Before Conference of European Rabbis, Timmermans defends Jewish practices

A top European Union official said on Tuesday that there was "no Europe without the Jewish community”.

Frans Timmermans, first vice-president of the European Commission, the EU's executive, addressed the Conference of European Rabbis' 60th
Anniversary Gala Dinner in Amsterdam. 

“Europe is faced with a huge surge of anti-Semitism, which is inspired by people coming from elsewhere, who were raised with anti-Semitism. Our society should be helping them to get it out of their system and signs of anti-Semitism should not remain unaddressed. But sadly, we also face the eternal European anti-Semitism, which is live and kicking,”

Timmermans told the dinner guests, adding: "Freedom of religion is essential and we will defend the principle that one should not be questioned how they practice religion.

Timmermans said that "we at the European Commission, and I personally" defend "freedom of religion and religious practices. If religious slaughter is done according to the rules, by people who are trained and certified, that should never be a problem in any society", he said, adding that he felt similarly about circumcision." 

In a video message played to conference delegates Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, said Europe would not be the same without the Jews. He said that "any attack against Jewish communities in Europe is an attack against Europe. We have to act together reaffirming the values at the center of the European integration. Religions are part of the solution for peace and tolerance.”

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote a letter to the CER in which he said: “Regrettably, anti-Semitism has not disappeared from our world. In recent years, we have been witness to a resurgence in anti-Semitic attacks and many Jews are once again afraid to openly practice their religion and identify themselves as Jews. I appreciate your actions to combat this scourge and refuse the libelous smear campaign against Israel.”

Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis and chief rabbi of Moscow, said, “This is a new very scary environment in
which negative forces are taking advantage of globalization and abusing the internet to spread their hate. We rabbis have to provide to our community and to the world a tent, a spiritual tent, which will provide clarity, charity and love, sanctity and tolerance, where the respect to every human being who has been created in the image of God is demonstrated."

Goldschmidt also criticized the decision by the legislature of Wallonia to ban ritual slaughter as "a position that not only disregards the ample body of scientific evidence that supports shechita as a humane method of slaughter, but also disregards the simple fact that the shechita process conforms with all the norms of animal welfare as well as the European definition of stunning".

The gathering brought together close to 300 delegates, predominantly chief Rabbis and rabbis from across Europe.

Photo: Polina Garaev/i24News