Amid a staggering rise in antisemitism across Europe, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association (EJA), issued a stark warning to political leaders today: “Declare Europe’s Jews a protected people - or watch antisemitism destroy Europe’s values.”
The call came at the opening of the EJA Leaders Delegation to Krakow, where more than one hundred and fifty lawmakers, ministers, diplomats, and Jewish leaders gathered under the banner “Future Proofing Against Hate and Incitement.”
Rabbi Margolin called for the creation of a formal ‘protected people’ status for Jews in Europe, a binding recognition that would guarantee state-funded security for Jewish institutions, education about Jewish life and history in national curricula, and protection of religious practice and culture. “This is not about privilege,” he said. “It is about survival - the survival of a people, and the moral credibility of Europe itself.”
The high-level forum included senior European figures such as State Secretary to the Polish Presidency, Mr Wojciech Kolarski Hungarian Minister for Europe Janos Boka, Mr. Lukas Mandl MEP (Austria), Mr. Bert-Jan Ruissen MEP (Netherlands), Senator Laurence Rossignol (France), Deputy Minister Konstantinos Karagkounis (Greece), Israel’s Ambassador to Poland H.E. Yaakov Finkelstein, and international relations expert Harley Lippman
Opening the conference, Rabbi Margolin warned that Europe was approaching a dangerous moral tipping point. “Europe’s Jews are living through the darkest time since the Holocaust,” he said. “We don’t ask for privilege - we ask for justice. For the right to live as Jews, in safety and dignity, as an integral part of Europe’s identity.” Every year, governments issue statements, yet Jews are spat on, beaten, and blamed,” he continued. “The Jewish right to live as Jews in Europe is not up for negotiation. Europe must act - not tomorrow, but now.”
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, recipient of the EJA King David award, strongly backed the EJA’s call for urgent, united action against hate and said, “Kristallnacht was the wake-up call that failed to wake us up,” said former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. “October 7th was the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust - and once again, we are failing the test of humanity. Instead of standing with Israel against barbarism, chanting mobs filled the streets of Western cities. When the world turns on the Jews, it is always the early warning sign of a wider descent into darkness. We must find the courage to call out the lies, reject false moral equivalence, and confront this resurgent antisemitism before it is too late.”
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever urged vigilance and resolve: “Remembrance is only one part of the story. We must also remain vigilant,” De Wever said. “Antisemitism is visible everywhere across Europe, and we must never, ever give in to it - not by an inch.”
“We are currently measuring the wrong kind of antisemitism,” said Dr. Christer Mattsson, Director of the Segerstedt Institute in Sweden. “Our research shows that antisemitic hostility is no longer expressed openly toward ‘Jews,’ but toward so-called ‘Zionists.’ When we replaced the word ‘Jews’ with ‘Zionists’ in standard survey questions, the rate of antisemitic belief rose dramatically. What we call anti-Zionism has become the dominant form of modern antisemitism - disguising the same hatred as political critique.”
“We are not winning the fight against antisemitism in Europe - we are losing ground every day,” said Dr. János Bóka, Minister for Europe, Government of Hungary. “This must change, and it starts with four clear principles. First, the fight must be political - our governments must take ownership and impose real consequences for antisemitism. Second, it must be European - no country can tackle this alone, and the EU must back its words with funding and enforcement. Third, we must foster Jewish life, not just defend it - security, education, and tradition must all be protected. And finally, we need a strategic partnership with the State of Israel, built on mutual respect and honesty. Only then can Europe truly defeat antisemitism and remain true to its own values.”
“Antisemitism and antizionism are two sides of the same coin,” said Bert-Jan Ruissen, Member of the European Parliament (Netherlands). “In the Netherlands, we’ve seen a sharp rise in antisemitic incidents - including a recent case where a concert was cancelled simply because one of the musicians serves in the IDF. That is not protest; it is discrimination. Europe must adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward such acts, ensuring that new migrants understand the need to recognise the State of Israel and to respect the Jewish community.”
“Antisemitism today is being fuelled by a toxic alliance - radical Islamists funded by Iran and Qatar, and far-left ideologues who see Jews as oppressors,” said Harley Lippman, International Relations Expert and Commentator. “Europe must abandon its appeasement mentality and call this hatred what it is - the same old antisemitism dressed in new language
Yaakov Finkelstein, Israel’s Ambassador to Poland, said: “We need action, not condemnation, not condolences. Decision-makers must understand that the delegitimization of Israel fuels a vicious cycle of disinformation that shapes minds and policies. The answer is education, education, and more education.”