Jewish leader declares worst ‘antisemitism emergency in Europe since Kristallnacht’

To remedy the situation, Rabbi Margolin declared a six-month emergency period to implement measures to combat antisemitism.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, the founder of the European Jewish Association (EJA), declared that there is an “antisemitism emergency” in Europe, the worst since Kristallnacht, the Jewish Chronicle reports.

To remedy the situation, Rabbi Margolin declared a six-month emergency period to implement measures to combat antisemitism.

Rabbi Margolin spoke at the EJA conference to commemorate the 86th anniversary of  Kristallnacht, a series of pogroms in 1938 referred to as the “Night of Broken Glass.”

The EJA is preparing for the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz on January 27, 2025.

Rabbi Margolin said that governments in Europe must regulate public events, particularly protests. These should be pre-authorized, and organizers should commit to a code of conduct to prevent the use of hate speech at the demonstration.

“Today, public events and protests have become a carnival of hate. Everything goes, and everything can be said about Jews. During these six months that we are asking for, the only way to stop this hate will be to regulate public events properly,” he said.

Rabbi Margolin urged legal action against those who violate codes of conduct.

“We must ban and punish antisemitic expressions that incite hate. If we do not, we know the next step,” he said.

In addition, he proposed that Jewish buildings and organizations should have tight security.

Rabbi Margolin was speaking less than two weeks after a planned attack against Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans following a Maccabi-Ajax match in Amsterdam.

Jews were targeted by a mob and singled out for beatings, attempted stabbings, and attacks with vehicles.

“Today we meet to discuss the dangers to our society, the dangers of antisemitism, the dangers of hatred,” Rabbi Margolin said. “It is on our streets. It is in the classrooms. It is on campuses. It is everywhere. The situation of the Jewish people in Europe today is the worst it has been since the Kristallnacht.”

He went on: “Europe is in the middle of the worst antisemitism crisis since World War II. It is a tragedy that Jews in Europe find themselves in this situation. I can tell you that right now, every Jewish community is waiting for the worst. Every 15 minutes in Europe, another antisemitic incident is taking place.”

AntisemitismEuropean JewsKristallnacht