Conference of European Rabbis launch seven-point manifesto to combat antisemitism in the EU

The manifesto, titled 'A Call to End the Violent Hatred,' was presented at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU before a gathering of politicians, policymakers, and journalists.

The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) launched a seven-point manifesto in Brussels last week, demanding that European governments move beyond physical security measures and dismantle the ideological and financial infrastructure driving rising hostility against Jewish communities.

The manifesto, titled "A Call to End the Violent Hatred," was presented at the Representation of the Free State of Bavaria to the EU before a gathering of politicians, policymakers, and journalists.

At the opening of the launch event, CER President Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt warned against accepting the heavily fortified state of Jewish institutions as an enduring reality. "Almost every Jewish school and synagogue in Europe sits behind guards, steel barriers and concrete blocks," Goldschmidt said. "Jewish children are growing up believing this is normal. It is not." He added, "The test is not whether Jewish communities can survive behind concrete barriers, but whether Jewish life can flourish openly, safely and with dignity."

Sharp escalation in violence across the continent

The manifesto highlights a sharp escalation in violence across the continent, pointing to incidents such as the torching of four Hatzola NW ambulances outside a synagogue in a London suburb, an explosive attack on a synagogue in Liège, a car torched in Antwerp's Jewish quarter, a targeted Jewish school in Amsterdam, the fatal shooting of two worshippers in a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur 2025, and a stabbing spree in Golders Green. The document also notes that hate marches have filled European capitals for three years while European security services and courts have linked Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to proxy attacks and plots against Jewish citizens.

Detailing the strategy to counter these threats, the manifesto outlines seven core policy proposals. The first proposal calls for training and certifying religious leaders, demanding that faith leaders arriving from abroad meet minimum language proficiency requirements and possess a basic understanding of democratic rights and responsibilities. It requires institutions to implement training from a curriculum covering religious freedom and Holocaust remembrance, alongside giving authorities the power to revoke visas, licenses, or permits from clerics who incite hatred or glorify terrorism.

The second proposal focuses on exposing and blocking extremist funding to stop money that spreads hate. It calls for transparent registers of major foreign donations to religious institutions, thorough investigations into funding linked to extremist states or organizations, the removal of charitable status from bodies promoting antisemitism or radicalization, and the freezing of funding streams connected to hate.

The third proposal aims to strengthen oversight of religious institutions, ensuring that places of worship and faith-based charities are subjected to standard external audits regulated by a recognized authority to prevent them from becoming centers of radicalization. The proposal includes inspecting educational materials and staff when concerns arise, coordinating intelligence between law enforcement and regulatory bodies, and closing institutions that repeatedly promote violence or hatred.

The fourth proposal stipulates that every religious institution should appoint a trained community safeguarding officer responsible for monitoring hate incidents and warning signs, maintaining clear reporting procedures, liaising with the police and civil society, and ensuring that safeguarding is embedded in daily community life.

The fifth proposal addresses the digital space by pointing to online platforms as incubators of radicalization. It urges communities to be educated about extremist content and demands that the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) be expanded to ensure strict, swift regulation of incitement. It requires technology companies to promptly remove incitement and strengthens cooperation between governments and platforms.

Zero tolerance for hate on the streets

The sixth proposal demands zero tolerance for hate on the streets, emphasizing that public demonstrations must not become vehicles for antisemitic intimidation. The framework calls for the prosecution of individuals inciting violence and promoting terrorist groups, holding event organizers accountable when incitement recurs, banning organizations that repeatedly glorify terrorism, and enforcing the law without fear or favor.

The seventh proposal calls for the creation of a European Register of Responsible Institutions to build trust between communities and wider society by establishing a public framework that recognizes congregations and organizations that commit to these standards and promotes best practices across faith communities.

The manifesto concludes with a stark warning to policymakers, emphasizing that a continent unable to protect its Jewish citizens from violent hatred can no longer claim to uphold human dignity, the rule of law, democracy, and freedom.