Anti-Semitism very much alive, says Livni
Foreign minister says Israel is under threat. 'Something must be done immediately,' she tells 160 Jewish leaders taking part in Jerusalem forum
"Anti-Semitism is still very much alive. As the home of the Jewish people, this is a fight that should be led by Israel," Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told the Foreign Ministry's Global Forum for Combating Anti-Semitism in Jerusalem on Sunday.
"Just 60 years after the Holocaust, we continue to witness racist and anti-Semitic phenomena around the world, that threatens the State of Israel… Something must be done immediately," said Livni.
One hundred and sixty participants from Israel and around the world took part in the forum, which aimed to find practical steps that could be taken in the war on anti-Semitism.
Livni made it clear that the forum was not meant for talk, but to create a new perception of action against the threats.
"The war on anti-Semitism should be our top priority. We are witnessing new kinds of cooperation between the radical left, the extreme right and the Islamic jihad across the world.
"The global Holocaust denial led by Iran is a political move meant to de-legitimize Israel, and it is unacceptable that a country that denies the Holocaust is accepted by the world as part of the international community," said Livni.
'Greatest danger to Jews is apathy'
Also speaking at the event was Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, saying that a society is not measured by whether or not it has anti-Semitism, but by how its leaders deal with it.
"The chance that a Jew in Britain would be harmed is four times greater than the chance that a Muslim would be harmed there, and the chance that a Jew in the United States would be harmed is seven times greater than a Muslim being harmed.
"The greatest danger to the Jews is the apathy and indifference occurring around then – the future of our children and grandchildren is at risk."
Addressing Iran, Hoenlein said that "history teaches us to take this threat seriously. This is a global problem that even the Christians and Muslims across the world will have to deal with."
