Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
  “No room for hatred: Europe united against hatred.” This came in a joint statement issued in Brussels by the European Commission and the office of Foreign Policy Coordinator Josep Borrell, which also said: “It is a call to all Europeans to act to stand against hatred and talk about tolerance and respect.”
In recent weeks, we have witnessed scenes in Europe that we hoped we would never see again. Europe is seeing an alarming increase in hate speech and hate crimes, and evidence shows that Jewish and Muslim communities are particularly affected.
Through the statement, UNHCR and the High Representative are intensifying their efforts to combat hatred in all its forms, by strengthening action across a variety of policies, including security, digital, education, culture and sports. This includes additional funding for the protection of places of worship, and will be supported by the appointment of envoys with a clear mandate to maximize the potential of EU anti-hate policies.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “Europe is a place where diverse cultural and religious identities are honored. Respect and tolerance are the core values of our societies. We must therefore stand up against anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred, whenever we encounter it. The dignity and safety of every individual in Our union is of utmost importance.
High Representative Josep Borrell said: “It is unfortunate that history repeats itself. Conflicts and misinformation around the world are sowing seeds of hatred. All persons must be protected and respected, regardless of their religion, belief, nationality, gender, race or any other pretext misused to incite discrimination, hatred or violence. As we approach the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we cannot make the same mistakes of the past. I urge the international community to join us in supporting human rights for everyone, everywhere, and combating intolerance and bias.
Under the title of protecting people and places, the European statement stated that protecting people and public places is a priority. The Commission will extend the call for proposals under the Homeland Security Fund, initially scheduled for 2024, to 2023, with a particular focus on Jewish places of worship, with an increased budget. The PROTECT program will be strengthened in 2024 with additional funding to protect public spaces and places of worship for all faiths, including an increase of €5 million to address threats caused by rising anti-Semitism.
To protect against online threats, the Commission will seek to finalize a strengthened Code of Conduct on combating unlawful online hate speech before February 2024 to build on the new horizontal obligations for online platforms in the Digital Services Act. It will also strengthen its cooperation with civil society organizations, experts, trusted informants and public authorities to detect hate speech online.
Involve the community as a whole
In the past, the Commission's coordinators on combating racism, combating anti-Semitism, promoting Jewish life and combating anti-Muslim hatred have played an important role in engaging communities and citizens. This work will now be further strengthened and coordinators will be promoted to envoys, who will have a specific mandate to deepen coordination, including through specific EU-funded projects, and maximize the potential of EU anti-hate policies, online and offline.
Knowledge and awareness are the key to mutual respect and tolerance. The most powerful carriers of these values are integrated into everyday life - the media, education, culture and sports. To this end, the Commission will support trainings for journalists on upholding media standards and recognizing hate speech, and will advance projects aimed at promoting inclusion and diversity in education, culture and sport.
The European Union will also intensify its support for fact-checkers, both within the European Union and in the Arab world.
Combating hate is a global concern and international cooperation is essential. Working closely with those responsible for promoting rights at global, regional and country levels strengthens the credibility and effectiveness of the EU's work inside and outside the Union: the Commission and the High Representative will strengthen their engagement and networks at all levels, strengthening EU diplomatic action, concrete actions and external partnerships.
In early 2024, the Commission will organize a high-level anti-hate conference bringing together prominent participants engaged in the fight against hatred and discrimination. This will be followed by European Dialogues for Reconciliation, bringing together citizens from across the EU, especially young people, with decision-makers, experts and members of the most affected communities. This process will culminate in recommendations on how to build bridges between divided societies and revive the EU motto of living “united in diversity.”
“Hate crimes and hate speech contradict the fundamental European values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, as stipulated in Article 2 of the Treaty,” the statement said.
In recent years, the Commission has worked on a set of laws and initiatives to promote and protect our common values and basic rights. The key legislation is the 2008 Framework Decision on Combating Racism and Xenophobia, which ensures that serious manifestations of racism and xenophobia are punished with effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal penalties.