At a groundbreaking symposium on Monday, European Parliament members condemned anti-Semitism and racial intolerance - even when it emanates from the EU legislature itself.
The one-day symposium, entitled "Building Together the Future of Europe", was organized by the European Jewish Congress (EJC), under the patronage of the Czech Presidency of the EU and the European Parliament, 
Not recognizing the moral right of Israel to defend itself is tainted with anti-Semitism.
with the participation of the European Commission. Members of the European Parliament, other senior politicians, diplomats, religious and communal leaders from around Europe took part in the discussion on confronting the current alarming rise in European anti-Semitism.
Several MEP's spoke of the need to combat anti-Semitism even in the European Parliament itself and not to succumb to political pressure to ignore this form of hatred. "Some EU parliamentarians hide behind 'Muslim pressure' instead of working towards eradicating anti-Semitism," said MEP Paulo Casaca from the Party of European Socialists.
Other parliamentarians said that not recognizing the moral right of Israel to defend itself is tainted with anti-Semitism, as this is a basic right of every nation.
In his speech to the symposium, Jacques Barrot, Vice-Commissioner of the European Commission, referred to the upcoming Durban II conference. "The EU should closely monitor the events at the Durban conference and react immediately if there is any diversion from the agreed upon line," Barrot declared. "If necessary we will call on the EU member states to withdraw from the conference if we see violations of core European values in Geneva. It's out of the question for Europe to accept a compromise at any price."
Dr. Moshe Kantor, President of the European Jewish Congress, also referred to Durban II with a note of caution. "We strongly insist and recommend to all the European countries to consider Durban II as a challenge to the co-existence in Europe," he said. "The European Union should be a leader with regard to human rights and should not leave the United Nation arena to nations where human rights are violated daily and which abuse UN bodies for political reasons. These bodies should be monitored very closely by the members of the European Union from now on."
In reaction to the acquittal of a virulently anti-Semitic Greek neo-Nazi author last week, the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece boycotted the symposium. "Theoretical analysis and statements made by Greek MEPs on the denunciation and condemnation of anti-Semitism are meaningless," the Central Board declared. The EJC leadership is working closely with the Greek Jewish community and "assisting them with taking all the available measures in the wake of the court ruling," according to a spokesman for the EJC.
The symposium also heard from victims of racism. Ilan Halimi's mother, Ruth, spoke emotionally about her son and the brutal attack on him. "I am happy to speak about my son because what happened to him is not a detail in history," Halimi said. "The murderers choose Ilan because he was a Jew, because they thought that all Jews are rich."
Ilan was kidnapped and tortured for 24 days in a French urban apartment block before he was killed by a primarily Muslim gang in 2006. The trial of the suspects in the Halimi murder begins next week.