United States Senate  - 04.07.2004

Voinovich Calls for "Global Anti-Semitism Review"

New Senate Bill Would Require State Department Report on Anti-Semitism


Floor statement by Sen. Voinovich


Bill as introduced (S. 2292)

---

Mr. VOINOVICH. Madam President, during the last several years, I have been deeply concerned with the rise of antisemitism in countries throughout the world, including countries that have traditionally been among the world's strongest democracies. 

Today, as Jewish people across the world celebrate Passover, a festival of freedom and redemption, I rise to again call attention to growing antisemitism and to urge a renewed effort to combat this serious problem, both at home and abroad. 

Although some of my colleagues might not be aware, I have had the opportunity to visit the State of Israel seven times, as mayor of Cleveland, Governor of Ohio, and as a Member of the Senate. I will always remember visiting Yad Vashem on my first visit in 1980, and again on several other visits, and the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv in 1982. That experience truly brought home to me the horrors of the Holocaust and the role antisemitism played in leading to the Holocaust. 

I vowed I would do everything in my power to make sure it would not happen again. Frankly, I never thought during my lifetime I would have to try to keep that vow. Unfortunately, antisemitism's deadly, ugly head is rising again. Working with other groups, I am determined to do everything I can do to stop it. There must be zero tolerance of antisemitism. 

In May of 2002, following a disturbing number of antisemitic incidents in Europe, I joined members of the Helsinki Commission in a hearing to examine the rise of antisemitic violence in Europe. I was shocked by the reports I heard. Now, nearly 2 years later, the news is not much better. The first 3 months of 2004 have seen numerous acts of antisemitism abroad. 

For example, in Toulon, France, on March 23, 2004, a Jewish synagogue and community center were set on fire. In St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 15, 2004, vandals desecrated approximately 50 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery, painting them with swastikas and antisemitic graffiti. 

Antisemitic incidents are not unique to Europe. In Australia, on January 5 of this year, antisemitic slogans and symbols were burned into the lawns of Tasmania's Parliament House. 

In Toronto, Canada, over the weekend of March 19, 2004, vandals attacked a Jewish school, cemetery, and area synagogues, painting swastikas and antisemitic slogans on the walls of the synagogue and on residential property in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood nearby. 

This alarming trend has not gone unnoticed. The high number of antisemitic incidents in Europe and other parts of the world has caused the United States, working with our allies and international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, to take action. 

Efforts to highlight growing antisemitism began in earnest following the Helsinki Commission hearing in May 2002, to which I have just referred. During that hearing, I called on the OSCE to conduct a separate session on antisemitism during the annual meeting of the OSCE parliamentary assembly in Berlin in July 2002. I was pleased this did in fact take place. Delegates to this meeting also unanimously passed a resolution calling attention to the dangers of antisemitism, which I cosponsored. I was honored to be in Berlin for the meeting, joining Representative CHRIS SMITH, who serves as chairman of the Helsinki Commission and continues to be a great leader on this issue. We are very fortunate to have CHRIS SMITH heading the Helsinki Commission in the House of Representatives. He is doing a wonderful job. Work continued upon our return with letters to the President and Secretary of State, underscoring the importance of a strong U.S. commitment to the fight against global antisemitism. 

Last June, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani led the U.S. delegation to the first conference of the OSCE dedicated solely to the issue of antisemitism. 

The conference took place in Vienna, bringing together parliamentarians, officials, and private citizens from all 55 OSCE participating states. This conference was the product of much hard work and would not have been a reality without the strong support of Secretary of State Colin Powell, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Mark Grossman, and our Ambassador to the OSCE, Stephan Minikes. Stephan Minikes, by the way, I think is the most outstanding ambassador the United States has sent to the OSCE in a very long time. 

The Vienna conference was a step in the right direction. I believe Mayor Giuliani best captured the significance of the event when he remarked: 

The conference represents a critical first step for Europeans who have too frequently dismissed anti-Semitic violence as routine assaults and vandalism. Antisemitism is anything but routine. When people attack Jews, vandalize their graves, characterize them in inhumane ways, and make salacious statements in parliaments or to the press, they are attacking the defining values of our societies and our international institutions. 

