Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, speaking before over 350 delegates from the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
(OSCE) yesterday, said that Europe must do more to stop an upturn in anti-Semitic violence. He urged the Europeans to learn the lesson of the Holocaust and take action rather than just talk about anti-Semitic crimes.
Giuliani recommended that statistics on hate crimes be kept separately from other acts of violence, so that the figures can be monitored and problems spotted early. He also suggested that regular OSCE meetings be held on the topic to compare the performances of the various countries and develop methods to best deal with the problem.
The conference comes during a marked rise in anti-Semitic acts, mainly in Europe. The gathering is the first such exploration of the subject by a major European security organization. Last year, the Europeans refused to stage such a conference. This year, however, possibly under U.S. pressure, they admitted its necessity. Israeli representatives at the conference urged the delegates to have their governments make "hate crimes" against Jews a distinct criminal offense, rather than subsumed under other crimes of violence.
(OSCE) yesterday, said that Europe must do more to stop an upturn in anti-Semitic violence. He urged the Europeans to learn the lesson of the Holocaust and take action rather than just talk about anti-Semitic crimes.
Giuliani recommended that statistics on hate crimes be kept separately from other acts of violence, so that the figures can be monitored and problems spotted early. He also suggested that regular OSCE meetings be held on the topic to compare the performances of the various countries and develop methods to best deal with the problem.
The conference comes during a marked rise in anti-Semitic acts, mainly in Europe. The gathering is the first such exploration of the subject by a major European security organization. Last year, the Europeans refused to stage such a conference. This year, however, possibly under U.S. pressure, they admitted its necessity. Israeli representatives at the conference urged the delegates to have their governments make "hate crimes" against Jews a distinct criminal offense, rather than subsumed under other crimes of violence.