Below is a full translation of an interview published by the Austrian-based newspaper Die Presse with EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein and President of the Austrian National Council Wolfgang Sobotka.
How is it possible that an attack on a synagogue and the leader of a Jewish community can take place in the middle of Austria in 2020?
President Sobotka: The act is frightening, but unfortunately not surprising. As early as 2018, a survey commissioned by the Parliament showed that ten-percent of the population overtly displayed antisemitic sentiment and thirty-percent harbor these feelings in privately.
Among migrants from the Arab world and Turkey, these figures are even higher. Given this attitude, I am not surprised that it also manifests itself. On the internet, hatred is exploding worldwide, and Austria is no different from other countries in this regard.
The suspect in Graz is a Syrian who has lived in Austria for seven years. To what extent is the new antisemitism imported into Europe?
EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein: I am careful when talking about antisemitism having been imported. Antisemitism in Europe has existed for around 2000 years. German and Austrian Nazis organized the Holocaust. But it is also true that many refugees have heard since childhood that Jews and Israel are their enemies. An important task of integration is to teach migrants that Jewish life is normal in Europe. This also means, however, that antisemitic statements must immediately be confronted by the mainstream of society. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
From what sources does European antisemitism feed at this moment?EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein: There is still antisemitism from the far-right including conspiracy myths; Holocaust denial was added after 1945. This is partly also reflected in mainstream society. We forget that a lot tends to fester on the far-right, feeding extremism. Left-wing antisemitism often hides behind anti-Zionism. And then there is religious antisemitism, stemming in part from Christians, but even more so from Islamists.
Why has antisemitism been on the rise in Europe for years?
EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein: This certainly has to do with the Internet. In the past, three fools met at their usual table. Today, it is much easier for them to network and spread their message.
President Sobotka: For years, we focused on far-right antisemitism. Left-wing antisemitism and migrant antisemitism were hardly an issue. These omissions are on our minds in France, Hungary and England to Austria: the EU is called upon to implement an overall strategy with all nation-states in order to take up the fight on a broad social front.
How can migrants from the Middle East be persuaded to abandon their antisemitism?
EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein: The director of the Jewish Museum, Danielle Spera, told me about an interesting project. Syrian refugees are shown a shoebox with toys left behind by a Jewish girl in Vienna whose parents were murdered in the Holocaust and who came to London on a children's transport. Spera asks the refugees what they would have liked to have taken with them. The moment their suffering is acknowledged, an opportunity for empathy opens. Many of the refugees have never heard of the Holocaust. It is easier to reach them when they first arrive than in the second or third generation.
According to a survey by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency, four out of ten Jews have considered emigrating. Can Jews no longer feel safe in Europe?
EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein: I often hear from older Jews that they want to stay but advise their children to leave. It was always the case that when Jews no longer felt safe in Europe, all of Europe was doing badly. Jewish life has flourished most in a democratic environment.
President Sobotka: An antisemitic attitude is also an anti-democratic attitude. It must therefore be a matter of concern to all democracies to combat this way of thinking. That is why I am calling for Jewish life to be made more visible, including in Vienna.
In Germany, some Jews no longer dare to wear the kippah.
President Sobotka: Every single member of society must challenge anyone who makes antisemitic jokes or assaults others. This must no longer be tolerated in our society. Antisemitism is more than a prejudice that can be countered with arguments; it is a negative cultural attitude that has been inherited epigenetically in our area for centuries and is therefore difficult to combat. We need a European commitment to view our fellow Jewish citizenry as an asset.
Do you expect the upheavals in the wake of the coronavirus crisis to trigger a new wave of antisemitism?
EU Commissioner for Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein: It's horrible to see how quickly antisemitic incidents have shifted into the virtual world during the lockdown.
President Sobotka: When conspiracy theories and denial take hold, antisemitism can also often be found. I am very concerned that antisemitism will intensify in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
