The European Union’s coordinator on anti-Semitism has called on EU countries to have “zero tolerance” for hate speech after anti-Jewish attacks soared following the escalation in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“We were not naive enough to think anti-Semitism was gone” from European society, Katharina von Schnurbein told The National. “We have seen the proliferation of anti-Semitism whenever there is a crisis, including during the [Covid-19] pandemic.”
The European Union’s coordinator on anti-Semitism has called on EU countries to have “zero tolerance” for hate speech as theybb struggle to contain a spike in anti-Jewish attacks following tnionon
Recent examples of anti-Jewish acts include reports of a mob protesting against Israel at a synagogue in the Spanish enclave of Melilla in North Africa and a firebomb assault on a synagogue in Berlin.
No one was hurt in the attacks, but many Jews across Europe are adopting a low-profile, saying they fear being targeted physically.
Buildings inhabited by Jews in the German capital have also had the star of David painted on their doors and walls.
Speaking less than a week after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack against Israel on October 7 that killed more than 1,400 people, France’s Interior Minister said anti-Semitic acts across the country had soared to reach “more than 100” in a few days.
Israel responded to the Hamas attack with a siege and intense shelling of the Gaza strip which has killed more than 4,100 Palestinians.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, launched its first-ever strategy to combat anti-Semitism in 2021. It runs until 2030.
The bloc's 27 countries in March 2022 committed to adopt their own national strategies. These are policy proposals and not legally binding documents. So far, this has been done by 11 member states.
At the time of the strategy’s launch in 2021, the Commission allocated €24 million for member states to better protect public spaces and places of worship.
The Commission is currently funding a €1 million project to address anti-Semitism through education in 12 EU countries, in co-operation with Unesco. It also aims to strengthen Jewish civil society.
“We see change is happening, but we also have to be aware that this strategy was adopted only two years ago,” said Ms von Schnurbein, who was appointed in 2015 as the first European Commission Coordinator on combating anti-Semitism.
“It will take time to really create change. We have to be realistic,” she said in a phone interview.
Fighting anti-Semitism in Europe is highly sensitive given the destruction of Europe's Jewish population in the Second World War and divisions within European countries over relations with Israel.
It is also high on the list of priorities for the Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen.
In a speech to the European Parliament this week, she highlighted the importance of the EU’s Digital Services Act in fighting hate speech online and the recent investigation launched by the Commission in relation to X, Meta and TikTok.
“Synagogues have been vandalised. Hate speech and fake news are spreading at worrying speed. And this is something that we simply cannot accept,” she said. “It is our shared responsibility to make sure that our dark past does not return. We have to protect Jewish life in Europe.”
The Commission on Thursday gave Meta and TikTok one week to provide details on measures taken to counter the spread of terrorist, violent content and hate speech on their platforms, one week after Elon Musk's X was told to do the same.
Critics of the Commission’s strategy on anti-Semitism say that it relies too much on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, which is closely linked to criticism of Israel.
They say the Commission does not do enough to recognise Palestinian victimhood, thus further fuelling polarisation.
The Commission rejects such criticism and says its strategy reflects the wishes and fears of Europe’s Jewish community.
The IHRA definition must continue being applied in Europe to recognise all forms of anti-Semitism, including Israel-related anti-Semitism, said Ms von Schnurbein.
“Not everything in the IHRA definition is automatically illegal,” she said.
“The IHRA definition itself states [that] whether an anti-Semitic incident is illegal is defined by law.”
Context is key when applying the IHRA definition, according to Ms von Schnurbein.
“Free Palestine” graffiti on a bridge is not the same as the same words drawn on a synagogue, in which case it collectively holds Jews in Europe responsible for what is happening in Israel, she said.
“When you stand with someone, it does not give the other the right to commit hate crimes.”
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
MATCH INFO
Arsenal 1 (Aubameyang 12’) Liverpool 1 (Minamino 73’)
Arsenal win 5-4 on penalties
Man of the Match: Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal)
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Pathaan
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'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
The biog
Age: 23
Occupation: Founder of the Studio, formerly an analyst at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Education: Bachelor of science in industrial engineering
Favourite hobby: playing the piano
Favourite quote: "There is a key to every door and a dawn to every dark night"
Family: Married and with a daughter
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait
World T20 2020 Qualifying process:
- Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
- Australia have already qualified as hosts
- Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
- The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.
World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
Company%C2%A0profile
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MATCH INFO
Crawley Town 3 (Tsaroulla 50', Nadesan 53', Tunnicliffe 70')
Leeds United 0
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
Directed by: Shaka King
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons
Four stars
