Thank you, Mr. President
On the 15th of January this year, on Shabbat, the Jewish Day of Rest, a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, was the target of a vicious antisemitic attack during which its rabbi and congregants were held hostage.
This antisemitic act of violence does not only affect the Jewish community in Texas but as World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder stated, “the attack on Congregation Beth Israel is an attack on all of us.”
The World Jewish Congress, the representative body of Jewish communities in more than 100 countries, deeply appreciates the solidarity expressed by several member states of this Council. Violence against any religious, ethnic or other minority community must be forcefully condemned by all nations and we must work together to counter hateful ideologies and eliminate intolerance.
Repeated attacks against Jewish communities in recent years – this year in Texas; 2019 in Germany; 2018 in Pennsylvania, 2015 in Denmark and in France, 2014 in Belgium - reveal the extent of the hatred against Jews worldwide. Many of these perpetrators are being radicalized online.
The World Jewish Congress urges this Council and its member states to prioritize the fight against antisemitism and all forms of hatred. We urge you to call upon social media companies to ensure that those who spread antisemitism and other types of hate do not benefit from their platforms. Finally, we urge this Council to strongly condemn antisemitic acts wherever and in whatever form they may occur.
Thank you.