Ahead of the historic Fifth World Holocaust Forum to be held in Jerusalem later this month with over 45 heads of state and world leaders in attendance, Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress and World Holocaust Forum Foundation(WHF), said that antisemitism is at worrying levels that could see Jewish communities disappear in the future.
“We are currently at this situation because when antisemitism was on the extremes – the far-Right, far-Left and radical Islamists, it was not taken seriously enough,” Dr. Kantor said yesterday at the Yedioth Ahronoth “People of the Nation” Conference. “So, today, the extremes are trying to take over the mainstream and they have brought antisemitism with them.”
“Jewish life in Europe, and elsewhere, is under threat because antisemitism has been allowed to grow to a point where it has infected all levels of our societies.”
Dr. Kantor was a keynote speaker on the issue of the battle against antisemitism. “Antisemitism is allowed to spread because it is tolerated by the silent majority,” Dr. Kantor continued. “Those who tolerate antisemitism should know that Jew-hatred harms any society where it takes hold, we only have to look at Germany in the middle of the last century.”
“So, we need the silent majority to stand up and stop antisemitism, not only for the Jews, but for their own society’s moral and physical wellbeing.”
At the Conference, Dr. Kantor, together with President of the State of Israel Reuven Rivlin, launched the Noah Klieger “Defender of the Jewish People Award”.
The award will be given annually to those who fight for the preservation of the memory of the Holocaust, against antisemitism and in the defense of the Jewish People.
“Noah Klieger is a Jewish survivor and a hero, so it is appropriate that we name the “Defender of the Jewish People Award” after him,” Dr. Kantor said in the announcement of the award named after Klieger, who was a prominent Israeli journalist, helped hundreds of Jews escape the Holocaust, was a Holocaust survivor himself as well as fought in Israel’s War of Independence.
“The Jewish people once again face great challenges, including growing antisemitism, delegitimization of Israel and Holocaust denial. We look to our heroes of the past, such as Noah Klieger, to inspire new heroes of the future.”
Watch the full speech of Dr Kantor :