The dark winds of anti-Semitism” “

Also words can be bombs or gunfire. They have been swerving throughout Europe over the past days, with mounting episodes of anti-Semitism expressed in various forms. A dark wind is blowing across the Old Continent, fuelled by the escalation of the conflict in the Holy Land. The mistakes committed for decades by Israelis and Palestinians who have resorted to weapons to solve their problems of coexistence – thereby increasing the number of victims, the pain and mutual resentment – are worsened by irrational feelings of hatred and revenge also in cities distant thousands of kilometres from Jerusalem. In the Holy Land people die every day… Small yet increasing fringes of European public opinion side with one side or the other, as if they had to cheer for two teams in a derby. In reality in Israel and in Palestine people are dying. For real. From this angle are to be viewed 70 graffitis that smeared Rome’s walls over the past few days, draining hatred against Jews. Equally disgraceful are the manifestos with swastikas, singing the praises of “Palestinian comrades”. The president of Rome’s Jewish Community Riccardo Pacifici sadly remarked: “Our minds go back to 1933, when yellow stars were placed at the entrance of shops owned by Jews”. He warned: “We must never drop our guard”. Hatred against Jews – which ever more often is directed against all minority groups, whether religious or ethnic, migrants and Roma – is an evil that has always accompanied the history of humanity. But like all evils it must be countered, never “loosing our guard”. Moreover, these phenomena are present in a large part of Europe, as have been confirmed in countless surveys. As relates to anti-Semitism, we cannot fail to forget the attacks against synagogues, the profanation of Jewish cemeteries, acts of violence against individuals, anti-Semitic graffiti defacing walls and shops across too many cities, at every latitude. Not to mention insults against old men wearing kippahs, questionable satirical cartoons, comical performances disrespectful of religion, the sale of Jewish headgear bearing irriverent prints-outs… …and in the Old Continent there are those who sow the seeds of hatred. France, for example, is laden with a set of similar episodes occurred recently in Paris, Nimes, Strasbourg, Tolouse. In fact, Pacifici himself said: “Rome cannot become like Paris, where Jews are attacked, synagogues are surrounded, and where wearing a kippah in public poses serious risks”. The Brussels’ Jewish Museum shooting on past May 24 that caused three victims is a tragic reminder. “A liberalization of the anti-Semitic language has occurred. It is the inevitable result of a hatred-infusing climate”, commented Joel Rubinfeld, president of the Belgian League Against anti-Semitism. The attack took place during the European Parliament elections, when several nationalistic movements – marked by racist, xenophobic and anti-immigrant stances – made strong gains. It’s the case of Jobbik, Hungary’s anti-Semitic party, which garnered 15% of popular votes. Also in Hungary, right-wing politician, poet Peter Szentmihalyi Szabo, a candidate to the post of Hungarian Ambassador to Rome, recently led Budapest’s government to withdraw his candidacy owing to his public stands against Jews. In this sad tour of Europe, equally serious signs and episodes have been registered in the United Kingdom, in The Netherlands, Spain, Germany, in certain East European countries… and while in Poland anti-Semitism takes the shape of widespread stereotyping, in Denmark it has become so serious that Jews have been suggested not to make public display of their religious symbols. Stop to intolerance, make way for hope. Misunderstood historical legacies – noted commentators and experts in social behaviour – are thus intertwined with narrow-minded nationalism, with actions by small Fascist-inspired political factions, as well as with personal frustrations, that tend to identify an enemy to be attacked. Thus, while blood flows in the Gaza Strip and along the streets of Israel, ideas and behaviours take shape which worsen – yet at distance – local divisions whereas international political action and public opinion sided only with peace and supporting the coexistence of two peoples in two friendly, cooperating Countries is direly needed. Indeed, raising walls of intolerance is easily said and done, while it takes fatigue and determination to build further bridges of hope.