Czech Council for National Minorities adopts resolution on rise of antisemitism

The Czech Government Council for National Minorities adopted a resolution on the rise of antisemitism.

“Resolution of the Government Council for National Minorities No. 8, dated December 1, 2023

1. The Government Council for National Minorities (hereinafter referred to as the “Council”) strongly condemns any manifestations of antisemitism in any form (offline/online), whether in the Czech Republic or elsewhere in the world. History has taught us that in such moments we must speak up and cannot be indifferent. We stand in solidarity with our fellow Jews who feel threatened or even hide their identity, given that all the cornerstones of Jewish life and identity are, or may be, under attack. We must not allow the horrors of the past to return.
2. The Council listened with extreme concern to the information from the representative of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the Czech Republic about the increase in antisemitic expressions in the Czech Republic since the beginning of the current conflict between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
3. The Council welcomes and appreciates the unequivocal words of Mr. Prime Minister and President of the Council Petr Fiala that the unprecedented barbaric attack by the terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023 was not only an attack on the State of Israel and Israeli society, but that it was an attack on humanity, on our civilization, and that is why we must be unequivocal in our condemnation of this attack, we must be unequivocal in our support for Israel. At the same time, the Council expresses its sincere regret for every civilian victim of the conflict.
4. The Council considers the rise of prejudiced speech, especially antisemitic, in the online space, disinformation, hate speech on social networks and other communication platforms, which incites actual hate crimes and threatens the very social cohesion that binds our democratic society, to be of particular concern. We appeal to the social media platforms that spread and reproduce this content and urge them to act in accordance with the law and cooperate with law enforcement authorities.
5. We call on civil society – including religious communities, the cultural sector, academia and sports federations – not to stand aside and remain silent, but rather to use their influence to effectively fight antisemitism and promote public acts of solidarity.
6. Today, more than at any other time, the need to inform and educate about antisemitism and other forms of hate comes to the fore, as well as the urgent need to repeatedly return to the tragedy of the Holocaust and the causes that led to it. In this context, the Council recalls the non-legally binding definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, of which the Czech Republic is also a member, and calls for its use by all relevant state authorities as well as civil society. 
7. The Council fully supports the current measures taken by the Police of the Czech Republic to protect Jewish objects and important buildings. Requests the Ministry of the Interior and the Police of the Czech Republic to provide information at the next meeting of the Council on manifestations of antisemitism and similar manifestations based on prejudice against religion, ethnicity, nationality or origin, and measures implemented to suppress this phenomenon and protect community centers, institutions, synagogues, etc. At the same time The Council appeals to the criminal justice system as a whole to consistently use the relevant criminal law framework and thus fulfill the international obligation to effectively investigate pre-trial crimes arising from, among other things, the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights.”