EP President Roberta Mezzola said that anti-Semitism is on the rise again today – in Europe and around the world, SIR (Servizio Informazione Religiosa) reported. She said this during her speech in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.
The European Parliament paid tribute to the victims of the Holocaust during an extraordinary plenary session in Brussels. In her address, President Mezzola said that the European Parliament will always remember them, will not remain silent and will always stand up for dignity, hope and humanity.
„Our generation is the last to have the privilege of knowing Holocaust survivors and hearing their stories firsthand. Their voices, their courage, their memories are a bridge to a past that must never be forgotten. Because even after the horrors of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism did not disappear,” Metzola said.
„Today, anti-Semitism is on the rise again – in Europe, around the world and online. Myths, lies and conspiracy theories, age-old stereotypes, dressed in new rhetoric, are spreading like wildfire on social media, in our schools and workplaces, in politics and in the media,” she said in her speech.
The consequences are terrifyingly real. Hate crimes against Jews in Europe have increased by 400%. Many are forced to publicly hide their religion, Metzola added. She said neutrality only helps the oppressor, never the victim.