Two leading European rabbis have voiced concern after far-right parties made stunning gains across France and Germany in European Union elections.
Alternative for Deutschland, whose founder was convicted of using a Nazi slogan in a campaign speech, came second in Germany, ahead of the ruling Social Democratic Party, while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won the vote in France.
President Emmanuel Macron called a snap election in response to the results, challenging his hard right opponents to repeat their performance in a parliamentary vote.
In Italy, Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy recieved more than a quarter of votes, though the centre-right European People’s Party looks let to retain control of the European Parliament.
Rabbi Menachem Margolin, who chairs the European Jewish Association and last week warned that Europe faces an “exodus” because of antisemitism, told the JC: “We are really very much concerned about the future because we do not have certainty that the new leadership are committed for sure to the future of Jews in Europe.”
He continued: “There are some far-right politicians who support Israel’s right to defend itself because of radical Islam, and I understand why some Jews are really happy to see them getting power because of the Middle East.
“But being a Jew in Europe is not only about Islamism, we have to remember we do not share the exact same values as the far-right.
"We do not have a problem with Muslims, with immigrants, or with strangers. I call on those who jump from happiness to calm down a bit. We have to be cautious. We have to analyse party by party.”
Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Conference of European Rabbis (CER), said: “We cannot ignore the dark past or controversial present of some these far-right parties.
"However, the primary issue propelling their increase in popularity is the perceived threat of non-integrated and even hostile sub-societies developing in these countries.
"As Jews, we have, on the contrary, contributed to wider society. Furthermore, the centre will still hold sway in the next European Parliament.
“That being said, European Jews are uncertain of the future. Voices condemning Israel, amid a defensive war on a terror state, and negatively targeting the Jewish community, have surfaced across the political spectrum.
"As a minority community in Europe, we must continue to advocate for our safety and religious rights, which the CER will lead on. The past and the present raise alarming questions, we must work within these confines to pave a better future.”
Far-right parties such as the AfD should be banned over their extremist ties, Rabbi Margolin said.
“Anyone who praises Nazis cannot run for politics, they should be investigated and blocked.”
Maximilian Krah, who was the AfD’s lead candidate in the EU elections, was forced to stop campaigning after he claimed that members of the Waffen SS were not “automatically” criminals.
He will now sit as an independent in the European parliament.
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