Minister for Equality, the Hon Samantha Sacramento MP, has attended an International Parliamentary Conference on Combatting Antisemitism in Berlin. The summit was organised by the German Government and Parliament in partnership with the Inter- Parliamentary Coalition for Combatting Antisemitism (ICCA), and hosted over 150 parliamentarians from more than 50 countries.
In addition to senior political leaders and specialist speakers on antisemitism, the conference was also addressed by the German Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel, who stated the importance of keeping alive the memory of the Holocaust and made clear the obligation of "never again" by deed so that such a violation of human dignity is never repeated. Chancellor Merkel said that antisemitism continues and is today manifesting itself in different ways. The Chancellor emphasised that Germany as a State and German citizens have an obligation to eradicate antisemitism; an obligation on "us Germans as a responsibility for our past".
Key international speakers also included First Vice-President of the EU Commission Frans Timmermans, Director General of UNESCO Irina Bokova, and UK Secretary of State for Justice the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP.
Minister Sacramento said: "We are very fortunate in Gibraltar that we live in an interdenominational culture so harmoniously and that as a nation we do not suffer from antisemitic attacks as in other places in the world. That, however, does not mean that we are completely free of such reprehensible behaviour in Gibraltar and we must do all we can to ensure it is eradicated and never escalates.
“We must also never become complacent, and do all that we can in sharing proper education of the Jewish culture and of the horrors of the Holocaust; education against intolerance and indifference is a collective responsibility.
“It is also our duty to act in solidarity with Jewish people all over the world and do what we can to help in the fight against antsemitism because denouncing it and standing up for Jewish citizens is a shared obligation”.
