Government advisor on antisemitism John Mann MP addresses OSCE conference

In his first speech as the newly appointed Advisor on Combating Antisemitism, John Mann MP stated at the OSCE Human Dimension conference in Warsaw, which CST’s International Director Mike Whine MBE attended, that it is important that the UK Government be seen to be taking the lead in combating antisemitism. 

Since the 2004 Berlin conference there had been a number of major developments which were causing a rise in antisemitic incidents.

Firstly, antisemitic forces have been outstripping governments' responses due to the development of the Internet. They tend to rely on legal solutions for combating antisemitism but they need to be faster and wiser and to consider other ways to combat this development. Companies who allowed their advertisements to appear on the same pages as hate sites must be told to react dynamically to avoid reputation damage, for example.

Second, there is an increased physical risk for many now, just for shopping in a Jewish shop or attending synagogue services, as we have seen in the terror attacks at the Hyper Cache in France and the shooting of Dan Uzan Z”L at the Great Synagogue in Copenhagen. This risk was not appreciated until recently.  

The UK Government was the first to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of antisemitism, not as law but as a practical guide to aid decision-makers, and will now seek to further encourage its use.

CST congratulates John in his new role in advising the Government in combatting antisemitism. CST has a long-standing relationship with him and wishes him well in tackling the scourge of rising antisemitism in our society.