The Romanian government remains firmly committed to preventing and combatting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech, through education, commemoration, national policies, says acting Deputy Prime Minister Oana Gheorghiu, according to Agerpres.
She participated on Thursday in an international conference on ten years since the adoption of the working definition of anti-Semitism by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance at the Government House.
"In the ten years that have passed, the working definition of anti-Semitism has become an important landmark for understanding and identifying anti-Semitic manifestations, as well as for the development of public policies, monitoring mechanisms and training programmes in the field," said Gheorghiu.
She pointed out that to Romania this anniversary marks an important diplomatic achievement, underlining the role played by the late ambassador Mihnea Constantinescu, who chaired the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in 2016-2017.
Gheorghiu pointed out that in the last 22 years Romania has taken important steps in combatting anti-Semitism.
"The final report of the International Commission for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania, chaired by Elie Wiesel, documented the responsibility of the Romanian authorities for the Holocaust in the territories under Romanian administration. Following the report, Romania officially recognised its responsibility at the highest level. Since then, important steps have been taken. Romania established the National Holocaust Remembrance Day and the National Holocaust Remembrance Day Against the Roma, Samudaripen, and established the Elie Wiesel National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust in Romania ."
She also recalled the establishment in Romania of memorials and museums dedicated to the preservation of the memory and history of the Holocaust, as well as the implementation of cultural and educational projects that emphasise the importance of commemoration.
"In 2017, Romania adopted the working definition of anti-Semitism, later integrated into national legislation, being in fact, the only state to have taken this approach. Starting with 2021, the Romanian Government has adopted two national strategies for preventing and combatting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech. More recently, the subject matter 'History of the Jews - The Holocaust' has become compulsory in high school education, an important step that is due to the presidency of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania," said Gheorghiu.
She added that Romania must continue its efforts, given the fact that the environment in which anti-Semitism manifests itself today is, in many respects, different from that of ten years ago.
"Prejudices and stereotypes are not new. What has changed dramatically is the speed with which they spread, the wide audience they can reach, and the ease with which anti-Semitic and hate speech enters the public debate. With the development of new technologies and social media, conspiracy myths, attempts to relativise or distort the Holocaust, and anti-Semitic stereotypes are spreading and normalised before institutions can act. However, we all know that repeated exposure to hatred can make what should be unacceptable start to seem normal, and that the boundary between words and violence can be very fragile," Gheorghiu said.
She pointed to the relevance of the working definition of anti-Semitism, stressing that, ten years after its adoption, authorities should focus more on how it is used in practice.
"Let us make sure that professionals have the necessary knowledge and tools, that we can effectively monitor and combat anti-Semitic incidents, and, above all, that Romanian citizens can live freely and safely, regardless of their ethnicity. Anti-Semitism is a threat that concerns us all, because when it is tolerated, other forms of intolerance are not long in coming. Therefore, protecting Jewish life means protecting the democratic foundations of our societies. To Romania, this is particularly important, as our own history shows us what can happen when violence becomes state policy and values collapse. The government of Romania remains firmly committed to preventing and combatting anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalisation and hate speech, through education, commemoration, national policies and through our work within the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and other international organisations, as well as through cooperation with the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania and with our international partners," Gheorghiu said.
In his turn, MP Silviu Vexler, chairman of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania - Mosaic Denomination, pointed out that the passage of the working definition established a uniform and institutional way of what is generically called anti-Semitism.
He underlined, among other things, the role of the Romanian government in the 10 years since the adoption of the working definition in promoting policies on combatting anti-Semitism but drew attention to the need to continue these efforts, given the manifestation in the public space of extremist manifestations.
"Some of the things we see today are very similar to what happened especially in the last two years, when what we generically call extremism entered the public space with enthusiasm, with a good dose of conspiracy and disinformation. At first glance, at least as it has been seen quite a lot, it is not a problem, we will get over it, but the problem does not vanish. It certainly does not vanish with speeches, written or unwritten, it does not vanish with good intentions, and inattention and carelessness, even more than malice give birth to monsters. And we were very close to the moment when we could have such a character at the helm of Romania, determining the fate of the entire country," Vexler said.
On a different note, he highlighted the role of institutions in preventing and combatting anti-Semitism.
"Romania has the chance of being one of the few states at the international level where there have not yet been incidents and attacks, physically manifested, on Jewish communities, Jews or those who are different. It is something that should, and I hope it is a source of pride for the entire Romanian society and for the Romanian state as a whole, something that we owe to a large extent to the sustained activity of the intelligence service, the Ministry of Interior through all its departments, the Protection and Guard Service and the other institutions in the national system of public order and national security. It is also a source of pride for us, the members of the Jewish communities in Romania, that no matter what has happened over time, with good or bad, we have been able to carry out our Jewish, ethnic and religious life, without fear that someone will come to turn off the light. We are not only grateful, but we appreciate that and we know that it has entailed and continues to entail massive efforts," Vexler said.
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