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Published on 8 April 2025

Crif at the European Commission's Civil Society Forum

On April 1st, 2025, the Civil Society Forum, organized by the European Commission and led by Katharina Von Schnurbein, Coordinator for the Fight against Antisemitism at the European Commission, was held in Brussels. Yonathan Arfi spoke on the Forum's opening panel.

The Forum opened with official speeches by Katharina Von Schnurbein, European Commission Coordinator for Combating Antisemitism, Magnus Brunner, European Commission Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Elisabeth Werner, Deputy Secretary General for Policy Coordination at the European Commission, and the Deputy Director for European Affairs at the World Jewish Congress (WJC).

 

 

Jonathan Boyd, Executive Director of the Jewish Policy Research Institute (JPR), presented eloquent figures on the sense of isolation felt by European Jews and the deterioration of links with key players in civil society.
The discussion then included Crif President Yonathan Arfi, Ariella Woitchik, Director of European Affairs at the European Jewish Congress (EJC), and Hanna Veiler, former President of the German Union of Jewish Students and Vice-President of the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS).

 

 

 

 

Exchanges with the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS)

 

During this day in Brussels, Yonathan Arfi had the opportunity to exchange views with the leaders and representatives of the EUJS. The organization's President, Emma Hallali, presented the upcoming events and training seminars for Jewish students, aimed at reinforcing the fight against antisemitism on campuses and within universities, and ensuring the preservation of Jewish life in Europe.

 

Meeting with Belgian Jewish organizations

 

In the afternoon, Crif met with Belgian Jewish organizations, the Coordination Committee of Jewish Organizations of Belgium (CCOJB) - Crif's sister organization in Belgium - and the Antwerp-based association JID (Joods Informatie- en Documentatiecentrum).

COOJB President Yves Oschinsky underlined the difficult situation in which Belgian Jews have found themselves since several months, mentioning the lack of a fruitful relationship between Jewish organizations and the government, despite rising rates of antisemitism.

Michel Kotek and Jenny Aharon, representatives of the JID association, explained the particular situation of the Antwerp community and stressed their need for help and support from other Jewish communities in Europe.
They also mentioned the fact that schools in Flanders are under no obligation to teach students about the history of the Holocaust.

We discussed the court case concerning Herman Brusselmans, the writer recently acquitted by the courts after writing in one of his columns his “desire to drive a sharp knife into the throat of every Jew”.

Yves Oschinsky pointed out that Belgium's legal arsenal was too weak, and that impunity today posed a danger to some of the country's citizens, contributing to a yawning split within society.

The appointment of a National Coordinator for fighting against antisemitism and fostering Jewish life is overdue, as is the implementation of a national strategy to combat antisemitism.
These two elements were requested by the European Commission for each EU member state. It is now an urgent matter for Belgium.

 

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