On 23 January 2025, European Jews for Palestine (EJP) had an online meeting with the European Commission’s anti-racism coordinator, Michaela Moua, and her team. The EJP delegation to the meeting was composed of Wieland Hoban of Jewish Voice for a Just Peace, Germany; Joana Cavaco, President of Erev Rav, Netherlands; Yoav Shemer-Kunz on behalf of the EJP Coordination Team, as well as Alon Sahar of Israelis for Peace, Germany, as a partner organization.
Hoban explained that Germany’s policy against racism only focuses on hate speech and hate crime but lacks a full understanding of the importance of structural racism and discrimination towards racialized groups. He also highlighted how the IHRA working definition of antisemitism, pushed by the European Commission, serves to defend criticism of Israel in Germany, also codified by resolutions in the Bundestag.
Cavaco illustrated how difficult it is for Jewish anti-Zionist groups like Erev Rav to be considered legitimate Jewish groups in the Netherlands, and to create a safe space for a genuine discussion on the situation in Palestine without being accused of not being ‘real’ Jews, as if supporting a genocide in Gaza and supporting Israel is an essential part of Jewish identity.
Sahar explained how Germany’s policies undertaken in the name of combating antisemitism policy even target Israeli citizens like himself who express public criticism against Israeli policies towards Palestinians. He warned that Bundestag resolutions such as the recent one, on “Protection of Jewish Life” not only dehumanizes Palestinians and other migrant communities, but makes Jewish and Israeli people in Germany less safe by turning Jews and Muslims against each other and delegitimizing a much-needed debate over Israeli policies and Germany’s unconditional support for them.
Yoav Shemer-Kunz from the EJP coordination team presented the new European umbrella organization and its goals – strengthening the local groups in civil society across Europe and the coordination between them, and bringing their voices to the EU institutions and policy-makers.
The Commission’s Coordinator Moua expressed her wish to be kept up to date on the network’s activities in the future. In 2025 the European Commission will launch an open public consultation on the EU’s strategy on combating racism, in cooperation together with EU Member States and civil society organizations.