Anti-Semitism returns to haunt Europe

Perhaps nowhere has this been more carefully documented than in the French city of Marseilles where a Jewish teacher was stabbed by a 15-year-old follower of Islamic State earlier this year. The huge influx of migrants into Germany and other parts of Europe, mainly from Syria and other Muslim countries, is only likely to add to this problem with reports of anti-Semitic behaviour by some of their number.

Some European Jews are not waiting to see how the situation will play out. According to the Jewish Agency, almost 10,000 left the continent for Israel in 2015, double the number that left in 2013.

In truth, anti-Semitism never went away. It always existed on the extremes of politics and among parts of the governing elites, as we have recently seen with the row over anti-Semitism within Britain’s Labour Party.

Now once again European Jews are at risk, and it is the duty of governments to call out anti-Semites and to tackle the problem. Yet, Europe’s economic decline is leading to political instability and the continent is witnessing the rise of populist political movements, some of which espouse anti-Semitic views.

However, governments wield enormous power in setting the boundaries of acceptable behaviour and have the power to keep people safe, even if they do not have the power to change minds.

Migrants cannot be allowed to bring anti-Semitic attitudes with them to the continent. The rights of European Jews to live in peace must come before the rights of any new arrivals to Europe.

And, any organization that promotes violence towards Jews should be banned.

Most challenging of all for European governments is the hardline anti-Semitic attitudes that have become prevalent in established Muslim communities. Only time and education will likely make any impact.

Most importantly, governments must stand firm on what is taught in schools. For example, European schools must not play down the holocaust from history lessons to accommodate Muslim students and parents, as has happened in parts of the Netherlands. Jewish suffering is a fact of European history and must be taught as such.

The current state of affairs reflects a failure by modern European elites to remember the lessons of the continent’s dark history, and to properly identify and tackle the anti-Semitism which lurks in their societies. One can only hope that European governments start to provide proper leadership and real policies on this issue, providing some light in the continent’s gathering darkness.

James Skinner is a contributing editor at China Daily with an MA in International Relations. He has a particular interest in British and American politics, as well as global security issues.