Cardin joins nearly two dozen European counterparts to condemn surge in antisemitic and anti-Muslim violence

Nov 22, 2023

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and several dozen European colleagues on Wednesday condemned what they called an “alarming rise” in antisemitic and anti-Muslim bigotry and violence since Hamas’ October attack against Israel.

“We are proud to represent diverse constituencies in vibrant democracies. None of this is acceptable,” a joint statement reads. “We urge our governments to intensify all efforts to safeguard Jewish and Muslim communities, to condemn these actions when they occur, and to implement our national strategies to combat the dark tide of bigotry and hatred.”

The officials cited a tripling in antisemitic hate crime investigations in New York and London since the recent terrorist attacks, as well as a documented 1,040 antisemitic incidents in France in the month since the Hamas assault.

The leaders specifically condemned the U.S.-based killings of a 6-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois and Paul Kessler, a Jewish man, in California. The FBI and Homeland Security Department have warned the ongoing conflict could fuel more hate crimes with FBI Director Christopher Wray telling a Senate panel that antisemitic threats are at “historic levels.”

Lawmakers who joined with Cardin in signing the statement hail from Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, the European Parliament, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

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