Tony Blair to take new role in combating anti-Semitism
Tony Blair is to take on a new role combating anti-Semitism after announcing he is stepping down as the Quartet’s Middle East envoy.
The former prime minister is to become chairman of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR).
The body campaigns for European countries to make Holocaust denial a criminal offence, clearly define racism and anti-Semitism, and to pay for security at synagogues and Jewish schools.
Writing in The Times, Mr Blair and Moshe Kantor, a Russian–born Jewish businessman, warned that Europe is at a turning point.
“We live in dangerous times,” they wrote. “There have been three periods in the past hundred years when the annual GDP growth in Europe went below 1%: first in 1913, just before the First World War, second in 1938, just before the Second World War, and third in 2014.
“Economic decline fuels instability.”
Mr Blair and Mr Kantor pointed to a recent report on global anti-Semitic incidents by the Kantor Centre at Tel Aviv University, which found 2014 was one of the worst years in the past decade.
The ex-PM confirmed last month that he was to step down as the representative of the Quartet – US, European Union, United Nations and Russia – in the Middle East.
But he has insisted he will remain engaged with the peace process.
Citing figures from the Kantor Centre, which recorded 766 violent anti-Semitic incidents last year, the pair said it was “one of the worst years” over the last decade.
They wrote: “As has been said before, but is worth repeating, prejudice and racism often starts with the softest targets, be it Jews or others, but it never ends there. Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem, but one infecting the whole of society and needs to be tackled for the sake of us all.
“Globalisation is pushing us closer together so the effects of racism and discrimination increasingly undermine the fabric of society as a whole.
Our individual success depends on that of the collective, which is why states, international organisations and other actors must join together to tackle hate and intolerance.
“If we wait for our armies to act, it will be too late.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
