MEPs discuss the worrying reports on the increase in hate-driven incidents online and offline across the EU in the plenary debate in Strasbourg. Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions, and Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life, deliver opening statements at the beginning of the session. The transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check agaisnt delivery.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

fight against antisemitism (T)

SCHINAS, Margaritis (EPP-DE, EL, EC)

LAHBIB, Hadja (BE)

Opening statements by Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of promoting our European Way of Life

SOUNDBITE (French), Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Madam President, Commissioner, Members. We have just concluded a debate on hate speech and disinformation online and how these are two of the biggest challenges our society is facing. I am not going to go over again on what has been said, but I would like to talk about the alarming rise of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim acts, specifically since the 7th of October, the very serious situation in Gaza and in the Middle East as a whole.

SOUNDBITE (French), Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, This war has clearly had an impact in Europe and elsewhere in the world and has contributed to polarise in public opinion more than ever. Anti-Semitism, racism, the insidious, persistent phenomena that have to be tackled relentlessly. We must always remember the values on which the EU is based, the respect for the dignity of each person, and that includes the right of those who belong to minorities. Also the freedom of expression of belief, of religion that is enshrined in Article 10 of the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

SOUNDBITE (French), Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, At the last European Council, we strongly condemned all forms of hate, intolerance, racism and xenophobia. Hatred towards Muslims included. The Council conclusions also recalled the action plan against racism in the European strategy against anti-Semitism and support to Jewish life. Implementing this rapidly is very important for our Jewish communities.

SOUNDBITE (French), Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, The dialogue between all parts of society is extremely important when it comes to tackling this phenomenon of racism and hatred. In this context, the Presidency will be organising a number of events and debates to tackle racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred. We would like to broaden this debate to civil society and to work together to ensure that we strengthen protection of individual freedoms of equality, and also non-discrimination.

SOUNDBITE (French), Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Council has regular discussions on these matters at a political and at a technical level. In the most recent conclusions on racism and anti-Semitism in March 2022, the Council called on Member States to draw up strategies and action plans at a national level to raise awareness amongst the people about tackling racism and hatred in all forms of exclusion. This is a continuous effort that has to be maintained by each country, each region, each town and each community.

SOUNDBITE (French), Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, The media also needs to fully play that role. During the previous debate, I talked about the obligation of social media platforms when it comes to to disinformation. And they also have a key role here when it comes to drawing up solutions that allow them to detect, evaluate and rapidly withdraw illegal hate speech found online, whether it be anti-Semitic or anti-Muslim.

SOUNDBITE (French), Hadja LAHBIB, Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs, As I said in the previous debate as well, the entry into force of the Digital Services Act, the DSA, will help to contribute to a more respectful environment for all. Before I conclude, let me thank the three coordinators from the Commission who tackle anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic aspects. Thank you very much for the work that they have done.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, Thank you, President. This is a very timely debate. Today we are four months after October 7th and four months before the European elections. Over the past weeks, we have witnessed an alarming surge in hate speech, hate crime across Europe. In the streets of our cities, as well as online. We cannot remain indifferent.

