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European Jewish Congress

EJC

Based in Brussels, the European Jewish Congress is the representative umbrella organisation of national Jewish communities.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Nov 2025 · 2025 Paris Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism

Meeting with Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Member of the European Parliament)

13 Oct 2025 · Antisemitism, october 7

Response to Anti-racism Strategy

7 Jul 2025

The European Jewish Congress (EJC), representing over 40 Jewish communities across Europe, welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the shaping of the EUs future Anti-Racism Strategy. In recent yearsand with particular intensity since October 2023Jewish communities across the continent have faced an alarming surge in Jew-hatred. This urgent reality calls for a clear, coordinated, and robust institutional response. The strategy must acknowledge that the most prevalent and dangerous contemporary form of Jew-hatred is that which manifests in relation to Israel and the so-called anti-Zionist discoursea modern form of Jew-hatred. This includes the glorification of terrorist organisations, the importation of the Middle East conflict into European contexts, and the collective targeting of Jews in Europe as a result. The European Commissions approach to fighting Jew-hatred and promoting Jewish life corresponds to what the European Jewish community wishes, reflecting shared values and goals. It is essential that the new strategy builds on this foundation and places the fight against Jew-hatred at its core, ensuring the continuity and further development of these shared priorities. In these challenging times, Jewish communities must never be forced to choose between pride in their identity and their safety. They must be free to express their Jewish identity openly, while being fully protected from harm. The EU and its Member States should invest adequately in security measures to safeguard Jewish institutions, schools, and public eventsensuring that safety and pride go hand in hand. The IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism remains the most widely accepted and effective tool to identify and combat antisemitism. The EJC strongly recommends that this definition continues to serve as the sole guiding framework for EU policy, including within this strategy. Any attempt to weaken or replace it would risk undermining the fight against Jew-hatred and alienating Jewish communities. Education and prevention must be central pillars of the new strategy. The EU should support comprehensive teacher training, ensure the inclusion of accurate and up-to-date content on Jew-hatred in school curricula, and promote Jewish heritage as an integral part of Europes diverse cultural identity. Holocaust education must be preserved and reinforced, while being connected to current manifestations of Jew-hatred. Schools must be equipped to address incidents of Jew-hatred and confront the glorification of terrorism in educational settings. Online Jew-hatred continues to spread rapidly, fuelling conspiracy theories, inciting hatred, and contributing to radicalisation. The strategy must ensure the robust implementation of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Jew-hatred should be recognised as a priority threat category, with dedicated support for trusted flagger partnerships involving Jewish organisations, algorithmic transparency, and the swift removal of harmful content. Moreover, the strategy should reaffirm that EU institutions and publicly funded civil society actors must adhere to clear ethical standards. Access to EU funding should be conditional upon a firm commitment to rejecting all forms of Jew-hatred. Public discourse, education, and cultural platforms must be safeguarded against hate speech, incitement, and Holocaust denial. The EJC urges the European Commission to ensure that the forthcoming Anti-Racism Strategy includes concrete implementation tools, measurable benchmarks, and sustained consultation with affected communities. Combating Jew-hatred must be fully and visibly integrated into the EUs broader anti-racism agenda.
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Meeting with Magnus Brunner (Commissioner) and AJC Transatlantic Institute and

26 Jun 2025 · Discussion on preventing and combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life

Meeting with Pina Picierno (Member of the European Parliament)

10 Apr 2025 · Fight against antisemitism in Europe

Meeting with Sergey Lagodinsky (Member of the European Parliament)

9 Apr 2025 · Panellist

Meeting with Katrin Langensiepen (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Mar 2025 · Current challenges of the Jewish Communities in Europe and potential opportunities for cooperation

Meeting with Sabrina Repp (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Mar 2025 · EU politics concerning Jewish people

Meeting with Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Feb 2025 · Antisemitism

Meeting with Alice Teodorescu Måwe (Member of the European Parliament)

19 Feb 2025 · Antisemitism

Meeting with Miriam Lexmann (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Meeting to discuss rise of anti-Semitism in Europe and how to tackle it

Meeting with Marina Kaljurand (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Oct 2024 · Antisemitism in Europe

Meeting with Lena Düpont (Member of the European Parliament) and B'nai B'rith Europe

18 Jul 2024 · Combatting Antisemitism in the EU

Meeting with Lukas Mandl (Member of the European Parliament)

