site.btaFighting Anti-Semitism is Urgent Challenge

There is hardly a challenge more important and urgent than the fight against anti-Semitism, said the Deputy Head of the Israeli diplomatic mission in Bulgaria Naama Levi, during the National Expert Forum on Combating Anti-Semitism and Preservation of Jewish Heritage, which took place on Wednesday in Sofia. The event was organized by the Diplomatic Institute to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Data from the Centre for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry in Tel Aviv show that despite investments in substantial educational and political efforts, in 2022 thousands of acts of anti-Semitism occurred around the world, including physical attacks, Levi pointed out. She added that anyone who cares about human dignity and justice must be aware of the need to prevent this reality.

Levi explained that one of the reasons for the increasing anti-Semitism is the hate speech that has become dominant in Europe. This is a global challenge that affects everyone directly and indirectly. The darkest chapter in human history, the Holocaust, did not happen overnight, it was the culmination of a slow and deliberate process of alienating Jews from society and dehumanizing them through hate speech, propaganda. False narratives and hate speech became the norm, leading to the physical annihilation of 6 million Jews, she commented.

Levi pointed out that the only way to address this challenge is by drawing red lines that will ensure that free speech is not used for offense and violence. She argued that in today's world, social media has a great influence on the increasing anti-Semitism and is also used as a tool to spread hate speech. She added that companies should fight to prevent hate speech online.