A new wave of political tension around the “Jewish question” in Brussels occurred last week after 26 members of the newly formed European Parliament were unwilling to recognize the fact
that anti-Semitism in the modern world is often disguised as anti-Zionism. Even though this thesis is present in most expert opinions on anti-Semitism, in the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism, and in other EU regulatory documents, the deputies called for the dismissal of the European Commissioner for Anti-Semitism and Jewish Life Development, Katharina von Schnurbein, simply for voicing this thesis.
Earlier, during one of the debates in the European Parliament, Belgian MP Marc Botenga — who had previously defended Iran following Israeli bombing of its nuclear facilities — got into an argument with a Spanish MP. During a committee session dedicated to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Members of the European Parliament pointed to a parliamentary official wearing a black-and-white checkered scarf — a symbol of Palestinian resistance. “Government officials are not here to promote ideology,” protested EPP member Antonio López-Istúriz White of Spain, supported by his faction colleague Andrey Kovatchev from Bulgaria. According to Euractiv sources in the Parliament, the official was then escorted out of the chamber. According to the Parliament's spokesperson, the session in question “was briefly interrupted, and as always in such cases, precautionary measures were taken so that the meeting could continue without disruption.”
This triggered negative reactions concerning the wearing of the hijab: progressive MEPs and their aides continued to wear the keffiyeh for the remainder of the session. “I don’t see any problem at all [...] I think the person was dressed perfectly appropriately,” said far-left MP Marc Botenga, adding that there were no such concerns when staff wore Ukrainian symbols.
As Euractiv learned, after the altercation last week, some Parliament staff were instructed not to wear keffiyehs to committee meetings. The rules for parliamentary staff are vague regarding the display of political symbols.
As historian Dr. Oleh Kozerod noted: “We are seeing further polarization of opinions on both international events in Ukraine and the Middle East, and internal issues concerning the life of Jewish communities in Europe. Despite a fairly quiet summer in European politics, the attack on the Commissioner for combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life has become indicative. A group of experts and politicians is forming in Brussels that supports ideas of 'fighting the evil of global Zionism,' and this, unfortunately, is yet another confirmation that the Strategy for Combating Anti-Semitism and Developing Jewish Life for 2021–2030 needs political and public support. If a powerful European research institution with unquestionable authority and state backing is not created, Brussels will be flooded with medieval anti-Semitic myths. Using a touch of sarcasm, one could say that if things keep going this way, with such "progress" in the level of knowledge about the Holocaust, definitions of antisemitism, and the basics of Jewish history in Europe among the European elites, the next parliament might end up in a situation where deputies sit in sessions wearing Iranian tunics and Ukrainian vyshyvankas, launching Iranian and Ukrainian drones at each other”.
As recently became known Jewish organizations across Europe have voiced strong support for Katharina von Schnurbein, the European Commission’s coordinator on combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, amid growing criticism over her comments linking anti-Israel sentiment to rising antisemitism in Europe.
The European Jewish Association (EJA), representing more than 600 communities across the continent, issued a statement firmly backing von Schnurbein.