16 Jul 2024 · Middle East/Anti-semitism

Response to 1st progress report of the EU antisemitism strategy

18 Apr 2024

The release of the first-ever European Union Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life in 2021 was groundbreaking and showcased the enduring and long-standing commitment of the European Union and its Member States (MS) in the fight against Jewish hatred across the continent and the flourishing of Jewish life and culture. Jewish organisations such as the European Jewish Congress, as well as communities, have highlighted over the last 15 years the necessity of a continental framework to address the concerns and challenges faced by Jewish citizens amidst the rise of antisemitism. The Strategy called on each MS to adopt its national strategy against antisemitism by the end of 2022 and appoint a special envoy or coordinator to combat antisemitism and foster Jewish life. However, more than two years since the Strategys adoption, many MS have yet to follow the EC recommendations. Countries like Belgium, Ireland, and Cyprus have neither presented a strategy nor appointed a coordinator. Some MS have introduced action plans where antisemitism is mentioned only sporadically or as part of a broader strategy addressing racism and discrimination, failing to recognise the specificity of antisemitism, such as in Finland and Slovakia. The same issue arises with the appointment of coordinators. In some MS such as Lithuania, Belgium, and Luxembourg, instead of designating lawmakers solely tasked with combating Jewish hatred and addressing the concerns of Jewish communities, national governments have simply added antisemitism to portfolios alongside other forms of racism and discrimination. Additionally, some of these national strategies lack allocated funding, e.g. Spain, which makes it practically impossible to implement any initiatives. Since these strategies' publication, none of the proposed actions or initiatives have been initiated in practice. While the Strategy prioritises the fostering of Jewish life, MS seem to lack impetus in presenting comprehensive action plans regarding these efforts. Instead, their focus remains primarily on combating antisemitism, neglecting the need to promote and preserve Jewish life. Therefore, MS should articulate clear action plans aimed at fostering Jewish life in their countries, showcasing Jewish contributions and traditions, while also investing in Jewish education and cultural events to facilitate its flourishing. Unfortunately, there appears to be a notable oversight within the Strategy regarding engagement with Jewish youth movements, which play a central role in European Jewish life. Amid the dramatic rise of antisemitism since October 7th, the lack of implementation of the Strategy by some MS is extremely concerning, showcasing the need for clear measures of accountability. A mechanism for EU MS to be accountable for their pledges and to monitor their progress in implementing the Strategy and their national action plans is fundamental and would be welcomed by Jewish communities. Impact measurement and reporting of advances in the implementation of the strategy by MS should be taken into account and published and communicated regularly by the EU. In the next mandate of the EC, we expect that the position of the Coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life to continue as a permanent and integral part of the EU's fight against discrimination, with appropriate staff and budget. The mandate and work of the Coordinator and its office have proved pivotal in obtaining concrete results on the ground. The EU must strengthen its response to rising anti-Zionism, especially among the youth post-October 7 attacks, and efforts should focus on combating online antisemitism, regulating the AI role in spreading hate speech, and urging social media companies to adhere to the DSA, the IHRA definition, and the strategy. Lastly, simplifying grant applications would increase accessibility for Jewish communities as the current system's complexity discourages participation.
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Meeting with David Lega (Member of the European Parliament)

20 Sept 2023 · Rosh Hashana

Meeting with Sergey Lagodinsky (Member of the European Parliament)

6 Feb 2023 · General Assembly

Meeting with Margaritis Schinas (Vice-President) and

25 Jan 2023 · Combatting Antisemitism, Holocaust Remembrance Day

Meeting with Nicola Beer (Member of the European Parliament)

28 Sept 2022 · Rosh Hashanah Celebration

Meeting with Nicola Beer (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur)

27 Jun 2022 · European Jewish Congress Dinner

Meeting with Maria-Myrto Kanellopoulou (Cabinet of Vice-President Margaritis Schinas)

11 Mar 2020 · Fighting anti-semitism

Meeting with Carlos Moedas (Commissioner)

2 May 2016 · Science diplomacy

Meeting with Alicja Magda Herbowska (Cabinet of Commissioner Tibor Navracsics)

25 Feb 2016 · Cultural heritage

Meeting with Daniel Braun (Cabinet of Commissioner Věra Jourová) and AJC Transatlantic Institute

24 Jun 2015 · Colloquium on Fundamental rights