<p>SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, The heinous terrorist attack by Hamas shook us all to our core. Not since the Holocaust had so many Jewish lives been lost on a single day. This attack still reverberates among the Jewish communities in Europe and around the world.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, From the first moment, the European Union supported Israel's right to defend itself in line with international law and international humanitarian law, and has called for the unconditional release of the hostages. At the same time, we are witnessing a dramatic humanitarian situation affecting the Palestinian population in Gaza. Addressing this humanitarian crisis, ensuring the protection of civilians, including children and the vulnerable, and avoiding regional escalation must now be our top priority.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, As the situation in the Middle East unfolds, many individuals, including many Jews and Muslims in Europe, are mourning and worrying about their loved ones. And to add to this, many Jews and Muslims living in Europe are also fearing for their own safety. Since October 7th, we are witnessing with horror the rise in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim incidents, Molotov cocktails thrown at synagogues, stars of David sprayed on residential buildings, Jewish stores destroyed, swastikas and anti-Muslim slurs spray-painted on mosques and houses. An attempt to set the mosque on fire when people were praying inside. Jewish and Muslim cemeteries desecrated.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, Anti-Muslim and anti-semitism have also exploded online. Slogans calling for the destruction of the state of Israel. The killing of all Jews. Glorifying terrorism or calling for Muslim migrants to be killed or expelled and Muslim women to be raped. This is simply unacceptable. It is incompatible with all that the European Union stands for, with a model of society that represents us with our European way of life.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, In Europe today, a Europe of equality, no minority should live in fear. Irrespective of which side of the political spectrum each one of us comes from, irrespective of where you take your seat in this hemicycle, we must all unequivocally condemn such acts of hate. On the Commission side, we have acted immediately and decisively. As Vice-President in charge, I visited several Jewish communities immediately after October 7th. First in Strasbourg, then in Antwerp, then in Thessaloniki, and overseas in Melbourne, in Sao Paolo.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, We accelerated the implementation of many of the actions under our EU strategy on combating anti-semitism and fostering Jewish life. On six of December, we adopted a new targeted communication entitled "No Place for Hate a Europe United Against Hatred". We are stepping up efforts to fight hatred in all its forms by reinforcing action across the policy spectrum. Measures to counter physical as well as online threats, increasing the scrutiny of beneficiaries of EU funding to ensure respect of our values. Raising awareness through education, culture and sport. Let us never forget that it was hate and anti-semitism that led to the Holocaust.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, The Holocaust was a European tragedy, but it happened locally at Nazi death camps, shooting grounds and deportation points and hiding places. This is why we are launching a major initiative today to establish a network of places where the Holocaust happened. We want to ensure that every child in Europe learns about the darkest chapter of our history.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, Security remains also a top concern. We are making extra funding available to protect places of worship and other premises. We launched a new call for proposals in December with a total budget of &euro;30 million. Of this, 5 million will be dedicated specifically to projects protecting Jewish places of worship, schools and community gatherings.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, In the online environment, we are addressing the explosion of racist, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim hate for the first time with the regulatory instruments that we managed to obtain under this political cycle. With a close cooperation of the European Parliament and our Member States with a Digital Services Act, you just had the debate. I'm not going into the specifics. Thierry Breton has just presented what we can do under the Digital Services Act.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, We have also now working with the major online platforms to reinforce the Code of Conduct on Countering Illegal Hate Speech Online as soon as possible. And we have increased funding to address anti-Semitism online through a network of trusted flaggers and fact checkers across the EU. Parallel we are working closely with Europol and our Member States law enforcement agencies to make sure that terrorist content online and the glorification of terrorism on European streets are pursued vigorously.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, Honourable Members, Dear friends, we are not naive. We are fully aware that no communication, no strategy from Brussels, no amount of EU funding will ever be sufficient in itself to address centuries old prejudice often rekindled but orchestrated disinformation campaigns. We know we must act on all levels and engage society as a whole.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, On 19th of December, I call, I called for an extraordinary high level meeting of religious leaders Christian, Muslim and Jewish, to discuss the impact of the conflict in the Middle East. And I was genuinely encouraged by their joint determination to stand up against hatred and speak up for tolerance and respect.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, And in line with our EU strategy, the conclusions of the European Council last December, I call now upon all Member States to do their part, to adopt and implement the national strategies on combating anti-Semitism and national action plans against racism, and to ensure that the necessary resources are available to protect Jewish and Muslim communities from hatred.

SOUNDBITE (English), Margaritis SCHINAS, Vice-President of the European Commission, And beyond the Member States, we at the Commission were committed to engage directly with citizens. It is a citizens topic. It is not a discussion that needs to be taken in offices and in conference rooms. The first half of this year, we will organise a European citizens panel on action against hatred. We are determined to have citizens on board to help us identify action for all Europeans to ensure that Europe is a place where our founding values are enjoyed by anyone, by everyone on an equal basis. Thank you. I look forward to the debate.