While the Vienna conference provided a solid foundation, followup to the meeting is absolutely essential. As such, the OSCE will convene a second conference on antisemitism in Berlin later this month. I believe this meeting is urgently needed, and I am pleased Secretary Powell has asked me to serve as a member of the U.S. delegation to this critical gathering. 

Again, this meeting in Vienna would not have happened without the strong support of our Secretary of State and his team at the State Department. 

In Berlin, our goal is to ensure we move beyond rhetoric and move forward to institutionalize the fight against antisemitism in the OSCE. We hope to put in place an action plan to formalize a process to identify, monitor, and measure efforts to combat antisemitism in each of the 55 OSCE participating states, including the United States. 

Too often, as the Presiding Officer knows, there is a lot of talk at these meetings but no action. If we are to be successful in our effort, we must establish a commitment to action--action that can be monitored. This is the message I have continued to stress. 

Last July, I wrote to those individuals who joined Mayor Giuliani as members of the U.S. delegation to the Vienna conference, including Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League, Mark Levin of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, David Harris of the American Jewish Committee, and Dan Mariaschin of B'nai B'rith, asking them for recommendations for action, things that can be done to encourage tangible steps rather than just dialog. They came back to me with recommendations for the Berlin conference which I then sent to Secretary of State Colin Powell. 

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that my letter to Secretary Powell, including the proposed agenda for the Berlin conference, be printed in the RECORD. 

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: 

UNITED STATES SENATE, 

Washington, DC, February 6, 2004. 
Hon. COLIN L. POWELL, 
Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC. 

DEAR SECRETARY POWELL: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued leadership on efforts to combat anti-Semitism abroad. The United States has played an important role in highlighting the need to take action on this issue, both through our bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). 

Significant progress has been made during the last year on efforts to raise awareness of the rise in anti-Semitic violence in Europe and other parts of the world. The Vienna Conference on Anti-Semitism convened by the OSCE last June was an important step in the right direction; however, I believe that the follow-up to this meeting is critical. As such, I was pleased that you, and others, expressed support for a second meeting on anti-Semitism during the OSCE Ministerial in Maastricht. 

As the United States prepares for this follow-up meeting, scheduled to take place in Berlin this April, I believe that we should work together to establish clear objectives and outline a solid agenda. It is in this spirit that I would like to share with you the attached recommendations for action items that have been outlined by a number of nongovernmental organizations with a long-standing interest in the issue of anti-Semitism. I hope that you find them useful as planning for the Berlin conference continues. 

Again, thank you for ongoing work to raise awareness of this serious problem. I look forward to working with you in the months leading to this important event. 

Sincerely, 

George V. Voinovich, 
United States Senator. 

--
January 21, 2004. 
Hon. GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, 
U.S. Senate, 
Washington, DC. 

DEAR SENATOR VOINOVICH: On behalf of our organizations, we commend you for your leadership in the domestic and global fight against anti-Semitism, particularly your role in gaining the attention and commitment of European governments. We are writing to respond to your request for actionable steps the United States can take to facilitate concrete responses to anti-Semitism in the OSCE region. 

In anticipation of the upcoming April 2004 OSCE anti-Semitism conference in Berlin, we have compiled the following points for your consideration. We also take this opportunity to reiterate the important role that you and other Senators are playing in this process, and the indispensable diplomatic campaign by the U.S. Government. 

BERLIN OSCE CONFERENCE

1. Program should include plenary speeches and workshops in the areas of: 

Governmental/Parliamentary action; 

Law Enforcement: monitoring, hate crimes response, anti-bias education; 

Education: Making anti-bias education a component of education from an early age; 

The role of the media in setting a tone for tolerance in the public debate. 

Following the opening plenary, multiple concurrent workshops would enable the program to cover more ground and make the two days as productive as possible for delegation members from law enforcement, educational and other areas. 

