What begins as anti-Semitism snowballs into a rise in terrorism in general, Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) stated to Arutz Sheva Monday night, after speaking at the fourth annual "Let My People Live" forum against anti-Semitism.
"On the one hand, the terrorism against Jews and non-Jews - and in this case, a newspaper, actually - is much easier to denounce and act against for a local government then when it happens just to the Jews," Edelstein stated, referring to the slayings at the Charlie Hebdo magazine this month which sent shockwaves through the West. "My message here is: it always starts with the Jews and never ends with the Jews."
"The other issue is - and it was raised during the panel - is the issue of new anti-Semitism, where, either, 'We take care of Jews, but the Israelis are terrible'; or even to hold Israel responsible for things happening to different Jewish communities, because 'we use excessive force, we take unilateral steps, we occupy' - you name it," he added.
Edelstein emphasized the importance of explaining to everyone at the panel that "anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism is anti-Semitism."
To that end, he said, he hoped to sign a joint declaration with other representatives at the conference against anti-Semitism, which he noted his Czech and Romanian counterparts are promoting actively.