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How Europe Can Stop the Hate

(New York Times) Rudolph W. Giuliani - Anti-Semitism is the Western world's oldest and most persistent species of hatred. At 13 million, the Jews comprise about 0.2 percent of the world's population - but the Holocaust made clear how virulent hatred of them has been. President Bush asked me to head the U.S. delegation to a conference on combating anti-Semitism, held by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which begins this week in Vienna. The meeting is a direct response to the worldwide surge in anti-Semitic violence. When people attack Jews, vandalize their graves, characterize them in inhumane ways, and make salacious statements in parliaments or the press, they are attacking the defining values of our societies and our international institutions. I will recommend that all 55 members of the O.S.C.E. adopt three important measures against hate crime. Agree to track hate crimes and recognize them as distinct from other acts of murder, assault, or vandalism. There must be analysis of and reaction to crime data on a regular basis. The Europeans should pass hate crimes legislation to stiffen penalties for offenses in recognition of the special threat they represent to a society's stability. Extra penalties are used throughout civilized legal systems - in Europe as well as America - as a way to distinguish acts that are particularly heinous. One of the functions of the law is to teach, to draw lines between what's permissible and what's forbidden. Recognizing the special threat that hate crimes pose to a democracy sends a powerful message that these acts will not be tolerated. These specific measures will be effective, of course, only if the O.S.C.E. countries make broader efforts to address the roots of anti-Semitism. Making sure their citizens have an honest understanding of the Holocaust is vital. Finally, Europe must address the climate that has allowed anti-Semitism to return with such force. Hate flourishes when excuses for the conduct are accepted, or justified by vague connections to international politics.
2003-06-18 00:00:00
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