The Working Group against Antisemitism (WGAS) – an informal cross-party working group of Members of the European Parliament held its constitutive meeting for the new legislature, setting priorities and agenda for this term.
All MEPs present expressed their utmost condemnation of the murder of the Bibas family by the terrorist organisation Hamas, demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the remaining hostages still held in Gaza. The brutal sadism exercised against Israeli civilians, especially against a toddler and a 4 years old boy, showcases the sheer inhumanity of Hamas’s actions and underscores the urgent need for the international community to take decisive action against such barbarism.
During the meeting, MEP Alice Teodorescu Måwe (EPP/Sweden) was elected as WGAS chair. Her unwavering commitment to combating antisemitism and ensuring the safety and well-being of Jewish communities across Europe in these challenging times was acknowledged by the WGAS members.
“I am honoured by the trust placed in me and eagerly anticipate leading our collaborative efforts to combat antisemitism across Europe. The strength of this cross-party working group lies in its unity, proving that the fight against antisemitism transcends political divides. Our work is more important than ever, as we witness an alarming surge in antisemitism across Europe. We must send a clear and united message: Europe will not be complicit in hatred. In my first statement as Chair, I will condemn in the strongest possible terms the barbaric fate of the Bibas family. There are no words to fully capture this evil. I vow to do everything in my power to combat not only the hatred itself but also the silence and denial surrounding these crimes—the worst pogrom since the Holocaust,” said Ms Alice Teodorescu Måwe, the new WGAS Chair.
MEP Lukas Mandl (EPP/Austria), who joined the WGAS as a new member, stated: “I am confident the working group will positively contribute to a deeper and broader understanding of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, and will therefore fight antisemtisim in all its forms.”
“The recent brutal killing of the Bibas family by Hamas shows one more time the cruel and inhumane behavior of Hamas terrorists”, he added.
MEP Sabrina Repp (S&D/Germany), who also joined the WGAS as a new member, stressed the group’s crucial role in combating antisemitism across Europe: “Antisemitism is an attack on our core European values of dignity, equality and freedom. As political decision-makers, we must not only condemn any form of misanthropy, but take concrete steps to combat antisemitism in all its forms. I am committed to ensuring that Jewish communities across Europe feel safe and protected and that our societies remain united against intolerance and hatred.”
In the face of the tsunami of antisemitism both online and offline in Europe after the brutal Hamas attack on October 7th, the role of the WGAS is fundamental in raising awareness about the threat of Jewish hatred to European democracies and values.
The European Jewish Congress (EJC) and B’nai B’rith International serve as the group’s Advisory Board Members and the EJC as its Secretariat.