Top EU politician: ‘Major cause of anti-Semitism is lack of education on Israel’
A top Italian politician has said a major cause of anti-Semitism in Europe is a lack of education about Israel, both within the public and among politicians.
MEP Fulvio Martusciello spoke about the role of tackling European anti-Semitism, and improving relations with Israel – which he sees as strongly linked.
As head of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Israel, he addressed a panel on anti-Semitism before he told Jewish News: “The biggest problem is Europe, is that Europeans don’t know anything about Israel.
“When they don’t know anything about Israel, they criticise without realising what Israel is. The solution for this is education. We must give a better image of Israel in institutions and make it better known, not only to the public but MPs and politicians as well.”
He also criticised a recent UN report that berated Israel during Operation Protective Edge, as it “does not put Hamas at least on the same level. We have to be strong to counter Palestinian narrative and to make it at the same level to push for the truth”.
Martusciello, an MEP for the European People’s Party, also spoke about the rising far right in Europe. He said: “The role of the delegation is to marginalise these groups and fight their narrative and to push for a stronger relationship between the EU and Israel. This will help to fight anti-Semitism.”
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.
