Jewish and European leaders are vowing to combat the resurgence of anti-Semitism on the continent and proposed concrete measures to counter the hatred of Jews.

The head of the European Jewish Congress, Moshe Kantor, warned at Wednesday’s “Europe Beyond Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism – Securing Jewish Life in Europe” conference in Vienna that “Jewish communities in Europe are increasingly concerned about their security and pessimistic about their future.”

He and others called on governments, public and private institutions to implement anti-Semitism policies presented at the conference.

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency until the end of the year and hosted the meeting, said the measures include providing better safety for Jewish communities, reinforcing legislation and improving education against anti-Semitism.

Following is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s video message to the conference on the fight against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism currently taking place in Vienna:

“Warmest greetings from Jerusalem to the conference on the fight against anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism. They are one. This is the first and most essential point of this conference. I thank Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, my friend, and the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union for convening such an important gathering in Vienna.

“Chancellor Kurz, Sebastian, you are a true friend of Israel, a true friend of the Jewish people. I thank you for taking such a strong moral stand against antisemitism. You have been unyielding in your efforts to recognize history, to defend the truth and to combat anti-Semitism in Austria and throughout Europe.

“Last week we marked the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht. You stated that such a date is a reminder of the “historic responsibility to fight all forms of antisemitism, be it the old kind or newly imported.”

“This conference represents an opportunity to promote concrete steps to combat all forms of anti-Semitism.

“The Holocaust did not begin, of course, in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. The Holocaust began with hateful words, burning books, shattering storefronts. The lesson of the Holocaust is that we must never forget the importance of fighting hate, barbarism and radicalism, and to do so early on when you can still stop bad things from getting worse.

“Today, we are experiencing a resurgence of antisemitism worldwide. We once again hear false and dehumanizing allegations against Jews. We see attempts to kill or harm Jews in the name of radical ideologies. And since the establishment of the State of Israel, we face a new form of anti-Semitism: vicious efforts to demonize the Jewish State and deny the Jewish people the right to self-determination in our ancestral homeland, the Land of Israel.

“When every nation is allowed to define its flag, its national anthem, its national identity, except for the Jewish people, this is anti-Semitism.

“we must all join hands to combat traditional and modern forms of anti-Semitism. The first step to combat anti-Semitism is to define it. The Israeli government, along with seven other European governments, including Austria, has adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. I urge all countries to adopt this definition and to increase their efforts to combat anti-Semitism and its modern manifestation, anti-Zionism. There is only one remedy for slander, and that is the truth.

“I commend all of you that are gathered today as you stand up for the truth. I once again thank Chancellor Kurz for convening this momentous conference. We are fighting for our common future, our common civilization, and we shall win.”

(AP / YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)