2. Governments should be encouraged to: 

Reflect the seriousness and sense of urgency with which the OSCE views the problem by appointing high-level government delegations; 

Appoint delegations which also include officials from agencies outside the foreign ministry who are poised to play a role in implementing relevant programs against anti-Semitism (e.g., interior, education, justice, police, parliament), which should also be a consideration in assembling the U.S. delegation; 

Include non-governmental leaders in their national delegations, reflecting interdenominational, human rights and Jewish community perspectives; 

Utilize the conference as a forum to bring to light best practices from their country where relevant, including governmental as well as community examples; 

Report on progress toward implementing Holocaust-related and other tolerance education, with reference to the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research; 

Publicly repudiate incitement and other efforts to turn political grievances into appeals to ethnic hatred, anti-Semitism and the denial of Holocaust history; 

Counter Middle Eastern sources of anti-Semitic and other hate material. 

3. Preparation and Follow-Up: 

In Berlin, announce the establishment of ministerial working groups or task forces in the areas such as education, monitoring, and law enforcement. These tracks would work together to monitor implementation of recommendations and convene follow-up meetings of experts to assess progress on implementation and exchange strategies. The United States, Germany and the Bulgarian OSCE Chairmanship should communicate now with counterparts to interest key players and recruit ministers in advance who would be willing in Berlin to announce their involvement and assume specific responsibilities (e.g., German Interior Minister Otto Schily, French Minister of Interior Nicolas Sarkozy and Education Minister Luc Ferry). 

Craft an agenda for the working groups, and establish ongoing interface with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), including the annual OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) in Warsaw. 

4. A joint declaration and program of action against anti-Semitism should be developed in advance consultations and unveiled in Berlin by the consenting governments. 

OSCE MONITORING OF ANTI-SEMITISM

ODIHR should craft a data collection model. A visit to the United States and other relevant OSCE countries by Ambassador Strohal and his team would enable vital consultations with hate-crime monitoring experts in and out of government. 

In addition to collecting and analyzing data, ODIHR needs to implement its new mandate by working with OSCE member states to promote in-country programs and legislation. ODIHR should also begin evaluating and developing recommended standards for reporting and classifying of incidents. 

OSCE law-enforcement programs should include an anti-bias unit where possible. 

A session in the October HDIM should be devoted to a status report on this and related initiatives. 

As you know, Senator, our organizations are in close coordination with the United States Government, with each other and with other governments and interested parties to maximize the possibilities for Berlin and beyond. We appreciate your initiative in soliciting our input on this timely and vital matter, and look forward to continuing our work with you and your Senate colleagues. 

Sincerely, 

Mark B. Levin,
Executive Director, NCSJ: Advocates on behalf of Jews in Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States & Eurasia 

Daniel S. Mariaschin,
Executive Vice President, B'nai B'rith International 

Malcolm Hoenlein,
Executive Vice Chairman, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations 

Abraham H. Foxman,
National Director, Anti-Defamation League 

Hannah Rosenthal,
Executive Director, Jewish Council for Public Affairs 

David A. Harris,
Executive Director, American Jewish Committee. 


Mr. VOINOVICH. Madam President, I am pleased the State Department has taken these suggestions into consideration in working to prepare the agenda for the Berlin conference. There has been a great deal of effort to ensure this conference meets my expectations and others', and it is my sincere hope this meeting will help move toward the goal of zero tolerance for antisemitism in the world today. While I believe we must do all we can to encourage our allies and partners abroad, as well as our international organizations, such as the OSCE, the United Nations, and the EU to combat antisemitism, it is important we redouble our efforts at home to call attention to this problem. 

Tomorrow the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will conduct a hearing to examine antisemitism in Europe. This continues discussion on the issue following a hearing that took place last October. While this is significant, we can and we ought to do more. 

Today I introduce legislation calling attention to the growing problem of antisemitism abroad. This bill, called the Global Antisemitism Review Act of 2004, urges the United States to continue to strongly support efforts to highlight antisemitism through bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. 

Further, the legislation requires the Secretary of State to submit to Congress an annual report on acts of antisemitism worldwide. The report will include a description of the following for each foreign country; in other words, we are going to have a report on each one of the 55 members of the OSCE. 

