New York – Following a recent fact-finding trip to Europe, a Democrat who represents Boro Park in the state Assembly, Dov Hikind, said yesterday he is convinced that anti-Semitism has made life intolerable for Jews in England, France, Germany, and Belgium.
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At a dinner tonight organized by the New York Association for New Americans, he said he plans to call on President Bush to accord special refugee status to Western European Jews.
While Western European Jews would likely fail to qualify as persecuted refugees under State Department standards, America has made rare exceptions for certain groups in the past, including Jews and other religious minorities in the former Soviet Union who qualified as refugees under the 1989 Lautenberg Amendment. Mr. Hikind wants this treatment extended to Western European Jews.
At least one major Jewish organization is already opposing Mr. Hikind’s plan. The director of international Jewish affairs at the American Jewish Committee, Rabbi Andrew Baker, said yesterday life is now improving for Jewish communities in Europe following a “resurgence of anti-Semitism” in 2002.
“I think while community leaders would not dismiss that there is a problem, they would agree that the solution to the problem is not emigration,” Mr. Baker said. He cited France as an example of positive change: Its new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, has publicly committed to combating anti-Semitism. [nysun]
11:56 you are right. He should do something like take on pigeons!
Coul someone tell me when was the last time you saw Hikind in the news about something to help his community.
He is not the Secetery of State
Dov Hikind is right & wrong. As a former British subject with parents & family still in the UK, I say he’s right. Anti-semitism by regular citizens is very bad over there. My son is in Yeshiva in Manchester & I warned him not to walk alone, not even in daylight.
As for the rest of Europe, my daughter & son in law are in Slovakia. He’s the Rabbi in Piestany, a fancy resort/spa town where the Skvere Rebbe Shlita visits every summer. Before that he was in Batislava (Pressburg) for 2 years. They love it there!
Austria, however, seems to be very anti-semitic. My son was in Berlin for the Yomim Noraim, working with the community, & he felt very uncomfortable. So Germany is also a problem.
B”H my Slovaks have never seen any trouble or anti-semitism. Yes, they get strange looks, but people are polite & helpful, from govt. agencies down.
Mr. Hikind is wrong because as bad as things are for Jews in UK & France, & other countries too, I don’t think it’s at the stage of giving Jews refugee status. Russian Jews certainly were persecuted…with govt encouragement & active participation. This isn’t the case today in other countries. Anti semitism is not govt. sanctioned. That’s the difference. To confuse the two, until Chas V’shalom there’s a reason to need it, is unecessary & makes Jews victims again.
Why doesn’t Mr. Hikind copy Al Sharpton’s tactics & jump on the bandwagon with every case of anti-semitism here in the US? There are enough to keep him busy for ever.
Mr. Hikind,
Why not work on stuff that our community needs first before your run to Europe on your fact finding mission.