Mayor of Paris Joins AJC Campaign Against Anti-Semitism

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Oct 07, 2015, 09:34 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has signed on to Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism, an AJC initiative calling on municipal leaders across Europe to publicly address and take concrete actions against rising anti-Semitism.

"The City has a responsibility to fight anti-Semitism, otherwise it will develop in the midst of it," said Mayor Hidalgo. "Paris, which is home to the biggest Jewish community of Europe, needs to be a pioneer in the fight against hate so that other cities can benefit from its expertise and commitment."

Hidalgo is the first mayor in Europe to join the AJC initiative, launched in the United States in July, and now expanding to Europe. More than 300 mayors and municipal leaders from 47 states across the U.S. have so far signed the statement.

"We call upon mayors, municipal leaders and other officials in Europe to join us in affirming that anti-Semitism is not compatible with fundamental democratic values," states the Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism statement. The Mayors' statement emphasizes that "in a world of global communications where anti-Semitic ideas can and do spread quickly, the impact of the rise of anti-Semitism in Europe does not stop at Europe's borders."

"Anti-Semitism is a cancer that, left unchecked, will metastasize and threaten to destroy the democratic and pluralistic nature of Europe," said AJC Executive Director David Harris at the Brussels gathering.

The Mayors United Against Anti-Semitism statement affirms a core set of principles, including the condemnation of anti-Jewish hatred in all forms; rejection of the notion that anti-Semitic acts may ever be justified by one's view on the actions or existence of the State of Israel; a declaration that anti-Semitism and any prejudices due to religious differences are inconsistent with core democratic values; and the belief that the promotion of mutual understanding and respect among all citizens is essential to good governance and democratic life.

The statement pledges a commitment to working within and across European and American communities to advance the values of respectful coexistence, and to affirm that anti-Semitism is incompatible with fundamental democratic values.

For more information, please contact AJC's Paris-based Europe Director, Simone Rodan-Benzaquen, at [email protected].

SOURCE American Jewish Committee