a dangerous normalization of anti-Semitism since the October 7 attack. “We see conspiracy theories replacing facts, victims being blamed, and old anti-Semitic stereotypes returning this time in the mouths of young people. This is how it starts, and Europe knows very well where it could lead if it is not stopped in time.” Metzola defined anti-Semitism as “poison”, and emphasized that the facts on the ground cannot be ignored. “We must uproot it. Europe must be a place where Jews can live in security and without fear. A place where wearing a kippa is not a danger, and children do not need armed security to go to school.”

The chairman of the Union of Jewish Organizations in Europe, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, reinforced Mitzola’s words and pointed an accusing finger at the governments in Europe. “We are no longer talking about a phenomenon, but a reality. When attacks against Jews become routine, when parents are afraid to send children to school and when communities live behind barriers, it is a clear sign that something fundamental is broken. It is not only a failure to protect Jews, but a failure of Europe to protect itself. If new rules and real protections are not established, the future of Jewish life here will be in question.”

The Commissioner of the European Union, Oliver Wehrli, emphasized that anti-Semitism has no place in Europe, neither on the streets nor in the official institutions. “The continent must respond to this threat with clarity, consistency and determination, because it is not only a threat to the Jewish communities, but a test to our democratic societies. If Europe fails to protect its Jewish minority, it fails to protect itself. Jewish life has been an integral part of Europe for centuries. Jewish traditions belong to Europe, and communities have the right to live in security, dignity and freedom.”