Erdan meeting with EU representatives, Brussels
Erdan meeting with EU representatives, BrusselsSpokesperson of Public Security Minister

Minister of Public Security and Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan held several working meetings in Brussels on Wednesday with senior European Union officials. The Minister met with Senior Vice President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, with the Commissioner of the Union for Security and Counterterrorism Julian King, and with Katharina von Schnurbein, who coordinates the fight against anti-Semitism.

The Minister discussed with Julian King the deepening of cooperation in the fight against terrorism and online incitement. In light of the wave of terror attacks in Europe, there is increasing understanding that the terrorism in Israel and that in EU countries is the same terror, and a great desire to learn from Israel's experience in the field has been created.

Recently, the European Union has formulated a code of conduct for internet companies and social media on the issue of the struggle against incitement, which has similarities to the initiatives promoted by Minister Erdan in Israel.

Erdan told the EU members that it is necessary to formulate uniform standards and a common framework for democratic states vis-à-vis internet companies, in order to ensure that they remove inciting content. He asked senior Vice President Timmermans to include Israel in the EU working groups on the issue.

Minister Erdan noted in his meetings that the incitement to terrorism and the payment of salaries to terrorists by the Palestinian Authority continue unceasingly and are even increasing, and he brought the latest events on the Temple Mount as a case study. He asked the EU to give aid to the PA when Abbas stops paying terrorists’ salaries.

At the meeting with Senior Vice President Timmermans, who is in charge of the issue of basic rights and guides the EU's work in the field of law, the minister stressed the need to adopt an official definition of anti-Semitism, which refers to “the new anti-Semitism” and delegitimization and anti-Zionism.

"More and more, the campaign of delegitimization and boycotts against Israel exposes its anti-Semitic roots and leads to attacks on students and Jewish institutions, and even to calls to harm Jews," Erdan said.

He added that "the threat of global terrorism begins with incitement spread on the social networks, and I approached the representatives of the European Union to work together with Israel to create a common framework between democratic countries and internet companies, so that they take responsibility and remove the content of incitement. The EU understands that Israel is a true partner in the fight against terrorism plaguing the world, and therefore I called on them to join my initiative to establish an international coalition to fight terror. From Yavneh to Brussels, everyone must understand who supports and executes terror, and who fights against it."