First, a description of physical violence against or harassment of Jewish people or community institutions, such as schools, synagogues, or cemeteries, that occurred in that country; second, the response of the government of that country to such attacks; third, actions by the government of that country to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the rights to religious freedom with respect to Jewish people; and finally, the efforts made by that government to promote antibias and tolerance education. 

The last point I think is so important. If we are truly to be successful, it is imperative we work to promote tolerance and bring about a change in the hearts and minds of those people responsible for acts of antisemitism and other hate crimes. We can do something about their mouths, their hands, and their feet, but the real challenge for us is to change their minds and their hearts. 

Last year, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed resolutions calling on the State Department to thoroughly document acts of antisemitism worldwide. This bill would take it one step further. I believe it is essential, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting swift passage of this legislation which will underscore the high priority Congress and the U.S. Government have given to zero tolerance of global antisemitism. 

---

Mr. VOINOVICH. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: 

S. 2292 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ''Global Anti-Semitism Review Act of 2004''. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress makes the following findings: 

(1) Acts of anti-Semitism in countries throughout the world, including some of the world's strongest democracies, have increased significantly in frequency and scope over the last several years. 

(2) During the first 3 months of 2004, there were numerous instances of anti-Semitic violence around the world, including the following incidents: 

(A) In Australia on January 5, 2004, poison was used to ignite, and burn anti-Semitic slogans into, the lawns of the Parliament House in the state of Tasmania. 

(B) In St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 15, 2004, vandals desecrated approximately 50 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery, painting the stones with swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti. 

(C) In Toronto, Canada, over the weekend of March 19 through March 21, 2004, vandals attacked a Jewish school, a Jewish cemetery, and area synagogues, painting swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans on the walls of a synagogue and on residential property in a nearby, predominantly Jewish, neighborhood. 

(D) In Toulon, France, on March 23, 2004, a Jewish synagogue and community center were set on fire. 

(3) Anti-Semitism in old and new forms is also increasingly emanating from the Arab and Muslim world on a sustained basis, including through books published by government-owned publishing houses in Egypt and other Arab countries. 

(4) In November 2002, state-run television in Egypt broadcast the anti-Semitic series entitled ``Horseman Without a Horse,'' which is based upon the fictitious conspiracy theory know as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Protocols have been used throughout the last century by despots such as Adolf Hitler to justify violence against Jews. 

(5) In November 2003, Arab television featured an anti-Semitic series, entitled ``Ash-Shatat'' (or ``The Diaspora''), which depicts Jewish people hatching a plot for Jewish control of the world. 

(6) The sharp rise in anti-Semitic violence has caused international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to elevate, and bring renewed focus to, the issue, including the convening by the OSCE in June 2003 of a conference in Vienna dedicated solely to the issue of anti-Semitism. 

(7) The OSCE will again convene a conference dedicated to addressing the problem of anti-Semitism on April 28-29, 2004, in Berlin, with the United States delegation to be led by former Mayor of New York City Ed Koch. 

(8) The United States Government has strongly supported efforts to address anti-Semitism through bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations such as the OSCE, the European Union, and the United Nations. 

(9) Congress has consistently supported efforts to address the rise in anti-Semitic violence. During the 107th Congress, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed resolutions expressing strong concern with the sharp escalation of anti-Semitic violence in Europe and calling on the Department of State to thoroughly document the phenomenon. 

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

It is the sense of Congress that-- 

(1) the United States Government should continue to strongly support efforts to combat anti-Semitism worldwide through bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations such as the OSCE; and 

(2) the Department of State should thoroughly document acts of anti-Semitism that occur around the world. 

SEC. 4. REPORT. 

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives a report on acts of anti-Semitism around the world, including a description of-- 

(1) acts of physical violence against, or harassment of, Jewish people, and acts of violence against, or vandalism of, Jewish community institutions, such as schools, synagogues, or cemeteries, that occurred in each country; 

(2) the responses of the governments of those countries to such actions; 

(3) the actions taken by such governments to enact and enforce laws relating to the protection of the right to religious freedom of Jewish people; and 

(4) the efforts by such governments to promote anti-bias and tolerance education.