Itongadol.- Madrid Mayor Manuela Carmena has joined the mayors of New York, Los Angeles, Vienna, Sarayevo, Sophia, Prague, Copenhagen and Paris in the movement dubbed “Mayors against anti-Semitism” initiated by the AJC – Global Jewish Advocacy, in reaction to the recent worldwide increase in anti-Semitism – especially in Europe.
This worrying tendency has been strongly condemned by US President Barak Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and french Prime Minister Manuel Valls, as well as by institutions such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which has demanded that measures be taken to combat it, said a spokeswoman for the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain.
The initiative, she said, “highlights the anti-democratic and dangerous nature of racial hatred,” warning that anti-Semitism is “not only an attack against Jews, but also an aggression against the values of a democratic and pluralistic society.”
The Madrid Municipality promised to condemn hatred against Jews in all its manifestations and to broaden educational programs, among them Holocaust studies, in order to create an increased awareness of acts and attitudes of intolerance and discrimination.
The Federation, which represents the Jews of Spain, expressed its profound gratitude to Carmena at a time when police security for its religious and educational institutions has increased, and Jews have been singled out unfavorably in the media and other places.
One example was the February 25 boycotting and heckling of an Israeli Prof. Haim Eshach who arrived to speak at the Autonomo University in Madrid on “Technology and Science in the nursery” on the last day of Israel Apartheid Week, which was held at the university. The dean of Psychology, Nacho Montero, took the issue up with the European Parliament, as well as apologizing to Eschach and the professors who had invited him. He also sent a group email to the institution’s students, telling them that such behavior was far beyond “the limits of freedom of expression.” Last week there was a failed attempt at a Facebook campaign to stop Israeli singer Idan Raichel from performing at a Madrid club.